Have You Seen Any of These?

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Brown Pelican (Photo too) and lots of Cetacean Sightings


Wow! Another great, unusual sighting for this area! A Brown Pelican and photo for proof! There have also been a lot of Cetacean sightings. We have a very active area what with Sea Otters, Pelican, Orca, Humpback Whales, Pacific White Sided Dolphins, Dall's and Harbour Porpoise, what's next, a penguin? There have been turtles around, and based on what we're seeing, it may not be a bad idea to keep a good look out for them. Penguins, well, not so much, but you never know!
Happy July 4th Independence Day to our American Friends!
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC

Brown Pelican

Handsome Brown Pelican
July 4, 2012
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys

July 4: 8 am Nick got a call from a friend that there was a Brown Pelican by Mitlenatch Island. Sighting of this Brown Pelican in the photo was just off Marina Island. This is very unusual for our area. Garry said he last saw one about 4 years ago. SM

Transient Orca (Bigg's Killer Whales)

July 4:
8 am Orca reported just South of the Red Can Buoy (Cape Mudge) heading South from a fishing guide “Ritchie Rich” friend.
9:30 am 3 Orca in Deepwater Bay, Discovery Passage. First report from Tommy, Inlet Transporter –(Scotty found them.)
Scotty, Painter's Lodge

For those of you that have wondered, Scotty, Painter's Lodge is currently the first of the whale watching/tour vessels off the dock in the morning. He is our”go to” guy with a keen eye and great at letting everyone know what he finds in his early travels. Thanks Scotty! SM

July 4:
9 am Orca by McMullen Point from a transport buddy. Just milling.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys

July 4:
10:23 am Orca update: 2 groups combined near Eagle's Cove and are now Southbound against the tide. There's 9 or 10 total – Scotty, Kurt and Jen are on scene.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching

July 4:
2 pm (approx) Left Orcas incl. T100's close to the Vancouver Island side 2 miles south of Eagle's Cove.
Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures

July 4:
2:15 pm Orca right in front of Campbell River heading South very quickly. Large porpoising and splashes.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching

Transient Orca (Bigg's Killer Whale)
Porpoising after food – Dall's Porpoise
July 4, 2012
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys

July 4:
3:18 pm Orca by Red Can Buoy off Cape Mudge Southbound.
6:13 pm 12 Orca, T100's, T101 & T102, plus the T86A's are splashing and breaching 2 1/2 miles off Vancouver Island headed South-East towards Savary Island.
Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures

July 4:
5:30 pm 4-6 orcas sighted 2 km N. Of Grant Reefs, off Savary Island buoy going west right now.
(Note: above report has Orca South-East bound and here we have some headed North-West – they were probably meeting up - SM)
Ron Johnston, Savary Island

July 4:
6:44 pm 5 Orca off Savary Island Southbound about mid channel between Vancouver Island and Savary.
Geri Batchelor, Savary Island

July 4:
6:51 pm 2 Big Male Orcas just below Sentry Shoal heading North-West very quickly. We just sat down to dinner on our deck – great treat.
7:45 pm There are more Orca lots of splashes on either side of Sentry Shoal from our view. Mostly they appear to be on the Savary side of Sentry Shoal and heading North-West out of our view.
Dee Ingraham, Savary Island

July 3:
A friend told me that she watched 2 adult orcas and 2 babies in front of the Westview viewpoint (Powell River) to nunnery Tuesday at 1400hours. She said they were playing and breaching, and when speedboats arrived, they moved off toward Texada. At about 1545 I picked up some blows beside the light at Blubber Bay, (Texada Island) but I lost them without ever really seeing a fin.
Sherri Wretham, Powell River

Humpback Whales

July 4:
9 am 2 Humpbacks 3 cables (a cable is 1/10 th of a nautical mile – SM) off the Green Can Buoy (Cape Mudge) heading East.
Scotty, Painter's Lodge

July 4:
7:15 pm One Humpback Whale just off the North-West corner of Mitlenatch Island, not doing much of anything. It appears to be a non-fluker (opinion: could be 'Crescent' who doesn't show the bottom of his/her tail flukes very often and was in the area yesterday when Nick did get a rare fluke photo. - SM)
Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures

Pacific White Sided Dolphins

Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Wake Riding July 4, 2012
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys

July 4:
1:26 pm 100+ PWS Dolphins by Horn Point, Dent Rapids.
Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures

July 4:
1:56 pm Couple of hundred PWS Dolphins spread out by the entrance to Hole in the Wall. Nice.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys

2:30 pm (approx) There were a few Dolphins splashing about, just off the Powell River Harbour.
Al Wood, Lund Water Taxi

Dall's and Harbour Porpoise

July 4:
Time?? The Transient (Bigg's) Orca photo Garry sent in, shows a Dall's Porpoise dorsal beside the Orca. Transients are known to eat Dall's Porpoise and perhaps with the various splashing, the little Dall's wasn't even noted as being there and being considered as lunch.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC

July 4:
12:43 pm 2-3 Harbour Porpoise slowly cruising North along shoreline by Willow Point near Simms Creek.
Tara Bladon, Campbell River

And a nice comment:
I just read the blog with my morning coffee, something I look forward to each day, so thanks for all your hard work Susan!! :)
Looking at the last blog, I was really excited to read about the Sea Otter spotted... wow! And with pics!! What a special ecosystem we live in.
Have a great day! Talk/text soon :)
Tara
Thanks Tara for all your great reporting! Susan