Brief and distant appearance of some
Orca are the main report. It's been quite a while since the reports
have been so few and far between. Where are they? This report is up
to and includes March 6, 2014 with a few photos taken earlier.
The herring have started to spawn,
based on the radio chatter and sea lions are around, mostly closer to
Vancouver Island, but some have popped up along the mainland shore.
This would indicate that there are fish for the Resident Orca as well
as the meat sought by the Transient Bigg's Orca. It's a bit early for
us to see any of the larger whales such as Grey's or Humpback, but
there is word of them either having overwintered or starting to show
up just across the US border. Rumour also of some of the Northern
Resident Orca showing up in the Blackfish Sound area, then heading
back out to the West. The Pacific White Sided Dolphins appear to have
scattered somewhere since the last reports of Orca chasing and
following them. Some Harbour Porpoise were seen in larger numbers
than these shy animals usually travel in.
Keep your eyes open and please remember
to call or email the sighting in. A few reports below are after the
fact, which is better than not at all.
Although reports are slow, there are
many things in the works in the background and I apologize for not
having the time to keep everyone informed and post more updates. The
automatic email feed has still been an issue and taken far too much
time to try to sort, so for now, to ensure subscribers receive the
post, it will be sent out manually again. Apologies if you receive it
twice, but it would mean that it's finally fixed!
Finally, there are a number of very
interesting Links in the News below and for those of you in Powell
River, since the article appears to have been missed on line, the
Peak newspaper photo of NRKW A42, Sonora's calf A103, Albion was from
2014 not 2013 as was printed. Thanks to all who asked about it.
Susan
MacKay, Whales
and Dolphins BC
Every
sighting report is valuable
Have
you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
NRKWs A8/42's Powell
River
January, 2014
Susan MacKay, SG Images
Whale,
Dolphin and Porpoise Sightings
(in date order this
report)
March 3:
4:00 pm: There are some Orca in
front of Campbell River, southbound. At least 4 of them.
Jen Furst, Campbell River Whale
Watching.
March 3:
4:00 pm: 4 Orca southbound in
front of Campbell River.
Aaron Webber, Campbell River Whale
Watching.
February 27:
3:17 pm: There are some Orca in
Menzies Bay/ Seymour Narrows. Can't tell how many there are, I'm on
land.
4:29 pm: There are 4 whales at least,
didn't see them when I went back...will be back in a couple of
minutes and try to get a direction but they were milling last time I
saw them.
5:00 pm: Okay – got 'em! They are
still in Seymour Narrows milling. And I'm going with northbound –
looks like they just went through the Narrows. Yes, northbound.
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale
Watching.
February 19 (rec'd February 28):
Around 10:30 am 5 Orca off the
West side of Texada, between Comox and Texada. The ferry Captain
pointed them out, but they were quite a ways off – just blows.
Someone had said they were sending the report in to us (Sherri is on
the board of Wild Ocean Whale Society WOWs), which is the only reason
I didn't call you myself. I even know better – rather get the
report ten times or more than not at all!
Sherri Wretham, Powell River
February 17 (rec'd February 21):
Some nice sightings of cetaceans Monday
morning off Roberts Creek Pier on the Sunshine Coast. 6 – 8
Orca, suspect transients, out about one mile, and the largest pod
of Harbour Porpoises I have ever seen close to shore. 20 plus.
Coincidence? Nice treat. I stand-up Paddle Board all year long and
have seen Harbour Porpoise more than ever this year. But today
February 21 from the Pier is the largest group (Porpoise) I have ever
seen.
Geordie Harrower, Roberts Creek.
A66, Surf of the NRKWs A8/42's Powell
River
January, 2014
Susan MacKay, SG Images
Links
in the News
Captain Dave Anderson of Capt. Dave's
Dolphin and Whale Safari in Dana Point, California, at great personal
risk, has recently filmed and edited a 5-minute video that contains
some of the most beautiful, jaw-dropping, footage ever taken with a
drone from the air of a huge mega-pod of thousands of common dolphins
stampeding off Dana Point, California, three gray whales migrating
together down the coast off San Clemente, California, and
heartwarming close-ups hovering over a newborn Humpback whale calf
snuggling and playing with its mom as an escort whale stands guard
nearby, filmed recently in Maui.
Drones have helped capture some of the
Internet's most incredible videos, but we think this one might go
down as the sweetest. (This is part of the above fuller featured
clip)
Humpback Whale- Powell
River
Nov 2013
Susan MacKay, SG Images
This next short piece of footage shows
an interaction between a blue whale and killer whales—where it
looks as though the orcas took a nip out of their much bigger
relative! The video was filmed off the coast of Monterey, California,
by Monterey Bay Whale Watch. They mentioned that it is rare to see
Blue Whales in the Californian waters in March, as they usually
arrive in the late spring or early summer.
http://www.livescience.com/43879-killer-whales-attack-blue-whale-video.html
Dozens of fossilized whales, seals and
other marine animals have been discovered piled up in an ancient
tidal flat in northern Chile.
Toronto lawyer Clayton Ruby has
provided the Federal Government with a legal opinion following the
outcries of the public for Canada to stop serving as a trans shipment
destination for the trade in endangered whale meat between Iceland
and Japan.
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Ottawa+pressured+stop+transhipments+whale+meat/9570277//story.html
Rescuers cut hundreds of feet of
fishing line from emaciated whale off Hawaii.
Humpback Whale
Sept. 2013
Susan MacKay, SG Images
Have
you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every
sighting report is valuable!
We
are the non-profit Wild Ocean Whale Society