No update on the entangled Humpback Whale today, August 21st, so keep your eyes open. Transient Orca down around Cortez Island and Pacific White Sided Dolphins by Powell River. Resident Orca have been very spread out in the upper Johnstone Strait area and weather today, was not very nice with wind in Johnstone Strait and rain creating fog. Humpbacks were still spotted and so were the Resident Orca – Transients in the wind again.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Northern Resident Orca
August 21:
6:30 am A number of Resident Orca were headed East by Cracroft Point and by 9:30 am some had made it into the Bight. The A11's, A8's and A23's for sure. The travelled close to the Eastern Boundary of the Reserve and turned back. At around 6 pm some Orca had made it West to Beaver Cove and had turned back to towards the Bight again.
Various radio transmissions
August 20:
8 am At least 8 Orca were around Arrow Passage and slowly heading towards Fife Sound. Some dolphins decide to harass them for a short time. They were very spread out from the Holford Islets and worked their way towards Wells Passage / Polkinghorne Island area. It was flat calm and apart from a tiny drizzle, the sun came out between broken clouds, but no fog. I dropped the hydrophone and immediately recognized some G-Clan calls. They were very chatty and I managed to get some great call recordings. I left them around Polkinghorne Island 11 am headed West towards Numas Islands, Queen Charlotte Strait.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
9:30 am A report over the radio said that there were some Resident Orca by Naka Creek.
11:30 am Some of the other Resident Orca were picked up at the Broken Group and only made it as far as Forward Bay by 1 pm still in a Westbound direction.
Heard broken radio transmissions
Transient Orca
August 21:
9 am 4 Orca (assumed to be Transients – SM) were just outside Spring Passage, the Broughton's.
Chris, Ocean Light II
August 20:
11:30 am Transient Orca were reported by McMillan Point, Cortez Island. They were found around 3 pm headed North by Marina Island into Hoskyn Channel, by Cortez Island. They were the T101's and T102.
6 pm On the way back from the Orford River, Bute Inlet, some Transients were headed North by Cape Mudge towards Campbell River.
Humpback Whales
August 21:
Throughout the day: 6 Humpback Whales were spotted in the rain/fog by Bold Head.
August 20:
8 am One Humpback Whale was feeding out in front of Sunday Harbour, Broughton's, heading towards the Whitecliff Islets and Bold Head. I didn't stop to watch since I was headed out to the Orca.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
August 20:
Throughout the day: 6 Humpback Whales were lunge feeding by Bold Head. The one's identified include 'Ripple' and her calf, who has a hole right through his/her tail fluke possibly from that Transient Orca "attempted" attack on August 10th, 'Freckles' and 'KC' – I left them at around 5 pm with 'Freckles' heading to Wedge Island, 'Ripple', calf and another larger whale aimed towards the Plumper Islands, and I had lost track of the other two which had been heading down Blackfish Sound.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
August 20:
8:30 till 9:30 am 20 or so Pacific White Sided Dolphins came out of nowhere to harass the Orca just above Booker Lagoon, by Fife Sound. They suddenly decided to quickly porpoise off up into Fife Sound.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
August 19:
Hi Susan,
Hope you are doing OK. Sounds pretty amazing with all the action you are reporting. I will have to witness the spectacle at least once in my life, maybe next summer. Things have been quiet on the water here except yesterday my daughter Allison spotted about 30 Pacific White-sided Dolphins just below the house and not far off shore. They were feeding and occasionally jumping for a couple hours. We spotted them at about 2:30 pm and they had moved out of view after 4. She was very excited to see them through the spotting scope.
Steve Grover, Powell River