From Transient Orca to Resident Orca, Pacific White Sided Dolphins and a Dall's Porpoise. Quite the full day with the various tours having long runs and lots of sightings!
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
July 19: Transient Orca:
8:20 am First report of Orca at Cape Mudge light, passed through Garry, Aboriginal Journeys sent some of the first tours out to find the 2 Transient Orca T20 and T21. AJ, Oak Bay Hurricane picked the Transients up at 8:40 am by Marina Island, close to Cortez Island, heading “southbound-ish” towards Mitlenatch Island.
By 10 am the 2 Transient Orca were still around Mitlenatch but had their noses aimed towards Texada Island after doing many turns back and forth. (Last report heard: tours left them around 1:30 pm - SM)
July 19: Resident Orca:
10:55 am reports from boaters came in that there were 7 Orca Westbound by Chatham Pt. at the bottom of Johnstone Strait. Relayed by Garry, Aboriginal Journeys
12:00 pm report of Resident Orca by Ripple Pt. Between Chatham Pt. And Helmken Island, Johnstone Strait.
Nick, Eagle Eye
12:20 pm an additional 3 Orca were reported Westbound by Blenkinsop Bay from Brian, SV Achiever
2 pm Took skiff out around into Race Passage to see if we could locate the Resident Orca from earlier reports and found 5 Resident Orca at the bottom of Race Pass Westbound up towards Kelsey Bay. They were running at around 5 knots tight into shore. One large male and two calves in the pod believed to be the A23's. Once found, we waited for Garry, Aboriginal Journeys to make it up to view them. We left them around 3:50 pm almost at Kelsey Bay still Westbound.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Little after 5 pm Nick, Eagle Eye brought his tour up from Campbell River and managed to find the Resident Orca by the “Cougar Hole” close to St Vincent Bight. 6 pm AJ, Oak Bay Hurricane paced them to Hickey Point, Johnstone Strait till 6:30 pm still heading West.
July 19: Pacific White Sided Dolphins
9 am 20+ Pacific White Sided Dolphins in Davis Bay, Sechelt
Allan Knowles
4:20 pm a few Pacific White Sided Dolphins at Greene Point. And:
5:20 pm 30 to 40 Pacific White Sided Dolphins foraging by Eagle's Cove, near Granite Bay, Discovery Passage.
Garry, Aboriginal Journeys
July 19: Dall's Porpoises:
1:16 pm “Few” Dall's Porpoises by Dent Rapids. And
6:45 pm One lone Dall's Porpoise by Vansittart Point.
AJ, Oak Bay Hurricane