Transient (meat eating) Orca, Pacific
White Sided Dolphins and a large group of Dall's Porpoises from
Powell River to Savary Island today, and Campbell River Orca
yesterday. Lots of activity after our long dry spell. Nice to have
some of the 'regular' Savary snowbirds back to assist with Sightings
reports. Our area is one of the larger expanses of water to watch, so
the more eyes looking, the better the reports. Thank you all. Keep
looking and those reports coming in!
Susan MacKay, Whales
and Dolphins BC
Transient
Orca – Killer Whales
April 20:
6:40 pm 4 Orca by April Point,
across from Campbell River, heading Northward. One big fin (male).
Reports came in from Laura to Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
and also Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching
April 21:
2:40 pm Just sitting on our deck
watching 4 to 6 Orca cavorting and milling about out in front
of the Meadows on Savary Island. (Southwest side of Savary
Island looking towards Grant's Reef). No direction and have been
there for a bit.
Lesley Roberts, Savary Island
3 pm Lesley called us to look for the
Orca in front of our place.
Dee Ingraham, Savary Island
4:18 pm After a short search for them,
Aaron, Campbell River Whale Watching found the Whales still in
the same area. There were at least 8
Orca in total with T02C
and one Sprouter (young
male whose dorsal is growing to it's adult size) and possibly another
male off in the distant. The two groups of around 4 each
joined together. 2 very young calves still tinged with orange
were cavorting (see Garry Henkel's photo below). They
were resting, spyhopping
and very slowly working their way towards the green buoy marking the
end of Mystery Reef and the mainland. By 5:30
pm when Aaron left them,
the Orca were still
between Savary and Grant's Reef.
Reports were received over the radio from Aaron 'as it
happened' and they never did show up closer to the mainland by dark –
SM.
Young Transient Calf –
note the orange tinge
Albion (Black) Point
area Powell River
April 10, 2012
(corrected date)
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
Pacific
White Sided Dolphins
April
21:
10:40
am Call came in that around 50
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
were very tight into shore by Grief
Point heading towards
Westview, Powell River.
Joan Treen, Powell River
11 am
The dolphins
were back and forth in front of Powell
River feeding with a
couple of sea lions in the mix. An eagle was swooping to pick up some
of the herring (assumed) that they were chasing up while a flock of
Snow Geese flew over them heading North. There was one
dolphin I spotted that looked like it had a yellow streak on it which
is a distinguishing feature of a Common Dolphin,
but watching from shore, I could not confirm this. The Dolphins were
not interested in playing with any of the ferries or boats in the
area, but continued to forage
back and forth from the ferry terminal to Grief Point.
I last saw them back in front of the ferry terminal at 1:30
pm, then they
disappeared. With the above Transient (meat eating) Orca reports, if
they heard the whales, it explains their disappearance.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Dall's
Porpoise
April
20:
10 am
3 Dall's Porpoise
were out by Keefer Rock, between Savary
and Hernando Islands.
Dee Ingraham, Savary Island
April
21:
Between
5 and 7 pm there were numerous
Dall's Porpoise spread out between Savary and Hernando Islands.
Estimated number would easily be around 20
of them and they were
still visible on returning to Savary from Keefer Rock area. At one
point there were 6 on one side of the boat and another eight on the
other.
Bill & Dee Ingraham, Savary
Island
From
Orca Network, US
April 19
6:26 pm - Small pod of orcas moving slowly north mid channel between Seattle and Bainbridge, just lost sight off Bill Point.
Heather Polverino
6:26 pm - Small pod of orcas moving slowly north mid channel between Seattle and Bainbridge, just lost sight off Bill Point.
Heather Polverino
April 19
6 pm - Report from Graham Dewitt of the
Wa. State Ferries that at least three orcas were headed north
off Elliot Bay, toward West Point.
April 19
5:53 pm - 2+ Orcas off Magnolia
now... Seen from Bainbridge Island ferry.
Katie Geraghty
Katie Geraghty
April 19
Mike Sullivan of Bainbridge Island
called to say that on the 5:30 ferry to Seattle the captain
announce about half way across that there were orcas north of
the ferry lane about a quarter mile. He saw at least two adults,
including one male, moving north.
April 19
12:40pm - Gray whale off Naval
Air Station Whidbey Island (west side).
YG ES Janaan
YG ES Janaan
2012
Charter Cruises
Enjoy a personalized week long
Charter Cruise in the pristine wilderness of the Great Bear
Rainforest. Information can be found on the 2012
Charter Cruises pages of Whales
and Dolphins BC.