Orca and Humpbacks!
Cover Image:
Orca Breaching!
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
During the past three weeks, half of the sighting reports we received were of Orca. Orca were observed in English Bay and Burrard Inlet (Vancouver), off Nanaimo and Lantzville, in upper Georgia Strait, and many adjacent waterways. Humpback whales are returning to B.C. from their winter grounds in tropical areas. Humpback whales were observed off Salt Spring Island, in upper Georgia Strait, and in Discovery Passage. One grey whale was in the English Bay for about four weeks from early April to early May, delighting many onlookers from the shores in Vancouver and West Vancouver. The whale was identified and is known as “Little Patch” because of a small white area on its left side. Little Patch has travelled to Puget Sound where the whale tends to reside during the summer months of each year. Rounding our report are sightings of Pacific White Sided dolphins and a few porpoises.
As a reminder that if you are boating and out on the water, please be aware of the presence of whales and dolphins. Signs of their presence may include blows of the Cetaceans and other boats stopped or moving slowly in an area. Boats and other water craft (e.g. kayaks) must remain at least 400-meters away from Orca and at least 100-m away from other species. See the full government regulation in the paragraph below.
The Federal Government (DFO) issued the following statement about watching Orca in the wild: “Vessels must stay 400-m away and may not position a vessel in the path of killer whales in southern BC coastal waters between Campbell River and just north of Ucluelet until May 31, 2025.” For all other areas of B.C. outside of the area indicated above, a minimum distance of 200-m must be maintained when viewing Orca OR while viewing any Cetaceans that are resting or with a calf. When viewing whales, dolphins, and porpoises under other circumstances not described above, a minimum distance of 100-m must be kept. A great resource for up to date Canadian or US regulations: Be Whale Wise Guidelines
WOWs works throughout the year, so please continue to keep your eyes open, and report your sightings to us.
Ivan Ng, Wild Ocean Whale Society
Society News & Events
Donatons:
Donations can be made directly by e-transfer to accounting@ wows.org (remove the space after the @) as well as through our Donate button on our website pages.
Thank you all for your kind and continuing donations. Your support is greatly appreciated – we can't do it without you.
Thank you all for your kind and continuing donations. Your support is greatly appreciated – we can't do it without you.
PRISMA on the Beach:
If you are Powell River on Saturday, June 28, 2025 the annual PRISMA free concert will be at Willingdon Beach. There are food vendors and WOWs will be there with our information table. Stop by and say hello!
Websites:
Whales and Dolphins BC is our educational website where these reports are also published and our Wild Ocean Whale site is our Society website. Information on our Feral Cat Initiative will be updated again soon. We apologize for delays, but we are volunteers working on this.
Real Time Monitoring Station Live Update
Our Live Web Camera YouTube Channel streams from Powell River 24/7 with views towards Texada – Vancouver Island – Savary and up towards Cortez. Hope you've been seeing some of the many whales and the Aurora Borealis.
Thank You to our Volunteers and Contributors!
Our team of online Volunteers continue to do a great job in making sure all your sightings reports are mapped and published regularly. Would you like to join us? Updates on current availabilities and revised links will be posted here.
Review our previous Volunteer Job Postings Job Postings are slowly being revamped (we're volunteers too, so sorry for the delays) and not yet on our web sites.
Data For Research:
For research access to 35,000+ sightings in our database in a downloadable csv file for use in a spreadsheet, please Click Here. to fill in your request.
Sightings Update
SIGHTINGS MAP – ISSUE: 2025-005
TRANSIENT BIGGS KILLER WHALES
Thu May 01 2025
07:09 • 1 Biggs Orca taking long dives, heading south close to the Powell River Viewpoint, Malaspina Strait. Male orca.
SW, Powell River, BC
07:49 • est. 3-4 Biggs Orca heading south off Grief Point, Malaspina Strait. ▫ Second Hand
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
11:46 • Biggs Orca ◦T019s◦ moving slowly, heading south intially about 3-NM off Cortez Reef, Georgia Strait. Left them at 12:45 when they were passing Mitlenatch Island still heading south.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Biggs Orca – T019s – moving slowly off Cortez Reef, Georgia Strait
Thu, 1 May 2025 – 2 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Biggs Orca – T019s – moving slowly off Cortez Reef, Georgia Strait
Thu, 1 May 2025 – 2 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Fri May 02 2025
14:45 • Biggs Orca ◦T090s◦ in Okisollo Channel. At 15:15, we left them as they headed into Hole in the Wall.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Sat May 03 2025
14:55 • Biggs Orca ◦T124C◦ moving slowly, heading south-west moving into Heriot Bay, Quadra Island, Sutil Channel.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Sun May 04 2025
10:31 • Biggs Orca bucking tide, towards Ripple Rock, Discovery Passage.
Radio, overheard or call out
11:59 • Biggs Orca ◦T090s◦ moving slowly, heading north through Seymour Narrows, Discovery Passage.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
14:01 • 4 Biggs Orca travelling, heading south-west, Dorman Bay, Bowen Island, Queen Charlotte Channel. Maybe hunting. ▫ Observed from Shore
BK
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Biggs Orca by Dorman Bay, Bowen Island, BC
Sun, 4 May 2025 – 1 items
BK
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Biggs Orca by Dorman Bay, Bowen Island, BC
Sun, 4 May 2025 – 1 items
BK
Mon May 05 2025
10:00 • est. 3-5 Biggs Orca breaching, heading south-east, just off Lantzville, Georgia Strait. The Orcas were seen feeding, and breaching every four minutes. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
CS, BC
14:21 • Biggs Orca ◦T124C◦ taking long dives, heading north, just north of Dogfish Bay, at the southeast end of Quadra Island, Sutil Channel.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Wed May 07 2025
09:58 • Biggs Orca heading south, west of Marina Island, Sutil Channel.
Radio, overheard or call out
17:20 • est. 3 Biggs Orca moving quickly, heading east, Burrard Inlet. ▫ Observed from Shore
AC, Vancouver, BC
Thu May 08 2025
11:47 • 5 Biggs Orca ◦T049A,T049A3,T049A4,T049A5,T049A6◦ heading south 2 miles off Miracle Beach Park, Georgia Strait. 1 big fin.
12:52 • est. 7-8 Biggs Orca ◦T023,T101s◦ heading south half a mile off the Marina Island shack, Sutil Channel.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Sat May 10 2025
15:45 • 4 Biggs Orca ◦T090s◦ taking long dives, heading south-west, north of Subtle Islands and travelling towards Viner Point, Sutil Channel. First observed at 14:40. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
T090s between Subtle Island heading towards Viner Point
Sat, 10 May 2025 – 6 items
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
T090s between Subtle Island heading towards Viner Point
Sat, 10 May 2025 – 6 items
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
15:50 • 4 Biggs Orca ◦T090s◦ taking long dives, heading south-west approaching Viner Point, Read Island, Sutil Channel. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Sun May 11 2025
–:– • Biggs Orca ◦T002Cs◦ in Loughborough Inlet.
Radio, overheard or call out
Wed May 14 2025
10:40 • Biggs Orca by Denham Island, Hornet Passage.
Radio, overheard or call out
13:23 • Biggs Orca ◦T090s◦ heading south-west towards Hardinge Island, Nodales Channel. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Thu May 15 2025
09:20 • 4 Biggs Orca milling, near Surge Narrows, Hoskyn Channel. Sighting of a commercial fisherman. ▫ Second Hand
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Fri May 16 2025
09:40 • 4 Biggs Orca by Raza Island, Raza Passage.
14:20 • Biggs Orca heading north by Kellsey Point, Stuart Island, Yuculta Rapids.
14:20 • Biggs Orca heading south by Rendezvous Islands, Calm Channel.
Radio, overheard or call out
Sat May 17 2025
15:30 • 4 Biggs Orca heading south-west just north of Hill Island in Sutil Channel. Orcas observed as being stealthy.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Humpbacks surfacing in Discovery Passage
Sat, 17 May 2025 – 3 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Humpbacks surfacing in Discovery Passage
Sat, 17 May 2025 – 3 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
UNIDENTIFIED KILLER WHALES
Sat May 03 2025
20:00 • est. 3-5 Orca breaching, heading north-west off Tower Beach (UBC), Vancouver, Georgia Strait. ▫ Observed from Shore
AJ, Vancouver, BC
Unidentified Killer Whales
Orca breaching heading north-west off Tower Beach, Vancouver, Georgia Strait
Sat, 3 May 2025 – 1 items
AJ, Vancouver, BC
Unidentified Killer Whales
Orca breaching heading north-west off Tower Beach, Vancouver, Georgia Strait
Sat, 3 May 2025 – 1 items
AJ, Vancouver, BC
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Unidentified Killer Whales
Orca surfacing, blowing and breaching
Tue, 2 Jul 2024 – 1 items
Shirley Young
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Unidentified Killer Whales
Orca surfacing, blowing and breaching
Tue, 2 Jul 2024 – 1 items
Shirley Young
HUMPBACK WHALES
Tue May 06 2025
15:45 • 1 Humpback Whales foraging, heading south-west, moving between Sansum Point and Burial Islet, Stuart Channel. ▫ From Kayak or Paddleboard
CB, Cowichan Bay, BC
Fri May 09 2025
12:38 • 2 Humpback Whales heading north, approaching McMullen Point, west of Quadra Island, Discovery Passage.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whales breaching west of Quadra Island, Discovery Passage
Fri, 9 May 2025 – 5 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whales breaching west of Quadra Island, Discovery Passage
Fri, 9 May 2025 – 5 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
15:25 • 1 Humpback Whales in front of Powell River Westview Harbour, Malaspina Strait.
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
Sat May 10 2025
10:45 • 2 Humpback Whales close to Discovery Harbour Marina, Campbell River, Discovery Passage. ▫ Second Hand
14:00 • est. 2-3 Humpback Whales out from Oyster River, Georgia Strait. ▫ Second Hand
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
Sun May 11 2025
10:30 • Humpback Whales off Conville Point, Quadra Island, Hoskyn Channel.
16:26 • Humpback Whales heading south at Chatham Point, Discovery Passage.
16:57 • 3 Humpback Whales just before Cinque Islands on the side by Sonora Island, Discovery Passage.
Radio, overheard or call out
Wed May 14 2025
14:40 • Humpback Whales south of Whiskey Point, Quadra Island, Discovery Passage.
Radio, overheard or call out
Thu May 15 2025
09:15 • Humpback Whales heading north between Quathiaski Cove Ferry Terminal and Discovery Harbour Marina, Discovery Passage.
15:18 • Humpback Whales mid channel by Steep Island, Discovery Passage.
Radio, overheard or call out
Sat May 17 2025
10:17 • Humpback Whales out from Duncan Bay mid-channel in Discovery Passage.
Radio, overheard or call out
12:35 • 1 Humpback Whales heading north-west past No Name Creek in Discovery Passage.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Humpback Whales
Humpbacks surfacing in Discovery Passage
Sat, 17 May 2025 – 4 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Humpback Whales
Humpbacks surfacing in Discovery Passage
Sat, 17 May 2025 – 4 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Sun May 18 2025
10:02 • Humpback Whales ◦BCX0565 Nick◦ close to Maud Island, Discovery Passage. At 10:18, the whale was off Race Point.
Radio, overheard or call out
11:23 • 1 Humpback Whales ◦BCX0565 Nick◦ heading south at Copper Bluffs, Quadra Island, Discovery Passage.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
GREY WHALES
Sat May 03 2025
16:40 • 1 Grey Whales ◦CRC-53 Little Patch◦ milling, off Dundarave, West Vancouver, Burrard Inlet. ▫ Observed from Shore
Ivan Ng, North Vancouver, BC
Tue May 06 2025
16:00 • 1 Grey Whales ◦CRC-53 Little Patch◦ doing circles, heading west, just off Jericho Beach, Vancouver, Burrard Inlet. The whale was seen in front of Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. Seabirds were following and landing near the whale, possibly feeding. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
WK, Vancouver, BC
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Fri May 02 2025
09:15 • est. 10 PWS Dolphins hunting, at the mouth of Mackay Creek, North Vancouver, Burrard Inlet. In the area for 3 hours. ▫ Observed from Shore
Ivan Ng, North Vancouver, BC
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Pacific White Sided Dolphins hunting at the mouth of Mackay Creek, North Vancouver
Fri, 2 May 2025 – 1 items
Ivan Ng, North Vancouver, BC
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Pacific White Sided Dolphins hunting at the mouth of Mackay Creek, North Vancouver
Fri, 2 May 2025 – 1 items
Ivan Ng, North Vancouver, BC
Tue May 06 2025
13:27 • est. 15-20 PWS Dolphins milling, just north of Deepwater Bay, Quadra Island, Discovery Passage.
Radio, overheard or call out
Sat May 10 2025
11:45 • est. 6+ PWS Dolphins just out from Granite Bay, Kanish Bay. ▫ Second Hand
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
Sun May 11 2025
16:55 • PWS Dolphins at the west entrance to Hoskyn Channel. A few.
Radio, overheard or call out
Tue May 13 2025
14:45 • 6 PWS Dolphins playing, between Read Island and Rendezvous Islands, Drew Passage. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Sat May 17 2025
11:49 • est. 20 PWS Dolphins milling, near Yellow Island in Discovery Passage.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Pacific White Sided Dolphins milling, near Yellow Island in Discovery Passage
Sat, 17 May 2025 – 1 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Pacific White Sided Dolphins milling, near Yellow Island in Discovery Passage
Sat, 17 May 2025 – 1 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
DALLS PORPOISE
Sat May 10 2025
11:45 • Dalls Porpoise outside of Okisollo Channel, Discovery Passage. ▫ Second Hand
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
HARBOUR PORPOISE
Tue May 06 2025
17:00 • 2 Harbour Porpoise doing circles, heading west, east of Jericho Beach, Burrard Inlet. The two porpoises were seen between Kitsilano Yacht Club and Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
WK, Vancouver, BC
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The Magazine
REGIONAL & NATIONAL
Global News
A whale, never before seen in B.C. waters, washed up dead on northern Vancouver Island.
A man walking his dog on Wednesday morning discovered the dead whale in Port McNeill at the end of the bay in the estuary….
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SPECIAL SIGHTINGS
Yahoo!News
Since moving to an idyllic Aussie island six years ago, two brothers have spent countless hours observing the fascinating marine creatures that live in the surrounding water. Despite their passion and persistence, one â??rare and cryptic speciesâ? has always eluded Oliver and Lawrence Scheele â?? until now….
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Discover Wildlife (BBC)
A whale watching operator in San Diego has shared the astonishing sight of the worldâ??s largest animal gathering in groups. They have described the gathering of blue whales as â??a sight few have ever witnessed.â?…
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RESEARCH & CONSERVATION
IndieWire
There are nature documentaries that show you things youâ??ve never seen before. Then thereâ??s â??The Americas,â? which shows its viewers something literally no human had ever seen before.
Marine scientists had long speculated that sperm whales dive all the way to the ocean floor to hunt for food….
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AOL
An unusual encounter with a group of orcas near Iceland led researchers to discover a new and complex behaviour – they had taken in baby pilot whales, and not necessarily to eat them….
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