This
is a very long and delayed Cetacean Sightings report. This delay is
due to the operation to repair the damage, sustained in August, to my
very dominant right hand. It was not expected to be dealt with so
quickly after my meeting the surgeon, so everything dealing with
typing and hand function was put on hold until it became somewhat
workable again. Lynne Cracknell has worked at getting much of the
typing done, which is a huge help. Thank you for bearing with the
delays.
I
do hope everyone had a great Canadian Thanksgiving!
On
October 24th I will be giving a presentation and talk on
Pinnipeds; Seals and Sealions. Details are at the bottom of the
reports.
Susan
MacKay, Whales
and Dolphins BC
Have
you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every
sighting report is valuable
TRANSIENT
BIGG'S KILLER WHALES
T02C2
with Scoliosis of the Spine
October
14, 2013
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
October
14:
12:17
pm Orca at Sonora Point with Leif. No numbers or direction as of yet.
We are at Cortes Bell Buoy and on our way.
3:00
pm We have left the T002's northwest bound through Green Points. They
had a successful seal hunt off of Bickley Bay, just west of Shoal Bay
on East Thurlow. We found and picked up the perfectly excised Harbour
Seal - lungs and heart still attached.
9
pm It all happened so fast and it had no dorsal, so I assumed it was
a seal. It was actually a Harbour Porpoise!
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
October
14:
12:20
pm 4 Orca at Sonora Point mid channel. They were moving around in big
circles but are now headed towards John's Point, south end of East
Thurlow Island, heading into Cordero Northbound.
Leif
Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching.
October
13:
8:50
am Orcas near Cape Mudge lighthouse are identified as the T002's, and
are moving slowly northbound.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Orca
by Cape Mudge Lighthouse
October
13, 2013
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
October
13:
12:59
pm T002's are still northbound along Quadra shore, coming up to April
Point.
2:49
pm Leaving T002's finishing kill at Copper Bluffs, on Quadra. Lots of
surface activity and gulls looking for leftovers!
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
October
10:
1:02
pm 6 Orca at Brown's Bay, travelling north.
1:20
pm Orca sighted by Separation Head, heading north towards Nodales
Channel.
(Radio
)
October
10:
2:30
pm 5 Orca by Fawn Bluff, heading in towards Bute Inlet. They are
identified as the T101's and T102's. Making long dives!
3:20
pm Have just left the Orca slightly north of Fawn Bluff, they are
northbound.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
October
10:
3:10
pm Orca at Elk Bay, northbound.
Jen
Furst, Campbell River Whale Watching.
T02C3
Breaching
October
14, 2013
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
October
7:
10:10
am Orca sighted off Grief Point, near Powell River, reportedly
throwing seals around! No direction or numbers given. Friend called
me about it.
Michael
Stewart, Powell River
TRANSIENT
BIGG'S ATTACK HUMPBACK CALF
*
A Painter's Lodge fishing guide reported that he was watching a
mother and calf Humpback in Menzies Bay on September 15 when 8
transient Orca came right into the bay and attempted to attack the
calf. The attack went on for 5 or 6 minutes until the Humpbacks
managed to get out of the bay. The guide did not follow the whales,
so what happened after that is unknown.
Message
from Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching.
HUMPBACK
WHALES
Humpback
Whales
October
5, 2013
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
October
13:
11
am Seen 1 adult and 2 or 3 smaller what looked like Humpback whales
off of Hardy Island, Malaspina Strait, this morning about 11:00 am.
Beautiful! they where just playing around for about 1/2 hr.
Derek
Parkin, Sunshine Coast
October
13:
9.30pm
– 10.00 pm Humpbacks blowing in the moonlight at Lang Bay, Powell
River.
Robert
Maitland, Powell River
October
13:
10
o'clock and just about asleep when I heard unusual noises outside.
Could it have been whales?. It sounded like a blow coming from about
1000 meters offshore. Many repeated noises but no visible water
disturbance. Moonlit night with no swell close to shore????. (This
is under the Humpback Whale reports due to the number of reports
including sightings in the moon light - SM)
Michael Stewart, Powell River
Michael Stewart, Powell River
October
13:
11
pm A Humpback right out in front of our place, Albion (Black) Point
area slowly heading South. First we heard this huge blow and then saw
it in the moonlight – pretty darned nice!
Bill
and Sarah Taylor, Powell River
October
12:
2:00
pm Two Humpbacks under the transmission lines close to the Saltery
Bay Ferry terminal. They were just lazing about. The Captain
announced it.
Allan
Knowles, Sechelt
October
11:
Shortly
after 3:15 pm 3 Humpback Whales were reported by the ferry Captain
just off Comox / Little River. Didn't get a chance to take a photo
since we were caught up in the moment when we saw two of them breach
almost at the same time.
Adam
Taylor, Powell River
October
11:
3:30
pm Three Humpbacks sighted from the Comox Ferry just off Little
River. Missed the double breach!
3:56
pm Another Humpback sighted off the north west tip of Texada Island,
still on the ferry route.
Susan
MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
October
10:
4:19
pm Humpback southbound at Stuart Island, on the east side of Sonora
Island.
4:
27 pm Humpback southbound still at Kelsey Point, near Yuculta Rapids.
Jack
Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching.
October
9:
9:34
am There is a Humpback at the mouth of Okisollo Channel, looks like
it is heading out into Discovery Passage. Actually, now it is
foraging at Mink Rock.
Jen
Furst, Campbell River Whale Watching.
October
8:
9:52
am Looks like 2 Humpbacks moving eastbound in Nodales Channel by
Young Passage. Correction: Make that 1 Humpback.
Jen
Furst, Campbell River Whale Watching.
October
7:
10:09
am 2 Humpbacks just sort of milling around off Vananda, Texada
Island. They're facing North and are a bit closer to the mine.
Bill
Taylor, Powell River
October
7:
3
to 3:15 pm Humpback Whale looks like just one between Pam Rocks and
Lion's Bay in Howe Sound. Travelling North.
Caller
did not leave her name. We'd like to give you credit so please leave
your name.
Humpback
Whale
October
5, 2013
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
October
6:
12:10
pm A Humpback whale identified as KC (Kelp Creature!) is foraging
just north of Brown's Bay, close to the Vancouver Island shore.
Geord
Dunstan, Discovery Marine Safaris.
October
6:
4:48
pm There are 2 Humpbacks at Hole in the Wall angling towards Okisollo
Channel.
5:10
pm The Humpbacks have now moved over to the Quadra Island side and
are westbound in Okisollo Channel.
Jen
Furst, Campbell River Whale Watching.
October
5:
4:50
pm There are 3 Humpbacks going into Nodales Channel from Discovery
Channel. Two of them are on the Sonora Island side and the other one
is moving along on the Thurlow Island side.
4:55
pm Have left the Humpbacks near Young Passage in Nodales. They are
all heading east.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
October
5:
5:15
pm 3 Humpbacks near Davis Point now, on the Sonora Island side. Have
left them still eastbound in Nodales Channel.
Jen
Furst, Campbell River Whale Watching.
October
4
9:44
am One Humpback swimming southbound and bucking against the tide by
Separation Head, west side of Quadra Island.
12
pm Humpback Whale by Race Point, Seymour Narrows.
(Radio)
October
4
12:06
pm Humpback whale spotted foraging just off Brown's Bay.
John,
Discovery Marine Safaris.
October
4:
2:45
pm Humpback sighted in Kanish Bay and moving southbound. Looks like
there might be more than one.
Fabian,
Way West Water Taxi.
October
4:
3:30
pm Couple Humpback Whales across from Deepwater Bay, Discovery
Passage just about at Separation Head.
3:50
pm Make that three Humpbacks, instead of two!
Jos
Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures.
October
4:
3:40
pm There are 2 Humpbacks feeding in the Separation Head area near
Quadra Island. Now there are 3 Humpys!
4:27
pm I've left two of them at Plumper Bay. The third one was at Seymour
Narrows. The first two have now angled off towards Quadra island. The
two Humpback that are together look like adults. Those are the ones
that have angled towards Quadra.
There
is yet another Humpback Whale at Orange Point, too, just south of the
Campbell River Mill. Humpy Heaven!
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
PACIFIC
WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Pacific
White Sided Dolphins
October
13, 2013
Steve
Grover, Powell River
October
16:
6
pm 100-200 PWS Dolphins leaping all over the place between Powell
River and Harwood Island. They're slowly heading South. Lots of birds
above them. Would be great to get out there, it's so calm, but losing
light for photos. (I watched till too dark – they were still out
in front of Powell River - SM)
Steve
Grover, Powell River
October
15:
4
pm + 100 or so PWS Dolphins came by this morning feeding on all the
herring out in front then headed South. Now (4 pm) they're back
feeding and chasing fish and again slowly heading South. Seems to be
lots of herring around.
Bill
Taylor, Powell River
October
14:
3
– 3:45 pm Large pod of Whitesided Dolphins feeding about a mile
out, just south of Myrtle Rocks at 3pm today. They were constantly
changing direction North and South. There were a large flock of gulls
in attendance and feeding on what the dolphins missed I guess . It
was hard to estimate numbers because of the constant changes of
direction. They were still there at 3:45 pm when we had to leave.
With the fall sun hitting the water it was if they were swimming in
liquid silver ...Magic !
Wendy
and John, Powell River
October
14:
4:25
pm 100 or so PWS Dolphins between Albion Point (also known as Black
Point) and Myrtle Rocks, just south of Powell River. They are
foraging and moving fast.
Liz
Kennedy, Powell River
October
13:
11:45
am Large group of PWS Dolphins northbound from Powell River.
1:20
– 2 pm We saw about 50 PWS Dolphins in front of Westview for over 2
hours before they headed south near Grief Point and we lost sight of
them. Here are a couple of images I got when they were closed to the
shore. A small group of people were stopping their cars to take a
look. The dolphins seemed to be finding food and the gulls were
getting into the act too! You could hear them splashing from the
shore which was very cool!
Steve
Grover, Powell River.
October
13:
1:17
pm About 100 or more Southbound by Grief Point, Powell
River........likely PWS dolphins. (yes PWS Dolphins confirmed -
SM)
Grant
Rainsley, Powell River
October
13:
12:32
pm Couple of hundred PWS Dolphins feeding off Powell River.
(call)
October
12:
12:10
pm About 100 PWS Dolphins milling around off Separation Head.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
October
11:
11:50
am There are about 100 PWS Dolphins milling around at Sonora Point,
in Nodales Channel.
1:32
pm About 100 PWS Dolphins off Mitlenatch Island.
Leigh
Nelson, Adventure Quest Tours.
October
10:
9:20
am More than 100 PWS Dolphins spotted in Brown's Bay, southbound.
Jack
Springer, Campbell River Whale watching.
October
10:
1:02
pm 400 PWS Dolphins half a mile south of Brown's Bay and heading
north.
(Radio)
October
10:
2:40
pm 200-300 PWS Dolphins between Chatham Point and Greensea Bay,
reported in by someone near Chatham Point.
Leif
Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching.
October
10:
4:20
pm 129 PWS Dolphins milling around at Granite Point, at the north
west tip of Quadra Island.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
October
9:
9:34
am 150 PWS Dolphins in Kanish Bay, northbound.
Jen
Furst, Campbell River Whale Watching.
October
9:
12:36
pm 200 PWS Dolphins southbound in Kanish Bay, Quadra Island.
Geoff,
Discovery Marine Safaris.
October
9:
2:25
pm At least 100 PWS Dolphins travelling abreast in Kanish Bay, on the
Quadra island side.
Aaron
Nagler, Sonora Lodge.
October
9:
4:28
pm PWS Dolphins sighted in Deepwater Bay, Discovery Passage. These
are the same groups as the ones seen earlier, I think.
Jen
Furst, Campbell River Whale Watching.
October
8:
9:52
am 194 PWS Dolphins in Nodales Channel. They are foraging around in
the Hemming Bay area.
Jen
Furst, Campbell River Whale Watching.
October
8:
3:00
pm PWS Dolphins all the way from Sonora Point to Howe island, more
than 750 of them!
Jos
Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures.
October
7:
9:01
am 150 PWS Dolphins southbound from Plumper Bay.
3:38
pm 120 PWS Dolphins sighted southbound in Kanish Bay.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
October
6:
1:30
pm 100 PWS Dolphins at Davis Point, in Nodales Channel.
Aaron
Nagler, Sonora Lodge.
October
6:
1:30
pm I was kayaking about 1 km south of Porteau Cove, Howe Sound and
saw about 100 PWS Dolphins heading towards Gambier and Bowen Islands.
Very exciting!
(Emailed
in by SS)
October
5:
3:28
pm 150 PWS Dolphins spotted heading southbound from Horn Point just
above Yuculta rapids.
4:40
pm There are another 150 PWS Dolphins southbound now at 45 Point,
south of Kanish Bay.
4:55
pm Upgrading that now to 400 PWS Dolphins!
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
October
4:
11:45
am There has been a large group of PWS Dolphins reported off
Frederick's Arm, up at the top end of Nodales Channel.
Aaron
Nagler, Sonora Lodge.
October
4:
1:17
pm About 700 PWS Dolphins all spread out by Hall Point, Nodales
Channel.
Radio
October
4:
2:45
pm 400 PWS Dolphins eastbound at Davis Point in Nodales Channel.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
DALL'S
PORPOISE
October
15:
3
pm 2 or 3 Dall's Porpoise just in Bute Inlet.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
October
15:
Day:
Lots of Dall's Porpoise in Nodales Channel. (no time or actual
numbers given)
Aaron
Webber, Campbell River Whale Watching
October
12:
2:00
pm 4 Dall's Porpoise in Okisollo Channel, westbound near the upper
rapids.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
October
4:
3:15
pm 6 Dall's Porpoise foraging by Bjerre Rock in Okisollo Channel.
Radio
HARBOUR
PORPOISE
October
13:
3:59
pm 4 Harbour Porpoise milling about at Venture point in Okisollo
Channel.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Links
to Couple of YouTube Video Clips
Small
boat running into Humpback Whale Feb. 14, 2013:
This
video is taken from shore on Galiano Island (between Vancouver Island
and the mainland, British Columbia) Sunday 1st Sept 2013.
Submitted by Lita Barnes: (Proof of how people on shore can
actually see whales and report their sightings - SM)
Presentation
and Talk
Pinnipeds:
Seals and Sealions
Malaspina
Naturalist Club is an associate member of BC Nature. Everyone is
welcome.
Thursday,
October 24th - Doors open at 7:00 pm
- Speaker begins at 7:30 pm
Trinity
Hall, United Church, Powell River
Susan
MacKay will be talking about Pinnipeds: the classification refers to
the marine mammals that have front and rear flippers such as Seals,
Sea Lions and Walrus. Of the 33 species
globally, there are five species of Pinnipeds that frequent our local
BC waters while a few of the others migrate through our waters, to
and from their breeding grounds. While some of these are considered
true seals, some are not. Apart from local species information, Susan
will talk about their cute and quirky behaviours
as well as specifics of how they relate to nature's balance in our
oceans.
Susan
MacKay is the founder of
Whales and Dolphins BC and is the President of the non-profit Wild
Ocean Whale Society
(WOWs). She is also a member of the Marine Mammal Response Network
responding to injured dead or distressed marine mammals.
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)