Many
days of fog limited sightings of even the water, let alone Cetaceans.
Of the Whales and Dolphins seen, there have been many Humpback Whale
sightings in our inside waters. How wonderful to have these amazing
animals in our midst. Pacific White Sided Dolphins are also around in
numbers while the Transient Bigg's Killer Whale sightings have
dropped significantly. Dall's Porpoise bring up the rear in this
report. Where are the Resident Orca? They are overdue for making an
appearance in the central Georgia Strait; sightings have been limited
everywhere.
I
apologize for the delay in posting this report. As many of you know,
my hand injury has restricted the amount of computer usage I can
manage at a time, and even though I had help with compiling some of
the information to October 22nd, other matters had taken
priority.
Susan
MacKay, Whales
and Dolphins BC
Have
you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every
sighting report is valuable
TRANSIENT
BIGG'S KILLER WHALES
T11's
mom and son, Race Rocks
October
12, 2013
Marie
O'Shaughnessy, Orca-Magic
October
26:
2:20
pm 2 Orca went through Skookumchuck Narrows into Sechelt Inlet; 1
bull 1 female.
Radio
October
20:
3:30
pm Report of Orca just west of Cordero Lodge, behind Lorte Island on
Cordero Channel. No numbers or direction, from Blind Channel Water
Taxi.
Jen
Furst, Campbell River Whale Watching.
October
12: (rec'd 17:)
2:30
pm The T11's mom and son seen here, Race Rocks around 2.30pm,
Saturday Oct 12/13 heading west in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Marie
O'Shaughnessy, Orca-Magic
HUMPBACK
WHALES
+(800x535).jpg)
BCZ004,
otherwise known as “Stripe”
October
14, 2013
Ray
Hogan
October
29:
8:50
am 2 or 3 Humpback Whales between Vivian Island and Rebecca Rocks.
Saw backs and lots of bird activity from the Comox ferry.
Susan
MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
October
28:
11:00
am 2 Humpback Whales spotted from the ferry moving toward Saltery Bay
just now.
Dulcie
Macdonald, Savary Island
October
26:
2:20
pm 3 Humpback Whales off the Earl's Cove ferry terminal.
Radio
October
25:
Throughout
the Day: You might be interested to know last Friday
25th Oct, as many as 17 Humpback whales were seen in the Strait of
Juan de Fuca. Any where between 9-13 on a daily basis seems to be the
order of the day around the Salish Sea. With so few sightings of the
Southern Resident Orca this season, it is wonderful to know that the
Humpback Whales are finding enough small schooling fish to stick
around here. Wonderful. The singing Humpback whales in the Johnstone
Strait area too this past month have been amazing. Who would know
they would sing in this area as well as on their breeding grounds,
Mexico and Hawaii. Looks like we have our own population of Humpback
whales that just travel up and down this coast line. Seems the whales
are rewriting the tell-all-books ! ;-)
Marie
O'Shaughnessy, Orca Magic
October
19th:
4:30
pm Two Humpback Whales, mother and calf, meandering / feeding
/slapping pectorals west of Hardy Island headed toward Scotch Fir
Point.
Kerry
and Becky Williams-Freeman, Powell River
October
17:
4:15
pm Had a Humpback at the mouth of Pendrell Sound, East Redonda
Island. One breach and a tail fluke and not seen again.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
October
17:
Day:
I was out today and saw at least 7 Humpback whales near Race Rocks,
off Victoria. Amazing come back for this area of these magnificent
whales.
Marie
O'Shaughnessy, Orca-Magic
October
16:
3:30
pm 3 Humpback Whales 1 large 2 smaller near Bald Island at the end of
Hardy Island, Malaspina Strait towards Texada.
Mel
Lougheed
Humpback
Mom and Calf
October
14, 2013
Ray
Hogan
October
14:
11:30
am about 5 Humpbacks feeding at Northwest Texada just south of the
tip. I have attached 4 photos of them.
Ray
Hogan
(Ray,
Thought you might like to know that the one whose underside of tail
flukes I could see is well known. Officially BCZ004, otherwise known
as “Stripe.” She had a calf this year, so the Mom and Calf would
most likely be them. - SM)
October
14:
4
pm 2 Humpback Whales seen from the Comox ferry about half hour out
from Little River towards Rebecca Rocks, Powell River.
Brenda
Currie, Powell River
October
12: (rec'd 17th)
1
pm Here's a Humpback whale seen same day as the T11's Saturday Oct
12th/13 near Albert Head , Metchosin, 1pm, heading in every
direction. Do you recognize this one? (On quick look through my
ID's I couldn't locate this one,
but will take another look later - SM)
Marie
O'Shaughnessy, Orca-Magic
Humpback Whale
October
12, 2013
Marie
O'Shaughnessy, Orca-Magic
MINKE
WHALES
October
21:
1:45
pm Minke whale sighted off NW Texada.
Ivan,
Western Explorer.
PACIFIC
WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Pacific
White Sided Dolphins
October
19, 2013
Steve
Grover, Powell River
October
29:
8:45
am 12 or so PWS Dolphins foraging off Blubber Bay, Texada Island.
Seen from Comox ferry.
Susan
MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
October
29:
4:20
pm about 50 (that we saw) Pacific White Sided Dolphins travelling
north between Galiano island (Cain beach) and Gossip island. BTW,
my husband claims that there were over 100 - he was there first.
Carolyn
Gill
October
22:
4:33
pm There are a couple dozen PWS Dolphins by Hole in the Wall off
Okisollo Channel in between Sonora and Maurelle Islands.
Ivan,
Western Explorer.
October
21:
1:15
pm 100 or so PWS Dolphins by Mowat Bay, on Texada Island.
Ivan,
Western Explorer.
October 19:
12:30 pm 100 plus PWS
Dolphins in front of Powell River now.
1:45 pm Another couple
of hundred PWS Dolphins off the NW tip of Texada northbound. Could
see them with the binoculars leaping around.
2:00 pm The first group
are down to around 80 and still off the viewpoint in Powell River.
They are still foraging with the occasional leap.
Susan
MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
October
19:
1:40
pm There are 40 or so PWS Dolphins out in front of the Westview Ferry
Terminal/Sea Walk in Powell River as I write this. Viewed with a
'scope from my home.
3:00
pm Those dolphins are still out there, one and a half hours after my
last note. They appear to be feeding, doing zig zags backwards and
forwards, a minute or two on each lap. Lots of breaching.
Unfortunately a bit too far from shore for my camera, even with my
600 mm, else that's where I'd be, instead of watching with my 'scope!
Paul
den Ouden, Powell River
Pacific
White Sided Dolphins
October
19, 2013
Steve
Grover, Powell River
October
19:
1:30 –
around 4 pm 100+ PWS Dolphins Here are a few shots from my dolphin
watching from the kayak adventure this afternoon. It is sure hard to
see them when your eyes are only 2' above the water. After paddling
about 15 minutes I spotted them about 1000 meters + in the Malaspina
Strait towards the north end of Texada Island. 3 dolphins came fairly
close to me and swam under my kayak at least once but it was cool
seeing the whole pod foraging nearby too. They make quite a bit of
noise breathing and splashing! The light was not great but the sea
was pretty calm and it was the first time I ever took out the kayak
to try and photograph dolphins. I'm calling this one a success since
I got a few shots and didn't tip over!
Steve
Grover, Powell River
October 19:
3:30 pm There is a
group of PWS Dolphins moving back and forth in front of the harbour
at Powell River.
Heather Harbord,
Powell River
October
18:
1:40
pm -500 PWS Dolphins off Hardinge Island, Nodales Channel.
Leif
Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching.
October
14:
1:29
pm 100 plus PWS Dolphins have been feeding off Myrtle Rocks for the
past 40 minutes.
Holly
Roy, Powell River
Pacific
White Sided Dolphins
October
19, 2013
Steve
Grover, Powell River
DALL'S
PORPOISE
October
25:
5:10
pm 3 Dall's Porpoise off the NW tip of Texada Island foraging and
heading South. Seen from Comox Ferry.
Susan
MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
October
25:
5:13
pm 30 Dall's Porpoise feeding by Hall Point, Nodales Channel.
Lee,
Adventure Quest
October
20:
3:30
pm About 12 Dall's porpoise foraging in Phillip's Arm, north of Bute
Inlet.
Jen
Furst, Campbell River Whale Watching.
October
17:
2:30
pm A solitary Dall's porpoise sighted in Current Passage between
Helmken and Hardwicke Islands. Just rolling slowly northward.
Lynne
Cracknell, Sayward
October 17:
4:00 pm 2 Dall's
Porpoise sighted in Waddington Channel, between East and West Redonda
Islands.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Have
you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every
sighting report is valuable!
Whales
and Dolphins BC is officially the non-profit Wild
Ocean Whale Society
(WOWs)