Resident Orca still doing long runs up
and down Johnstone Strait. A few Humpback Whales have decided to head
down the Strait as well running head on into Transient Orca (see
photo). For Transient (Bigg's) Killer Whales there has been the
T02C's reported but the others are somewhere. Lots of Pacific White
Sided Dolphins, most down closer to Campbell River and the inlets,
and some Dall's Porpoise showing up down as far as Savary Island
finally. Minke Whales are around, but with the need for patience to
watch them and so much other activity, they fall a bit above the
little Harbour Porpoise for sightings reports.
Susan MacKay, Whales
and Dolphins BC
Transient Orca Confronts
Humpback Whales
August 19, 2012
Garry Henkel,
Aboriginal Journeys
Northern
Resident Orca
August 19:
8:15 am Around 5-6 Orca very
slowly Easting by Naka Creek, but last night around midnight
there had to be over 20 Orca through here. Sounded more like
30!! Constant blows and quite a few slaps. We stood at the beach to
listen. :)
Tara Bladon, Campbell River
August 19:
10:20 am 5 – 6 Orca were spotted
Westbound by Port Harvey. From a friend.
Jim Borrowman, Orcella Expedititions
August 19:
11:20 am Orca, still unknown
who, Westing by Port Harvey, Broken Islands area.
12 pm Orca on the Vancouver
Island side between Naka Creek and Eve River Westbound. At the
same time, another group, originally thought to be Transients
were on the other side of Johnstone Strait, by Forward Bay
also Westbound.
By around 1 pm it was determined, even
with the drifting fog, that these were all Resident Orca including
the A30's on the Vancouver Island side, and the A23's and A25's on
the Cracroft Island side. By 1:45 pm they were running around 3
knots still Westbound just below Boat Bay chasing fish. And 3
pm at Boat Bay, they picked up the pace to run at 9 knots, still
West, but foraging.
August 19:
7:10 pm The Orca never really left
the area but worked back and forth completely spread out across
the Strait from Cracroft Point to Kaikash Creek. They have turned to
head East towards the Bight.
Geoff, Stubbs Island Whale Watching
August 18:
9 am Some of the Residents were
reported in Robson Bight Ecological Reserve while some of the
A30's were found in the fog, Eastbound by Blinkhorn.
10:30 am A30's were still very slowly
Eastbound by Izumi rock and spread across the Strait, not
quite in the Reserve.
1:12 pm Orca are working their way out
of the Bight headed East.
6:20 pm Orca at Naka Creek
August 17:
8:45 am NRKW's past Kaikash Creek
and made it West to Blinkhorn and across the Strait to Turn
Point, where they turned back East at 9:15 am.
12:30 pm A23's/25's and 30's
were spread out back and forth by Boat Bay to the Reserve and
slowly Eastbound.
1:40 pm the A30's were the trailing
group slowly Easting, but the others were reported as far East as
Cedarstead Creek, below Naka Creek.
3 pm the A30's were foraging by
Cedarstead and turned West again.
Spyhopping Orca
2012
Nick Templeman, Eagle
Eye Adventures
Transient
(Bigg's) Killer Whales – Orca
August 19:
11:20 4 Orca – the T02C's were
found Eastbound by Kelsey Bay.
Aaron Webber, Campbell River Whale
Watching
August 19:
2 pm We just left the T02Cs
Eastbound in Chancellor Channel heading towards Wellbore.
There was some commotion by Helmken around 1 pm when two Eastbound
Humpback Whales met these Orca. The Orca appeared to try to take
on one of the Humpbacks, but were slapped by the huge Humpback
pectoral flippers. An actual confrontation! Then they tried for a
Sea Lion on Helmken Island, but that Sea Lion managed to get away.
They had passed some Dall's Porpoise running on the other side of
Chancellor Channel as well. Quite a mixture in the day.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
August 19:
6:55 pm Transients at mouth of
Loughborough Inlet Easting.
Scotty, Painter's Lodge
August 18:
9:30 am Transients were reported by
Kelsey Bay after chasing approximately 500 PWS Dolphins out of
Sunderland Channel.
Scotty, Painter's Lodge
August 18:
2:48 pm Just leaving T002C's Easting
into Sunderland on the Hardwicke shore.
Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures
August 17:
12:40 pm Transients T02C's 1
mile East of Gunner Point Westbound in Sunderland Channel.
3:13 pm Just leaving Transients now
Eastbound in Sunderland Ch. Along the Hardwicke shore. They gave the
PWS Dolphins a good scare by Fanny Island.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
August 14:
Late in day: 4 Orca came out of
Booker Lagoon and past by us at anchor in Cullen Harbour. The
previous week or so we saw lots of Orca up around Namu and Fury
Island.
Cam & Laureen Reid, Sechelt
Humpback
Whales
Humpback 'KC' Flukes
after Orca Confrontation
August 19, 2012
Garry Henkel,
Aboriginal Journeys
August 19:
11:32 am 2 Humpback Whales, Earl's
Ledge by Kelsey Bay.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale
Watching
August 19:
There was some commotion by Helmken
around 1 pm when two Eastbound Humpback Whales met these Orca. The
Orca appeared to try to take on one of the Humpbacks, but were
slapped by the huge Humpback pectoral flippers. An actual
confrontation!
3:09 pm On our way back, we found and
left the Humpbacks at Ripple Point now still Easting.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
August 19:
4 pm Two Humpbacks by Chatham Point
– Mom and Calf.
Scotty, Painter's Lodge
August 19:
Throughout the day: 2 Humpbacks, Mom
'Chunky' and her calf in Weynton Pass, 1 Humpback Eastbound by
Blinkhorn, 2 HB's by Cracroft Point lunge feeding, 1 HB by Parsons
Bay, 1 HB went into Robson Bight Reserve by Izumi Rock and 1 HB
between Stephenson Islets and Pearse Island.
The total in the upper Johnstone
Strait for the day that can be accounted for as not being duplicated
are: 6 animals.
August 18:
Morning: 2 Humpbacks in Blackney Pass
8:21 am 2 Humpbacks went East by
Naka Creek - what a treat!!! The boys were out kayaking when the
Humpbacks came by. Pretty special moment for them, especially for
Darren, first time kayaking at sea and first time seeing whales in
their natural habitat!
Tara Bladon, Campbell River
August 17:
1 pm 2 Humpback Whales. I
actually had to take the boat out of gear to allow one Humpback to
wake up enough to move across my bow. He/she had been sleeping in
Cormorant Channel right in my path. Once awake it went to join
another Humpback and do a few lazy lunge feeds through some bait
balls on the Malcolm Island side of Pearse Pass.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Minke
Whales
August 19:
9 am 2 Minke Whales were feeding
just off Pearse Pass.
Dave Towers, Seasmoke Adventures
August 17:
1 pm 2 Minke Whales lunge
feeding by Leonard Rock, Haddington Island till a few fast
boats travelled close – and they were gone.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Pacific
White Sided Dolphins
August 19:
11:30 am 200 PWS Dolphins by Kelsey
Bay
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale
Watching
August 19:
Approx: 1:30 pm 150 PWS Dolphins by
Rock Bay, Walkem Islands, just above Chatham Point.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
August 19:
5 pm 150 PWS Dolphins at Chatham
Point milling about – great evening.
Scotty, Painter's Lodge
August 19:
8 pm Some PWS Dolphins were
around Whitebeach Passage, Blackfish Sound.
Radio
August 18:
11:35 am PWS Dolphins at St Vincent
Bight, just above Kelsey Bay
August 17:
8:30 to 10:30 am 8 – 10 PWS
Dolphins were foraging back and forth in my anchorage in the
Pearse Islands.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
August 17:
11:02 am 200 Dolphins eating at Eve
River zig zagging
Nick Templeman, Eagle Eye Adventures
August 17:
2 pm We left the PWS Dolphins Westing
hard after an Orca scare by Fanny Island, across from Kelsey
Bay.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
Dall's
Porpoise
August 19:
9 am Around 20 Dall's Porpoise
foraging by Pearse Pass.
11:15 am Dall's Porpoise bow riding
by the Blow Hole, Plumper Islands.
Dave Towers, Seasmoke Adventures
August 19:
2 pm 4 Dall's Porpoise in Chancellor
Channel and another 2 that we'd seen earlier at Camp
Point, close to Helmken Island.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
August 19:
6 pm 4 Dall's Porpoise foraging
in the tide rips at the bottom of Weynton Pass.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
August 18:
Partial report: Some Dall's Porpoise
in Blackney Pass
August 18:
11:23 am 3 or 4 Dall's Porpoise
splashing about (maybe feeding?) just West of Naka Creek.
Tara Bladon, Campbell River
August 17:
12:50 pm 30 or so Dall's Porpoise
were foraging in the tide rips at the bottom of Pearse Passage,
between Cormorant and Pearse Islands.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
August 17:
4:30 pm Bill and I and Eric and Anna
Bircher saw 3 Dalls porpoises on our way back to Indian Point, Savary Island
from Lund today. We were happy to see something!
Dee Ingraham, Savary Island