This is a Special Update with a short
Sightings Report Update below. There has been so much happening!
Society Workings Updates:
Our Web Site – We have made a huge
update to our web site. We are now completely 'mobile friendly'!
Google informed us that we were not mobile friendly and we had to
make changes for them to continue to index us. We rely on their
support and did a bit of hopping to fix issues which meant a total
rework and update of the site itself. There are a few new and moved
pages. Please drop us an email to let us know what you think.
Our Burger and Beer Night held March
10th at Savoury Bight Restaurant and Pub, Powell River –
This was a huge success with incredible support from you and our
incredible Sponsors (there is
a new Sponsors Link on our web site) who donated to help
us achieve the $1359.00, after our only cost, the cost of food,
towards the purchase and installation of our live feed web camera and
hydrophone system off Grief Point, Powell River. Based on the quote
we received, would you be interested in joining us for another,
buffet style this time? See next item below.
Web Camera and Hydrophone system –
There is much communication and work behind the scenes to make every
dollar we get from you count. Unfortunately, the first quote we
received for the web camera alone was extremely excessive in our way
of thinking. The quote came in on an Axis Q6044E MKII, camera only,
at $6,043.60! We are continuing to work on finding a good fit in both
quality and price. If anyone out there has an ideas or possible
solutions, we welcome the input!
Mapping – We are working on getting
some data ready to publish mapped information on the whereabouts of
the whales, dolphins and porpoise sightings that are reported to us.
This will be very visual using a satellite or graphic style map which
you will be able to toggle.
2015 Fundraising Raffle – This is a
Huge one, Bigger and Better, with a total of seven wildlife tours,
Pacific Coastal flight, BC Ferries passes, Accommodation and a framed
Award winning photo up for grabs. Details are available on line at:
http://whalesanddolphinsbc.com/events-and-raffles-2/2015-raffle/
We will also be posting on Facebook as
well as these Updates, the locations of ticket availability as soon
as we have confirmation of dates, times and locations. We are working
on locations in Campbell River, Sechelt and Powell River. Otherwise,
ticket orders can be submitted on line. We use Paypal which allows
for any credit card payments. You do not need a Paypal account.
Whales and Dolphins – Yes, there are
a few Killer Whale sightings reports coming in, but mostly they have
been elusive. Most sightings are distant without photos to help us
establish if the whales are from Transient Bigg's (meat eaters) or
Resident (fish eaters) pods. There is a report of a larger group of
Dall's Porpoise in the back channels. We should also start seeing a
Humpback Whales starting to back into the inside waters. There have
been a few that have stayed just close to the bottom of Vancouver
Island all winter, but none this year in the inside waters of the
Georgia Strait.
Susan
MacKay & Lynne Cracknell, Whales
and Dolphins BC
For
our DONATE
page click here.
Have you seen a whale,
dolphin or porpoise?
We
are the non-profit Wild Ocean Whale Society
Call
1-877-323-9776
or Email
your
report.
KILLER WHALES
Orca by Dryad Point
Lighthouse
March 20, 2015
Mike Clarke, CCG,
Victoria
Mar 24:
3:00 pm: 3 Orca westing
past Camp Point, all females, one calf. Correction, there are four
Orca, maybe one big fin.
Leif Nordman,
Campbell River Whale Watching.
Mar 23:
6:00 pm: There are Orca
traveling in front of Scuttle Bay just south of Atrevida Reef and
moving northwards towards Lund on the Sunshine Coast. Just saw one
jump high. Looks like there are three at most. They seemed to stop
and eat in front of Scuttle Bay, the one closest to Lund keeps
jumping, so cool
Wendy Galligos,
Powell River.
March 23:
8:00 pm: Orca in front
of Campbell River. Five small fins northbound in front of Campbell
River. One of our employees posted this.
Aaron Webber,
Campbell River Whale Watching.
Mar 22:
12:53
pm: Pod of Orca in front of Dryad Point Lighthouse.
Dryad
Point is on the northeast end of Campbell Island, just north of Bella
Bella on the B.C. Mainland.
(These are possibly Northern Resident Killer Whales, but the clarity
of the clip makes it too difficult to be sure. A42's had been seen a
while ago in the area. - SM)
Mike Clarke, CCG,
Victoria
Mar 22:
12:00 pm: We were out
diving on Snake Island off Nanaimo when we spotted a small pod of
about 4 or so Orca heading from the Protection Island area towards
Gabriola Island and around the northern point of the Island.
Brian Timmer. VIU
Dive Club.
Mar 19:
Today a friend of mine
posted a photo of whales off shore at Qualicum Beach, Vancouver
Island. There were three of them, in one of the photos you can see
them blowing. So exciting. Perhaps I will go on a short road trip
tomorrow.
Linda, Parksville
Mar 18:
2:00
pm: I saw these around 2:00 pm on March 18 off the north end of
Qualicum Beach public area on Vancouver Island. It looked like a mom,
her “teenager,” and if you look by her fin you can see the baby's
face.
They seemed to be
heading a bit towards the mainland…fairly east, but they did swim
south a bit before I lost sight of them.
Linda Vermeulen,
Fanny Bay.
Orca off Qualicum
Beach
March 18, 2015
Linda Vermeulen,
Fanny Bay
March 18:
12:15 pm Third hand
report of Orca by Black Point, Powell River. They're Northbound.
Around 12:40 pm I drove
down to Grief Point and spotted one big male dorsal, a female and
possibly a calf just off Myrtle Rocks. The sea lions were right in by
the shore feeding on the herring spawn. I think the Orca were already
on a kill and turned back or went across to Texada. After seeing them
four to six times, I never saw them again although I watched for them
to pass. There was a very cold, strong wind blowing creating waves.
Susan MacKay, Whales
and Dolphins BC
Mar 17:
Just
saw Orca in Parksville Bay, just off my street, Dogwood Bay.
Exciting. That was late this morning.
They were still there when I went back after lunch, seemed like they
were moving north, not sure. There were four of them.
Linda K. Derksen.
Parksville.
Mar 16:
Late report from a
ferry worker that there were Orca northbound past Campbell River at
9:30 am.
Garry Henkel,
Aboriginal Journeys Whales and Grizzly Bear Tours.
March 16:
12:00 pm: It's always
exciting to see an Orca pod but this one was especially exciting
because it had a baby! There were three of us who saw the pod. They
were in Discovery Passage, off Campbell River, and they were
traveling south.
Heather Bojsza.
HUMPBACK
WHALES
March 18:
Thanks to Randy Hodge
for sending in this video of a Humpback Whale sighted in Puget Sound,
off Carkeek Park. Filmed by Alisa Lemire Brooks. We aren't certain if
these are Humpbacks that stayed in the area over winter, or are ones
returning to our waters.
DALL'S
PORPOISE
Mar 16:
2:34 pm: Bunch of
Dall's Porpoise around Kanish Bay area, Quadra Island, there are four
bow riding and more behind.
Jack Springer,
Campbell River Whale Watching.
LINKS
Three
lovely videos of Humpback Whales seen earlier this year in Maui. It's
great to have people submit videos of interest to us and you!
Have
you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
1-877-323-9776
or Email
your report.
Every
sighting report is valuable!
We
are the non-profit Wild Ocean Whale Society
For
our DONATE
page click here.
