Orcastravaganza! Transient Bigg's
Killer Whales certainly reappeared in numbers; although the ones that
went Vancouver's Burrard Inlet did not come back up this way, many
others appeared in the upper Georgia Strait. Humpback Whales, Pacific
White Sided Dolphins, Dall's and Harbour Porpoise round out the
sightings, while there are a few links of interest after the reports.
Susan MacKay, Whales
and Dolphins BC
Have you seen a whale,
dolphin or porpoise?
Call 1-877-323-9776
or Email
your report.
Every sighting report is
valuable!
Transient
Bigg's Killer Whales
Young Orca Breach
June 17, 2013
Garry Henkel,
Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
June 17:
10:46 am 3 Small fin Orca at Breton
Islands, just off Rebecca Spit, Quadra Island Southbound.
Found larger groups in afternoon and
left them at 3:52 pm heading for Lund. 3 Orca from the group split
off and going on the West side of Hernando Island Southbound.
Jos Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures
June 17:
12:45 pm A couple of groups of Orca
including T19B in one group of 7-8 Orca. The T19B group are angling
towards Marina Island from Quadra while another group of Orca are
farther up by Rebecca Spit, Quadra Island.
12:49 pm Another 4 Orca angling towards
Marina Island now so probably 12 Orca at least.
1pm They're Southbound running 1
nautical mile off the North end of Marina Island shoreline.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
June 17:
3:10 pm 2 or 3 groups of Orca worked
their way down Marina Island towards Baker Pass and Hernando Island.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale
Watching
June 17:
4:52 pm Orca heading for Kinghorn
Island from friend.
5:15 pm Found 5 Orca, T18's/19B between
Sarah Point, above Lund and Squirrel Cove, Cortez Island. Heading up
Lewis Channel.
6:14 pm 3 more Orca just showed up –
we're almost to Teakerne Arm. So the count is up to 8 Orca.
7:14 pm 2 more Orca just came smoking
in!! They came from below us somewhere. So total is now 9 or 10 Orca.
We're leaving them now at Bullock Bluff, the top of Lewis Channel.
Don't know which way they'll turn.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale
and Bear Excursions
June 16:
7:45 am 5 to 6 Orca heading South at
the fishing Hump off Cape Mudge.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale
Watching
June 16:
10:57 am 3 Orca – one very large male
out in front of the Powell River Harbour.
Elizabeth Tenhoeve, Powell River
Transient Bigg's On the
Move
June 16, 2013
Susan MacKay, SG Images
June 16:
10:48 am Orca Northbound in front of
Powell River! Grabbed camera and gear and out the door (after
answering Elizabeth's called in report above). As we, Elizabeth came
with me, headed out of the harbour, we spotted T020 the big male
first, just off the Powell River Mill. There were 10-12 Orca spread
out and later ID's proved to include the T077's. They took their time
slowly picking up the pace once they were on the South side shoals of
Savary Island. The call from Dee (report below) came in just as the
whales we were with started to pick up the pace. A number of whale
watching boats from Campbell River came down to check out the whales
and while one headed back towards Campbell River came upon yet
another group of Orca (report below). All the Orca met up and turned
South speeding up as they went.
3:10 pm Around 22+ Orca sped Southwest
past Harwood and Vivian Islands towards Denman and Hornby Islands.
They were running about 10-12 knots, so actual counts were difficult,
even with photos as they seemed to just keep coming and popping up as
they porpoised along.
3 pm Noticed that T020 was continuing
Northbound up the mainland shore towards Lund, well away from the
rest of the whales. I didn't notice any others with him.
Susan MacKay, Whales
and Dolphins BC
June 16:
11:18 am There is a pod of Orcas
heading south east, should be around the top end of Grants Reef
(between Savary and Vivian Islands) about now. We never got close but
in the binoculars we could see them breaching, doesn't look like a
huge pod, maybe 5-10. Hope they continue south and I see them on the
way home!
Robin Buckley, Prawn boat; Lora Jan
June 16:
1:16 pm 5 – 6 Orca are breaching and
tail lobs right in front of our place! The little one did some head
stands that looked like he/she was figuring out that the tail needs
to be below the water to swim. It looked like they were having a
great time.
Dee Ingraham, Savary Island
June 16:
2:01 pm Another large group of active
Orca close to Sentry Shoal – breaching.
Shaun, Discovery Marine Safaris
June 16:
3:10 pm T020 was still Northbound on
the East side of Savary Island. He picked up the pace to 6-7 knots by
Lund where we left him still alone at 4:38 pm.
Jos Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures
June 16:
Around 7 pm 3 Orca - T020, T021 and
T077A just off Teakerne Arm in Lewis Channel. Left them around 9 pm
still Westbound up Lewis Channel. Sleepy travel with some searching,
but no kills.
Nick Templeman, Campbell River Whale
and Bear Excursions
June 15:
Our dream came true today. When
travelling to Narrows Inlet this morning, we saw Killer Whales in
Sechelt Inlet, south of Storm Bay around 10 am, and then on our
return journey around 1 pm they were on the west side of the inlet
across from Tuwanek. It was wonderful! I never thought we would get
to see them in Sechelt Inlet. We videotaped them and have sent it on
to youtube (see link below). They may be the same group that was
spotted near Stanley Park yesterday? (How exciting for you!! These
were the same Orca I had in front of Powell River in the last report,
and no, these ones did not go to Vancouver. Did you see them head out
the inlet? - SM)
Joan Bech, Roberts Creek
June 15:
4 pm Fishing Guide reports he saw 7
Orca Westbound from Sutil Island towards the Southern tip of Reid
Island.
Aaron Nagler, Sonora Lodge
June 15:
At 8:40 PM mother and calf orca and
maybe another are 3km E of Grant Reefs (between Savary Island /
Harwood)buoy and going SE. It is too far for me to see much
detail.
Ron Johnston, Savary Island
Ron Johnston, Savary Island
June 10 (rec'd June 15):
Evening I subscribe to your web site
and was one of the lucky people out fishing near Lund when the whales
came through. I had my canon rebel with zoom lens and took a lot of
pics of them. I have good shots of the male who swam with a female
always by his side, a ways beside them was, I believe 3-4 females and
a younger one and then a real baby. I was so busy taking photos that
I never really counted them. We followed them for three hours all the
way to Atrevida reef. At one point when they passed Savary Island
another pod I think with 3 for sure a male and a female and not sure
if the other was smaller, they all came together and then travelled
down the coast towards Powell River in two groups. I have lived here
for over 50 years and always was on the coast or water in a boat, and
I have never seen a performance of such happy whales. So I was just
wondering if anyone has identified this group and if I showed you a
close up of the male and his saddle would you be able to tell what
group they are? (see Photo) This was Monday evening June 10 2013
Dymph Vander Maeden, Lund
T020 and Breaching Calf
June 10, 2013
Dymph Vander Maeden,
Lund
Humpback
Whales
June 17:
9:20 am Humpback Whale just off Cape
Mudge, not sure which direction he/she is heading.
Jos Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures
June 17:
10:18 am Humpback Whale right in front
of Big Rock in Campbell River; Northbound.
Geord, Discovery Marine Safaris
June 17:
11:50 am Humpback Whale about half a
mile off the beach off the Cape Mudge Village was Northbound towards
Seymour Narrows.
12:05 pm Left the medium sized Humpback
just above Quathiaski Cove slowly Northbound.
10:47 am got a Facebook message from a
friend in Toba Inlet that there are Humpbacks and Porpoise in the
inlet today.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
June 17:
3:43 pm Humpback Southbound by Browns
Bay above Campbell River.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale
Watching
June 17:
4:20 pm Humpback by McMullen Point
Westbound towards Chatham Point.
Steve, FV Sleepwalker relayed
through Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
June 16:
10:30 am No confirmation, but 2
Humpbacks reported West of the fishing hump off Cape Mudge –
heading North.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale
Watching
June 15:
9 to 9:30 pm Observed Humpback whale
heading west; 1 km out from Douglas Bay (Brew Bay South of Powell
River).
Bob and Laura Johnson, Powell River
Humpback Whale
June 17, 2013
Garry
Pacific
White Sided Dolphins
June 17:
no time given. 6 PWS Dolphins by
Seymour Narrows.
Elvis, Eagle Eye Adventures
June 17:
5:15 pm Dolphins by Hole in the Wall,
Sonora Island.
5:50 pm Playful PWS Dolphins by Chatham
Point Lightstation.
Radio
June 16:
11:50 am 20+ PWS Dolphins by Hall Point
in Nodales Channel.
Radio
June 16:
6:19 pm 20 PWS Dolphins by Deepwater
Bay, Campbell River area.
Jos Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures
June 15:
12:32 pm 25 PWS Dolphins just milling
about in Brown's Bay, North of Campbell River. Just left them.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
June 15:
2:50 pm 20 PWS Dolphins Brown's Bay
milling and foraging – no direction.
Mark, Discovery Marine Safaris
Dall's
and Harbour Porpoise
June 17:
5:50 pm Some Dall's Porpoise by Chatham
Point Lightstation.
Radio
June 16:
Time: One little Harbour Porpoise just
off Mystery Reef Northbound getting away from the Orca.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Links
Orca in Sechelt Inlet June 15 from Joan
Bech:
Some photograph work by Bryant Austin
on underwater shots of whales.
9 Types of Dolphins You Didn’t Even
Know Existed:
Orca (T86's and T101's) in Vancouver
Harbour June 14:
BCTV:
CBC:
Global BC:
Have you seen a whale,
dolphin or porpoise? Call 1-877-323-9776 or Email
your report. Every sighting report is valuable!
The
official governing non-profit society of Whales and Dolphins BC is
Wild Ocean Whale
Society (WOWs)