Noteworthy events are taking place on
our waters. Northern Resident Orca, not known to consistently travel
the lower Johnstone Strait area have been doing just that. Transient
Bigg's Killer Whales too have been consistently sighted. Humpback
Whales are appearing in greater numbers with a whopping 19 different
animals counted at the top of Johnstone Strait in one day while there
were still many others reported farther down (and up) the coast.
Pacific White Sided Dolphins, previously considered pelagic, or
ocean-going only, have made a few inlets their resident territories.
And, Sea Otters are being spotted more frequently in our inside
waters. Does this mean we're doing something right? Are we truly
making a difference in the health of our ecosystems?
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
August 2013
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions
Northern
Resident Killer Whales
August 25:
11 am Orca Eastbound at Hickey Point.
11:37 am Orca Westbound by Port
Neville.
4:56 pm Large group of around 38 Orca
heading slowly East towards Kelsey Bay. (Jack ID'd them as the A30's,
A23's, A25's and the I15's)
Aaron Webber, Campbell
River Whale Watching
August 25:
7 pm The NRKWs are still Eastbound at
Vansitaart.
Geord, Discovery Marine
Safaris
August 24:
9:16 am Orca at Bear Bight Eastbound
from a contact.
12:34 pm Leaving the A23's and A25's
Eastbound at Rock Bay, Chatham Point.
4:24 pm Left the A23's and A25's doing
some heavy foraging between Hall and Sonora Point and John's Bay.
Great to see all the foraging.
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions
August 24:
10:11 am Orca are at Ripple Point
Eastbound fast, Looks like the A8's. Some Dolphins in front of them.
Jos
Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures
August 24:
1:30 pm Orca Easting into Nodales
Channel.
6:18 pm Orca out of Frederick Arm.
Jen Furst,
Campbell River Whale Watching
August 24:
3:30 pm Killer Whales are reaching
Sonora Point, Nodales Channel.
Aaron Nagler, Sonora Lodge
August 24:
3:42 pm A8's are at Hickey Point
Westbound up Johnstone Strait.
Geord, Discovery Marine
Safaris
August 24:
5:08 pm The NRKWs are heading deep into
Frederick Arm all spread out.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
August 23:
2:29 pm Orca 1 mile West of Kelsey Bay
Eastbound.
4:33 pm The A8's are now at Camp Point
Eastbound. There's 100 Dolphins here too!
5 pm Orca between Vansitaart and Bear
Points, by Palmer Bay, a bit above Chatham Point.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
August 21:
9:52 am A8's and A30's are at the
Sophia Islands slowly headed West
Radio
August 20:
12:39 pm The A30's and A36's are off of
Bold Head, Blackfish Sound, while the A23's and A25's are Westbound
from the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve.
Radio
August 20:
2:30 pm 1 lone male Orca was being
harassed by 5-8 Dall's Porpoise. Unfortunately I didn't get a good
enough look at the Orca, but think it may have been one of the A36
brothers trying to forage off Big Bay, Hanson Island. Some others
were in Blackfish Sound at the time.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
August 19:
11:28 am The A8's are Westbound at
Blinkhorn, off Telegraph Cove.
Bill Mackay, Mackay Whale Watching
Transient Bigg's Killer
Whales
August 22, 2013
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Transient
Bigg's Killer Whales
August 25:
12 pm Elvis reports Transients Easting
in Cordero Channel at Loughborough Inlet.
Aaron Nagler, Sonora Lodge
August 25:
12:40 pm 4 Transient Bigg's Southbound
at Sunday Creek.
4:56 pm Leaving the Transients at Gray
Creek coming out of Loughborough Inlet after a Porpoise kill and a
nice show.
Jos
Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures
August 25:
2:50 pm Apparently the Transients are
up Loughborough Inlet by Beaver Inlet.
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions
August 25:
3:53 pm I left the Transients who I
believe are the T02C's, not sure, at Crosby Point still heading into
Loughborough Inlet.
Aaron Webber, Campbell
River Whale Watching
August 23:
11 am 3 Transients went past Minstrel
Island.
Radio
August 23:
5:01 pm Hi Susan - In Active Pass with
a group of 5-7 transients.
Christine, M/V David B, Northwest Navigation
Christine, M/V David B, Northwest Navigation
August 22:
9:56 am Orca Northbound in front of
Cape Mudge Village.
11 am Aaron has them just past the
lighthouse in the middle of the channel going against the tide.
(Aaron ID'd them as the T100's)
Jack Springer,
Campbell River Whale Watching
August 22:
2:46 pm Leaving the Orca Southbound by
Miracle Beach 1 mile off the Vancouver Island shore travelling
lazily.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
August 22:
8:24 pm 4 Orca Northbound at Willow
Point, below Campbell River close to shore. Elvis with them.
Jos
Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures
August 21:
9:15 am 3 Orca Eastbound at St Vincent
Bight, just above Kelsey Bay.
Radio
August 21:
11:15 am 5 Orca just off Vivian Island
– Grant's Reef, Savary Island. There's 1 big male dorsal in there
for sure. No specific direction, but a few splashes, may be hunting.
John & Joan Treen, Savary Island
August 21:
11:45 am 6-8 Orca Westbound by Eve
River, above Kelsey Bay.
1:45 pm Transients still Westbound at
Forward Bay.
4 pm T18's/T19's/T02C's at Cracroft
Point, Blackney Pass still Westbound.
Radio
August 21:
12:57 pm T19B and others Westbound by
the Broken Islands.
Aaron Webber, Campbell
River Whale Watching
August 21:
1:56 pm At least 4 Orca Northbound at
the North end of Grant's Reef.
5:20 pm Left the Orca still Northbound
near the North end of Mitlenatch Island.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
August 21:
3:42 pm So these are the T101's and
T102 (4 Killer Whales) They just finished off a kill of some kind;
lots of activity. Now they're doing big zig zags generally heading
towards Sentry Shoal / Mitlenatch area. Of note is that T101A is
still travelling way off to one side of the group. 4:12 pm These guys
are split into 2 groups now; T101A and T102 together and T101B and
T101 together. They're half mile apart heading basically West.
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions
August 20:
?? pm Transients off the fishing hump
last night (20th) heading North. Report came in this
morning (21st).
Aaron Webber, Campbell
River Whale Watching
August 19:
We were hiking around Neck Point,
Nanaimo BC when a small pod of orcas swam by at about 8 p.m. It
looked like two adult females each with very young orcas next to
them. It also looked like there were two juvenile orcas with them.
They were heading west to Nanoose Bay and then veered north towards
Winchelsea Island. We have photos of them.
Although it was magic watching the
orcas from shore in the fading sunset, what was disturbing was seeing
a pleasure craft following them closely as they were travelling
through the area. The message really needs to get out there that
following families of orcas in close range is not acceptable.
Cathy Ray, Nanaimo
August 19:
The sighting was from Rocky Point about
1km north of Neck point on Monday evening 19th August 2013 at 7:50pm.
I was watching some fishermen fish for
Salmon from Rocky point. The sea was flat calm and we could quickly
see 2 Orca’s were swimming towards us coming around Neck Point and
then they swam to within 15m of the shoreline heading North and
seemed to be chasing Salmon or seals at high speed near the surface,
everyone reeled in their fishing lines but just before reaching Rocky
point and maybe due to a boat coming too close they disappeared and
re-appeared approx 400m off in the channel again heading north
towards Parksville. We watched them travel north at a steady pace.
The boat tried to follow them but would lose them as soon as they
dived and gave up after a while.
The two included a large male Orca with
a tall dorsal fin, quite broad at the bottom approx 6ft tall with a
rounded tip, no notches on the fin could be seen although this was by
the naked eye. I have seen other male dorsal fins which appear more
streamlined coming to more of a sharper angled tip, this however was
almost symmetrical about the vertical axis, broad with a rounded tip.
The other Orca was much smaller; I would guess it was a juvenile
whale.
It was a privilege to watch them and if
repeated I will email in again.
Duncan Etridge, Nanaimo
August 18:
10 pm (reported) Left the Transients
just before sunset Southbound by Rebecca Spit, Quadra Island.
Jos
Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures
Humpback
Whales
Humpback known as
'Argonaught' with Dall's Porpoise
August 20, 2013
Susan MacKay, SG Images
August 23:
8 pm Just spotted 1 Humpback whale
heading north from Grief Point......8:00 pm Friday August 23rd.
Joanne Brough, Powell River
August 22:
In the early afternoon I managed to get
out on the water by Stubbs Island and just drift in the current.
During the hour or two I counted at least 6 different Humpback Whales
in various locations around me from Stubbs Island to the Plumper
Islands right at the top of Blackfish Sound. I also saw and heard on
the radio that there were other Humpbacks over by Bold Head and
Whitcliffe Islets – amazing, even though I missed both the
breaches!
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
August 20:
12:37 pm A Humpback Whale is just West
of Naka Creek heading East....make that 2 Humpback Whales
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
August 20:
3 pm Humpback Whale at Windy Point
above Kelsey Bay heading East.
Radio
August 20:
6:30 pm A Humpback Whale known as
'Argonaught' was being harassed by approximately 8 Dall's Porpoise by
the Plumper Islands at the top of Weynton Pass.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Minke
Whale
August 23:
12:10 pm A Minke Whale made it's way
across the mouth of the Nimpkish River, passing in front of Alert Bay
and headed towards Pearse Pass.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
August 22:
10 am A Minke Whale was feeding in
Pearse Pass.
Radio
Pacific
White Sided Dolphins
Pacific White Sided
Dolphins
August 2013
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
August 23:
9:19 am 100 PWS Dolphins Southbound at
Ripple Point by Mayne Passage.
2:45 pm Dolphins at Turn Island.
Aaron Nagler, Sonora Lodge
August 23:
11:41 am I'm with the Dolphins by
Ripple Point. They're just milling.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
August 23:
5:11 pm 100 PWS Dolphins Westbound by
Chatham Point.
Jen Furst,
Campbell River Whale Watching
August 22:
2:33 pm 100 PWS Dolphins in Okisollo
Channel Westbound.
Leif Nordman, Campbell
River Whale Watching
August 22:
5:16 pm 100 Dolphins at Bjerre Rock in
Okisollo Channel.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
August 22:
5:30 pm 100 Dolphins at Bjerre Rock in
Okisollo Channel being awesome. No direction.
Aaron Nagler, Sonora Lodge
August 21:
9-9:15 am 150+ PWS Dolphins spread out
foraging by Helmken Island, close to Kelsey Bay.
Radio
August 21:
12:02 pm 100+ PWS Dolphins Eastbound by
Vansitaart Point, just below Race Pass.
4:45 pm 100+ Dolphins between Chatham
Point and Howe Island at the entrance to Nodales Channel.
Jen Furst,
Campbell River Whale Watching
August 21:
12:57 pm 80-100 PWS Dolphins at Redonda
Bay. It's the families with all the babies. I'm leaving them now.
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions
August 21:
1:34 pm Dolphins in Deer Passage, West
Redonda side.
John, Discovery Marine
Safaris
August 21:
2:43 pm 100 PWS Dolphins in Mayne
Passage, Johnstone Strait side.
Leif Nordman, Campbell
River Whale Watching
August 21:
7:30 pm 300 plus Dolphins foraging in
Nodales Channel.
Jack Springer,
Campbell River Whale Watching
August 20:
9:44 am A good couple of hundred PWS
Dolphins are spread out foraging from Fanny Island at the entrance to
Sunderland Channel to Kelsey Bay. They're Eastbound towards Race
Pass.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
August 20:
11:23 am 100 PWS Dolphins reported at
the North end of Lewis Channel, Desolation Sound from a sport
fisherman.
11:48 am The Dolphins are now
Southbound down Lewis Channel by Teakerne Arm.
1:01 pm 30 Dolphins by the Jimmy Judd
Island area.
1:39 pm 12 Dolphins at Kelsey Point.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
August 20:
2:39 pm 200+ PWS Dophins were spread
across the channel from Camp Point and Tyee Point, just below Race
Pass.
Radio
August 20:
4:15 pm 75 PWS Dolphins foraging in
Current Pass, Helmken Island.
Jen Furst,
Campbell River Whale Watching
August 19:
9:30 am PWS Dolphins South of Rebecca
Spit, Quadra Island headed to Francisco Point.
Jack Springer,
Campbell River Whale Watching
August 19:
11 am Around 25 PWS Dolphins were
foraging and doing donuts right inside Heriot Bay by the ferry
terminal.
Ferry Tanaka
August 19:
11:46 am a fishing guide reports there
are scattered PWS Dolphins in Okisollo Channel.
Aaron Nagler, Sonora Lodge
August 19:
1:07 pm 50 PWS Dolphins are foraging in
the Jimmy Judd area, Yuculta Rapids.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
August 19:
2:15 pm Dolphins by Port Neville (no
number or direction given)
Radio
August 19:
5:12 pm 50+ PWS Dolphins heading West
up Cordero Channel along Denham Bay, top of Nodales Channel.
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions
August 19:
5:36 pm 50 PWS Dolphins in Heriot Bay,
Quadra Island.
Aaron Webber, Campbell
River Whale Watching
August 19:
6:40 pm The Heriot Bay PWS Dolphins are
spread along the West side of the Breton Islands. There's now
approximately 110 to 130 of them.
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions
Dall's
and Harbour Porpoise
August 20:
1:17 pm there were 3 Dall's Porpoise by
Boat Bay, near the top of Johnstone Strait, foraging
1:55 pm 3 Dall's by the Sophia Islands
foraging
2 pm 20 Dall's Porpoise were zipping
around by Boat Bay
2 pm 4 Dall's were foraging just in
Blackney Pass in the tide rips
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Sea Otter at Pearse
Islands
August 20, 2013
Susan MacKay, SG Images
Have you seen a whale,
dolphin or porpoise?
Call 1-877-323-9776
or Email
your report.
Every sighting report
is valuable!
Whales
and Dolphins BC is officially the non-profit Wild Ocean
Whale Society (WOWs)
