Transient Orca with Dolphins and Dall's Porpoise in close proximity, a couple of Humpback Whales and a report of some Resident Orca too.
I must apologize for running out of time to organize these sightings reports under Species headers before posting this update. A number of reports would have had to be duplicated due to the interaction with the Transient Orca. Great photo of the weather! Read On...
September 24:
8:30 am Approx 20 Orca by Elk Bay headed towards Chatham Point, Discovery Passage. Radioed to Fog Horn Jeff who a little bit later found around 10 Orca – possibly T20's plus more.
Fog Horn Jeff
10 am 14 or more Transient Orca close to Turn Island, Johnstone Strait. At least 4 big fins. The group included T18, T19, T20 and T21 plus others.
10 am 6 to 8 Dall's Porpoise were close to the Transients and sped Southward tight to shore and in a hurry.
10:45 am Dall's Porpoise in 5 or 6 groups of 5 or 6 each in Nodales Channel towards Bute Inlet.
Transient Sprouter (sub-adult)
September 23, 2011
10:45 am Transient Orca just above Walkem Islands just doing circles.
12:15 pm Same Transients now between Bear Point and Camp Point Westing.
Simon
1 pm 2 large Humpback Whales at Bear Point – Ripple Point Eastbound down Strait.
1 pm till around 3:30 pm What a day! Found the Transient Orca heading West up Johnstone Strait after seeing the two Eastbound Humpbacks. While wondering what the Orca were up to, around 100 to 150 Pacific White Sided Dolphins appeared Eastbound from Tyee Point, Race and Current Pass area foraging towards Vansittart Point in circles. The Orca made a zig zag over to the Thurlow Island side where the Dolphins were while the Dolphins made it over to the Vancouver Island side of the Strait. This game of chess back and forth from one side of Johnstone Strait to the other, Orca following the Dolphins went on for a couple of hours. There was a fair bit of feed in the water with gulls swarming above the Dolphins. We're certain that these were Transient Orca, including T20 and T21, so this whole procedure seemed surreal. We did not see any kills. Then after leaving all of this activity heading back towards Campbell River, around 4 pm we came across yet another 200 to 300 more Pacific White Sided Dolphins! Some of them bow rode with a huge cruise ship...Amazing day.
4:30 pm 200 – 300 Pacific White Sided Dolphins were North-west bound doing around 8 knots around Seymour Narrows. They were spread all across the Passage. Spectacular!
September 23:
9 am 10 or so Transient Orca at Separation Head, Discovery Passage. Two big males were on the Vancouver Island side while the females were closer to the Quadra Island side. There was at least one small calf, still has yellow, in with the females. By 10:20 am they were still Southbound into Seymour Narrows. This was a different group than yesterday's Transients.
10:15 One Humpback Whale by Granite Point heading South and was by Kanish Bay by 10:30 am.
? am – pm Resident Orca were in Nodales Channel
Radio
Whale watching in the Rough!
September 23, 2011
This gang came thru today North bound in the am then when I got to them at 1100 am they were smoking south with the big flood tide today. The pictures do the water today some justice but you had to be there to see how rough it really was! She was gusting 35+ knots at times off Cape Mudge and I figured the rip in the centre off of Cape to be about 16-18 ft curling at times! Cool with the back eddy because you can safely watch them negotiate the madness! So lots of fun and thru that some ID photos taken. Don't know if I'm right with all of them but there were some there we just couldn't shoot because of the conditions. I thought T20/T21,T101's/T-102, T100's and maybe more! Cool gang. We left them headed into the madness off of the red can at Cape Mudge @ approx 1245 hrs
We also later at approx 1430 hrs in the pouring rain found 300+ Lags flying south at Kanish Bay in Discovery Passage! A great day, signing off for now, ttys, cheers! Nick
Emailed you and Jared the pics from the day....woo stormy! Think T100s T101s&102& T20/21... 10 or 11 Orca's very cool off Cape Mudge watching 18 ft curls roll beside us:) Nick
On my way home about 530 pm 250-ish Dolphins Browns Bay north bound.
Transient T101 by Cape Mudge
September 23, 2011
September 22:
8:30 am First thought there were 3 Orca, 1 male and 2 females, right outside Discovery Marina, Campbell River, but the there were more than a couple heading North-west, but couldn't get a count. By 9:15 am they were by April Point still slowly northbound. One male has a dorsal that hooks to the left. Left these guys and at 9:30 am came across 5 more Transients at Chatham Point Westing.
Fog Horn Jeff
10:20 am Orca Eastbound 2 at Rock Point and 4 at Bear Point. (These were believed to be Transients meeting up with the North-west bound group from Campbell River – SM)
Radio
1 pm Dolphins at Bear Point – no numbers or direction.
Radio
2:30 pm 8 to 9 Orca by Howe Island in Nodales Channel mostly small dorsals. 5:15 pm Transients by Brown's Bay.
Puget Sound Reports
by:
Susan Berta and Howard Garrett, Orca Network, Whidbey Island, WA
September 22
L Pod was pretty much at South Beach when we first came upon them. They were spread out over a tremendous area. Once again the calm water made for easy identification of the saddle patch. Among the first whales we saw were L2, L79, L72, and later L41 (Mega).
We also had an amazing encounter with two juvenile whales who shot up, out of nowhere, in front of the boat, while we were shut down and proceeded to swim laps around us while we watched in amazement. The water was calm and clear and we could see the white flash from their bellies as they scooted in past us in a blur and then darted out to regroup before doing it again. In my whole summer out here I have not seen behavior like that from orca whales until today. Orcas may pop up near a boat and pass by at close proximity, but it is always with an air of dignity, as though they are on a mission and could care less about boat or the people on it. They always keep their composure and when they do let loose a little it is typically in the company of other orcas with boats watching from afar. Today was different. There was no breaching or rolling upside-down. No tail slapping or lollygagging at the surface. These two little guys were behaving, totally and completely, like a couple of hooligans. It was awesome. Even Capt Mike had to leave the wheelhouse and squeeze up to the railing to get a better view. It was one of those exceptional moments that makes you want to do a fist pump and yell, "Yessss!"
Laura, Naturalist, San Juan Safaris
September 22
Beam Reach students were with [orcas] from 3:02 until 4:02, along the southwest side of San Juan Island.
September 21
We encountered 4 transients off Hein Bank around 12:30 pm, one male and 3 females, heading south-east, perhaps another visit to Puget Sound? Then we headed north-west and were accosted by Dall's porpoise, then found the L12's coming south along SJI, very spread out, with L41, L79, L89, L94 and L113 easy enough to identify. They were still heading south when we left them around 3:30 or so. The weather was picture perfect, mill-pond like seas and beautiful clouds. Magic!
Jill
September 21
We left the harbor today and headed north. Half way up the San Juan Channel we encountered Dall's Porpoise. They were in a good mood and stayed nearby, bow riding and surfing our wake for several minutes. Out in front of us a little seal popped up with a fat salmon in his mouth. As we were leaving the Dall's we saw what looked to be at first a large Stellar's Sea Lion, then as we shifted our vantage point resembled a piece of driftwood, but eventually moved to reveal that it was, in fact, a large male ELEPHANT SEAL! What? Here? Yes. The large, protruding nose was a dead giveaway. He was rather shy and slipped below the surface, not to be seen by us again.
Out in Haro Straight we shut down and watched a small group composed of J16, J26, and J42 and 36. They looked to be just traveling. There were no long dives and their pace was slow and steady. We could hear each and every breath from whales near and far away from us. A single female surfaced off our other side and we watched her glide gracefully past us. There were so many whales in all directions that we dropped our hydrophone to take a listen. It was amazing. It was as if we had stepped into the middle of a crowded party. It was so calm that we could even hear echolocation clicks. While we were sitting, watching, and listening to the orcas something big exploded to the surface about a quarter of a mile away from us. It was like watching a submarine shooting to the surface. It happened two more times. In that time I was able to gather my wits and identify the large, torpedo-like object as a breaching Minke Whale! I have never seen a Minke breach before. It was awesome!
Laura, Naturalist, San Juan Safaris
September 23 Around 2pm we found a single Minke north of Turn Point in Boundary Pass. Dall's were out in the middle of Haro, but pretty elusive. Mike, San Juan Safaris
