Transient Orca attacks on Pacific White Sided Dolphins and Resident Orca close by. I received a report today from Duncanby Landing employee of a similar Transient attack on Dolphins up at the head of Rivers Inlet which took place a couple of weeks back, as well as my August report from the upper Johnstone Strait area.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Northern Resident Orca
September 6:
8:30 am Resident Orca Westbound out of Nodales Channel on the Sonora side, by Thurston Bay.
Eagle Master
10:17 am Orca turned East by Chatham Point.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
11 am 15-16 Resident Orca were Eastbound by Davis Point, Thurlow – Sonora Islands.
Saw the Resident Orcas in Nodales Channel today as well. Saw A-60 for sure and A39. There was about 18 or 20 Orca there today.
Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures
September 5:
10:15 am Orca at Camp Point Easting. Not sure how many or who. Am heading on a Grizzly Tour.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
1:30 pm 16 Resident Orca were Southbound between Walkem Islands and Copper Bluffs, Seymour Narrows. By 2 pm they were at the mouth of Nodales by Chatham Point, and 2:45 pm in front of Campbell River.
Various radio reports
Around 4:30 pm A30s were in Nodales Channel
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
Around 8 pm Left the A5's in Fredericks Arm. Didn't see the A30's. Guess I missed the crazy dolphin attack in Phillips Arm. Over 200 Dolphins this morning at Cinque Islands.
Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures
September 3:
11:18 am Sounds like Resident Orca headed East at Hickey Point, Johnstone Strait.
Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures
Transient Orca
September 6:
6:20 pm 4 – 6 Transient Orca Southbound bucking tide by Plumper Bay, across from Browns Bay by Separation Head. They worked their way slowly down to Seymour Narrows.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
Around 8:30 pm On the way back from a Grizzly Tour. T02C and T02C2 for sure of the 9 Transient Orca Southbound in Seymour Narrows. Poor little T02C2 with her scoliosis has a hard time bucking that tide. Didn't recognize the others. Will look later on the computer.
Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures
September 5:
12:20 pm T101's, T102, T20 and T21 Northbound at Duncan Bay. When first sighted in front of Campbell River, I had T21 in with the T101's and T102 and T20 travelling way ahead. They turned to the South at 12:45 pm at Seymour Narrows.
Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures
1:30 pm 4 Transients came up inside the large group of Pacific White Sided Dolphins. The Dolphins scattered and broke into 4 groups. The Transients chased one group into Phillips Arm right to the head and the estuary where they stalked them back and forth in 5 to 6 feet of water. Uncertain how many they got, if any.
Various radio transmissions, mostly Fog Horn Jeff
7:15 pm On the way back from a Grizzly tour, T21 and T21 were in front of Campbell River heading South. We stayed with them till the Cape Mudge Light.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
7 pm Another group of Transients in Phillips Arm trying to go after a large group of dolphins – don't know who the T's are.
Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures
September 1:
We saw a small pod of Orca moving north right in front of the house this evening. 1 bull and at least 2 cows, and a possible calf. I counted 4 animals but they were skirting the trees at the bottom of the hill so I didn't get long looks at them. See you soon.
Steve, Powell River
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
September 5:
8:15 am 60 -70 Pacific White Sided Dolphins at Granite Point Westing by mouth of Okisollo Channel.
8:45 am Nick found the Dolphins spread out. Turned out to be around 200 of them. 9:30 am I was with them in Nodales Channel.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
1:30 pm 4 Transients came up inside the large group of Pacific White Sided Dolphins. The Dolphins scattered and broke into 4 groups. The Transients chased one group into Phillips Arm right to the head and the estuary where they stalked them back and forth in 5 to 6 feet of water. Uncertain how many they got, if any. (repeated from Transient Orca Report)
Various radio transmissions, mostly Fog Horn Jeff
Around 5 pm 100+ Dolphins were Southbound from Separation Head.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
September 4:
Good morning, There was a small pod of about 15 individuals of Pacific White Sided Dolphins moving south. These were spotted just off Westview in Powell River. There were also 3 Orca by the Westview Pier in Powell River who eventually moved off southwards. Cheers
Lindalu Forseth, Malaspina Soap Factory Inc., Powell River
We had 60 – 70 Lags this am at Chatham Point. Then found around 160 or so Westbound at Port Neville following a tug and two barges. Then the I31's were foraging at Eve River. They turned West at around 12:15 pm. Then we had 15 Lags Westbound in Chancellor Channel at 15:30. Then the group of 60 – 70 at Chatham Pt. Westing again at 15:50.
Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures
Hi Susan, 5 pm We had about 50 Dolphins by Howe Island tonight, just milling. Cheers,
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
September 3:
10 am Large group of Pacific White Sided Dolphins in Frederick Arm.
Fog Horn Jeff
12 pm 4 Dall's Porpoise foraging towards Major Rock by Savary Island
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
1:40 pm Went up to see the large group of Pacific White Sided Dolphins at Chatham Point. Left them at Greensea Bay Southbound. I bet there were probably 300 of them! Very social and amazing to watch. 10 foot leaps, speedswimming, corkscrew flips, chin slapping, leaps so close they were getting us wet! Amazing!
Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures
The Reports below are excerpts submitted by: Susan Berta and Howard Garrett, Orca Network, Whidbey Island, WA
Southern Resident Orca
September 3
Southern residents (members of all three pods) off Saturna at 1.00 pm. Porpoising, spy-hopping, breaching, full of life on a truly glorious day. Thanks, Soundwatch and Straitwatch, for being out there to help draw attention to the regulations and protect the whalesSandra Pollard, SSAMN, Freeland, Whidbey Island
Southern residents (members of all three pods) off Saturna at 1.00 pm. Porpoising, spy-hopping, breaching, full of life on a truly glorious day. Thanks, Soundwatch and Straitwatch, for being out there to help draw attention to the regulations and protect the whalesSandra Pollard, SSAMN, Freeland, Whidbey Island
September 3
We ended up in the Strait of Georgia, just south of the city of Vancouver, with orcas spanning over a quarter of a mile lined up in smaller groups and heading north. As we paralleled them for a while, we were able to identify J-27, "Blackberry," as one of the more recently-matured whales of the community. He had a juvenile--possibly his little brother "Mako"--and two females and/or larger juveniles. The orcas engaged in just about every surface behavior they have in their repertoire, from tail slapping to spy hopping to even breaching, it was all there! Welcome back, resident orcas!Serena, Naturalist, San Juan Safaris
September 3
Lots of orcas northbound along the west side of San Juan Island earlier this morning. Some foraging. Some porpoising. And some very playful little ones. Jane Cogan
September 2
5:42 pm - Resident orcas inbound from Sooke, bout time!! :DMelisa Pinnow
4:56 pm - YUP! Residents off Sooke 20 min ago!! :o)Erin Corra
4:25 pm - Reports of orcas inbound at Sheringham Pt, BC - west of Victoria - hopefully some of the Southern Residents returning!Orca Network
4:56 pm - YUP! Residents off Sooke 20 min ago!! :o)Erin Corra
4:25 pm - Reports of orcas inbound at Sheringham Pt, BC - west of Victoria - hopefully some of the Southern Residents returning!Orca Network
Transient Orca
August 31
Transient Orcas (T060s) came right into shore at Saxe Point in Victoria BC between 1:50 and 2 PM. One came into the bay while the others stayed a little further out. One graced us with a spyhop! And was probably the one that did an upside down tail lob and righted itself! I believe there were 4, but when I was looking through the ID catalogue there are 3? Tim Green Victoria BC
August 30
Transient killer whales were the big sea creatures in town today! We went out to the Rosario Strait just past Orcas Island in search of ocean life. In the distance, we could see a splash then a white cloud indicative of whale snot (a blow) and then a black fin. After another minute, two more whales surfaced and then a female and a little orca. But wait? Was that another two orcas 400 yards away from the group of five? Why, yes it was! And then, even further, we saw yet another group of four or five transients. It was a party! Generally, transient (mammal-eating) killer whales are found in pods of four or five but today it seemed that multiple pods were gathering in larger numbers. Theories as to why this occurs can include anything from spreading the gene pool to socializing to hunting. At one point, we did also see a harbor seal pup in the menagerie, perhaps trying to escape becoming a killer whale meal. We learned later that T036 and T036B were part of the group we saw.Serena, Naturalist, San Juan Safaris
August 29
We were with the Eclipse whale watching tour by Victoria waterfront Great chain Islands at 3:15 pm we think it was T31.... Thanks Daniel Acosta
August 29
We had a fun afternoon with T31 today, playing hide and seek around Trial Island ..pretty sure he got a seal too!
Mercedes Powell
August 29
Today we traveled all the way to Victoria to see one lone transient. He was magnificent. It was a long haul but when we arrived he appeared to be patrolling up and down the rocks. He has one of the broadest dorsal fins I have ever seen.
The word on the street was that he had been harassing a sea lion prior to our arrival. When we got there he was just cruising, back and forth along the rocks, occasionally rolling slightly on his side as if he was looking up toward the rocks to see what was on the lunch menu. It was pretty cool. Laura, San Juan Safaris
The word on the street was that he had been harassing a sea lion prior to our arrival. When we got there he was just cruising, back and forth along the rocks, occasionally rolling slightly on his side as if he was looking up toward the rocks to see what was on the lunch menu. It was pretty cool. Laura, San Juan Safaris
August 28
Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research reports encountering the T100s from Bell Island, WA to Tumbo Island, BC, on their way to Active Pass.
August 28
Scenes from the last couple of days...Residents gone today, but the T100s showed up north of East Point, Saturna Island, BC. Cheers,
Capt. Jim Maya
August 27
Just letting you know that there were three transient orca whales around Snake Island, just off Nanaimo, on Saturday August 27th at approx 10am. They circumnavigated the small island, which is famous for lots of seals. Looking at the fin markings, they are transient family T10 female 'Langara', T10B male 'Siwash', and T10C juvenile 'Bones'. They were there for 15 minutes, then swam back out into Georgia Strait (maybe the incoming ferry noise made them leave?) We did not see them make a kill.Shana Semrick