End
of May ALREADY?! The Transient Bigg's Orca popped up and disappeared
from the central Georgia Strait but some of the ones seen recently
have snuck up the coast, or circumnavigated Vancouver Island, to show
up at the top of Johnstone Strait with a few back in our area again.
Some of these Orca Susan MacKay had recently by Texada. Since they
were Southbound and no reports of them in the South or heading North,
it's hard to say what direction they took. Sneaky aren't they? That's
why it's important to get your reports!
Otherwise,
and unusual sighting of a small Grey (or Gray depending on your
preference of spelling) Whale up by Stuart Island has us wondering if
the Transients were on the hunt for it. Looking at the photo, he/she
is pretty scarred, but most scars look healed.
Fundraising
2014:
Our main web site is updated and tickets for our Two Huge Raffles are
available for sale on line. Please check out the details link:
http://whalesanddolphinsbc.com/win-at-sea-fair-2014/
2
GREAT RAFFLES FOR A TOTAL OF 6 TOURS TO BE DRAWN!
RAFFLE
#1:
- Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours – Whale Watching for Two
- Discovery Marine Safaris – Whale Watching for Two
- Stubbs Island Whale Watching – Whale Watching for Two
RAFFLE
#2:
- Adventure Quest Tours (Kayak Tour for Two)
- Eagle Eye Adventures (Whale Watching for Two)
- Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions (Whale Watching for Two)
Tickets
are 5 for $10 – Please make sure you specify what Raffle you'd like
in the notes.
Both
raffles will be drawn at 5 pm on July 27, 2014 at Powell River Sea
Fair
Thank
you all for your ongoing enthusiasm and support!
All
of us at Wild Ocean Whale Society (WOWs)
Our
first venue is at the Spot Prawn Festival at Powell River's Westview
Harbour on June 7th.
We will have a table with information and tickets available. Stop by
and say hello.
Thank
you to ALL the volunteers, not one of us is paid, who have helped
with the production and promulgating (funny how one learns a word and
suddenly has a million uses for it) of materials. Lynne has again,
been instrumental to getting this report together for the internet,
while many other people have cut, stapled and posted information in
the physical world.
And
of course, we must thank the great companies who donated the over
$2,000 worth of prizes we are able to raffle off to help fund our
efforts.
Susan
MacKay & Lynne Cracknell, Whales
and Dolphins BC
Every
sighting report is valuable!
Have
you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
TRANSIENT
BIGG'S KILLER WHALES
Transient
Bigg's T123's
May
25, 2014
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
May
30:
8:20
pm 4 Orca Southbound by the Iron Mines off Lund Harbour. Looked like
a small calf with them. They were moving slowly. Don't think there
were any really big males.
Ron
Johnston, Savary Island (relayed through Rick Thaddeus, Savary
Island)
May
30:
12:45
pm: Three or four Orca southbound by the Campbell River Mill.
1:45
pm: Orca now by Cape Mudge Village, this is from talking to the
Connector between Painter's Lodge and April Point Resort. There is
one male and 2 small fins at Cape Mudge, southbound.
Jack
Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching.
May
30:
Earlier
in the day: Mackay Whale Watching of Port McNeill picked up the
T060's in Cormorant Channel, Pearse Islands, heading west.
Josh
McInnes
May
30:
2:30
pm At
least 4 Orca, two big fins, southbound at Shelter Point. 2:55 pm It's
the T18s and 19b.
3:56
pm Leaving the Orca about half a mile south of Mitlenatch still
Southbound.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
May
30:
2:30
pm There
are 3 Orca at Sarah Point, at the northwest end of the Malaspina
Peninsula.
Jos
Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures.
May
30
3:57
pm: T 77's at Winchelsea Islands, headed for Ballenas Island.
Simon
Piddock, Ocean Eco Adventures.
May
29:
10:23
am: Orca at Twin Islands, southeast of Cortes Island, northbound.
5:
30 pm: Orca in Cortes Bay, northbound.
Jos
Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures.
May
28:
8:00
am: Report of Orca – one large male and four others milling around
at Bullock Bluff, at the north end of Cortes Island.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
May
27:
2:54
pm: Orca northbound off the Sonora Dock now. Also, I just heard from
a lady at Blind Channel that Transients slaughtered a group of PWS
Dolphins in Little Bear Bay a couple of days ago. Don’t have better
details, sadly.
Aaron
Nagler,Sonora Lodge.
Transient
Bigg's T123's
May
25, 2014
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
May
27:
3:35
pm:T049''s,T065A and T093 off the San Juan Islands.
Josh
McInnes
May
26:
9:55
am: Three, maybe more Orca in front of Powell River, southbound.
There is one big male, possibly a second following behind.
Steve
Grover, Powell River
May
26:
11:22
am: Just got a face book message about some Orca near Beach Garden
Resort in Powell River.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
May
26:(rec'd May 27)
Information
on the group of Orca Southbound by Powell River was that there were
“lots” of them including a number of small ones.
SM
May
25:
4:21
pm: 3 Orca mid channel by Discovery Marina, Campbell River,
northbound.
From
Radio.
May
25:
5:00
pm: We have Stanley, Sidney and the newer calf – the T123's, at
Orange Point, Campbell River. What a great start to the season!
5:50
pm: Leaving the Orca at the power lines, still northbound. Never did
see the Humpback reported in the area.
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
May
24:
Around
2 pm Jim Wyatt saw a big male and one other Orca milling around Sea
Lion Rocks in front of Frolander Bay at Powell River.
- Wyatt, from email
Transient
Bigg's T123's
May
25, 2014
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
GREY
WHALES
May
27:
3:05
pm: There is a Grey whale by Kelsey Point on Stuart island. It was
first reported as Orca blows, then possibly a Humpback Whale, but now
confirmed as a Grey.
Aaron
Nagler, Sonora Lodge.
May
27:
3:25
pm: Definitely a Grey Whale.
4:46
pm There are a half a dozen dolphins at Kelsey Point together with
the Grey Whale.
Jos
Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures.
Grey
Whale
May
27, 2014
Jos
Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures.
HUMPBACK
WHALES
May
30:
4:25
pm: Humpback between Shelter Island and the red can buoy.
Jos
Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures.
May
29:
9:27
pm: Humpback in front of We Wai Kei Village (Quadra Island) heading
north.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
May
26:
12:02
pm: Humpback just off Bartlett island across from the Church house
(Stuart Island)
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
May
26:
1:02
pm:With Humpback whale just below Bartlett Island, southbound.
2:03
pm Left
Humpback by Raza Island, (Discovery Islands group), southbound with
Elvis. This one has an all black tail.
Leif
Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching.
May
25:
9:25
am: Humpback in Discovery Passage above Brown's Bay. From Brad at
Painter's Lodge. No direction given.
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
May
25:
9:30
am:Humpback on Vancouver Island side, moving slowly southbound.
Brad,
Painter's Lodge.
May
25:
10:45
am:Humpback now at Brown's Bay, southbound.
11:07
am: Leaving Humpback now at Plumper Bay, northbound.
Leigh
Nelson, Adventure Quest Tours.
May
25:
1:50
pm: Leaving Humpback between Brown's Bay and Seymour Narrows,
northbound.
Leif
Nordman,Campbell River Whale Watching.
May
25:
4:00
pm: Good Morning. We just spotted a mother Humpback with her calf
halfway between Donegal Head and Lizard Point on Malcolm Island.
Christine
Smith, MV
David B. (via email)
May
25:
5:35
pm: There is a Humpback by the Light at Maud Island, in Seymour
Narrows, northbound.
Elvis,
Eagle Eye Adventures.
PACIFIC
WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
May
29:
3:04
pm: Radio report of a bunch of Pacific White Sided Dolphins at
Granite Point, northwest corner of Quadra Island.
4:42
pm: 20 Pacific White Sided Dolphins foraging in Brown's Bay, near
Campbell River.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
May
27:
4:50
pm:There are half a dozen Pacific White Sided Dolphins at Kelsey
Point, Stuart Island, together with the Grey whale.
Jos
Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures.
May
27:
5:07
pm: 20 Pacific White Sided Dolphins at Hole in the Wall, at the west
end.
Leif
Nordman,Campbell River Whale Watching.
May
26:
9:23
am: A dozen Pacific White Sided Dolphins in the mouth of Okisollo
Channel.
Brad,
Painter's Lodge.
May
26:
1:34
pm: Fifty Pacific White Sided Dolphins southbound in Deepwater Bay.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
May
25:
10:24
am
50 Pacific White Sided Dolphins sighted in Greensea Bay, across from
Chatham Point.
From
Radio.
10:45
am: 50 Pacific White Sided Dolphins northbound at 7 knots, by Cinque
Islands.
1:50
pm: The Dolphins are now at the mouth of Okisollo Channel.
Brad,
Painter's Lodge.
DALL'S
PORPOISE
May
27:
1:26
pm: 5 Dall's Porpoise milling around at No Name Creek (Campbell
River.)
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
OTHERS
May
28:
11:45
am: Guide report of an Elephant Seal just north of Jimmy Judd Island,
Yuculta Rapids.
Aaron
Nagler, Sonora Lodge.
LINKS
An
increase in whale strikes on the East Coast deepens concerns that
increased tanker traffic in our own coastal waters will have a
detrimental effect on our west coast whale populations. The story
here:
Transient
Bigg's T123's
May
25, 2014
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
Have
you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every
sighting report is valuable!
We
are the non-profit Wild Ocean Whale Society
Gaming
Licence for Raffle #1 is 65278 Raffle #2 is 65280 – Know your
limit, play within it.
