Fleeting glimpses through inclement weather of cetacean species provides us with a short sightings report this issue. The report still manages to cover Orca, Humpback Whales, Pacific White Sided Dolphins and a large group of Harbour Porpoise. The whales, dolphins and porpoise are out there, but have not been easy to spot. We are overdue for better weather.
We received a correction note to our last report: The Feb 16th sighting off Gabriola of Southern Resident Killer Whales were in fact 9 Transient Bigg's as noted in this issue. Southern Resident Orca are not likely to be in the same area as Transient Bigg's, but it does happen on ocassion. We welcome all sightings information and publish the information we receive. Figuring out who is who in this big ocean can be challenging at times. The more reports and photo submissions we receive, the more accurately we can record the information, so please keep your reports coming.
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
We received a correction note to our last report: The Feb 16th sighting off Gabriola of Southern Resident Killer Whales were in fact 9 Transient Bigg's as noted in this issue. Southern Resident Orca are not likely to be in the same area as Transient Bigg's, but it does happen on ocassion. We welcome all sightings information and publish the information we receive. Figuring out who is who in this big ocean can be challenging at times. The more reports and photo submissions we receive, the more accurately we can record the information, so please keep your reports coming.
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
Some playful Pacific White Sided Dolphins enjoying the summer
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Society News & Events
Real Time Monitoring Station Update:
The replacement part has been tested and works great together with the camera, but we have yet another delay with audio noise coming from the camera overriding any hydrophone audio. Yet another delay as we work with the manufacturer to resolve this issue. This truly is a hard fought project, but they say the first one is the worst!
Our team of Volunteers continue to do a great job in making sure all your reports are mapped and published regularly. Would you like to join us?
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Sightings Update
ISSUE SIGHTINGS MAP 2017-006
Jump to: Biggs Orca | Orca | Humpback Whales | PWS Dolphins | Harbour Porpoise
TRANSIENT BIGGS KILLER WHALES
Thu Feb 16 2017
--:-- • 9 Biggs Orca hunting and socializing, heading north-east between Entrance Island and Gabriola Island, Georgia Strait. Observed in the morning. This is an update to the Orca sighting reported in the previous publication released March 4th (Issue 2017-005). ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
James Pilkington, Nanaimo, BC
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Bigg's Transient Killer Whale T40 "Captain Hook" from the summer
Fri, 10 Mar 2017 - 1 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Bigg's Transient Killer Whale T40 "Captain Hook" from the summer
Fri, 10 Mar 2017 - 1 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Jump to: Biggs Orca | Orca | Humpback Whales | PWS Dolphins | Harbour Porpoise
UNIDENTIFIED KILLER WHALES
Sun Mar 12 2017
15:45 • Orca between Duke Point and Tsawwassen, Georgia Strait. Large pod observed from a young individual on the Ferry. ▫ Second Hand
Peter Hamilton, Lifeforce
Sat Mar 04 2017
17:16 • 6 Orca playing, heading north off Grief Point in the middle of Malaspina Strait. Two males, 3 females, and one baby.
Anne and Ron Baker, Powell River, BC
Fri Mar 03 2017
10:26 • Orca in front of Whaletown on the west side of Cortes Island, Sutil Channel. ▫ Second Hand
Aaron Webber, Campbell River Whale Watching
Mon Feb 20 2017
17:30 • est. 3-4 Orca moving quickly, heading north off the west side of Campbell Island in the middle of Raymond Passage. Pointy dorsal fins. Seen while fishing from speedboat; appeared to be on the move as I glazed them on southern horizon and within 15 min they were west of us. ▫ On Scene
Vic Gladish, Bella Bella, BC
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Unidentified Killer Whales
Mother and calf Killer Whale travelling together in the summer
Fri, 10 Mar 2017 - 1 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Unidentified Killer Whales
Mother and calf Killer Whale travelling together in the summer
Fri, 10 Mar 2017 - 1 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Unidentified Killer Whales
Killer Whale spyhopping during the summer months
Thu, 16 Mar 2017 - 1 items
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Unidentified Killer Whales
Killer Whale spyhopping during the summer months
Thu, 16 Mar 2017 - 1 items
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
Jump to: Biggs Orca | Orca | Humpback Whales | PWS Dolphins | Harbour Porpoise
HUMPBACK WHALES
Thu Mar 16 2017
11:34 • 1 Humpback Whales heading west off Doctor Islets, Knight Inlet.
11:01 • 1 Humpback Whales heading west abeam Village Island, Knight Inlet.
John Lewis, Discovery Marine Safaris
Fri Mar 10 2017
--:-- • 1 Humpback Whales in the fishing grounds in Denman Island, Georgia Strait. Fishermen talked about a couple of Humpbacks yesterday too.
Radio, overheard or call out
Jump to: Biggs Orca | Orca | Humpback Whales | PWS Dolphins | Harbour Porpoise
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Wed Mar 15 2017
14:38 • est. 20 PWS Dolphins heading north just off the Powell River Ferry terminal, Malaspina Strait. Heading towards the Powell River mill.
Barry Rice, Powell River, BC
Tue Mar 07 2017
13:35 • PWS Dolphins moving quickly, heading south off Myrtle Rocks south of Powell River, Malaspina Strait. They are too far out, near the island to identify, but very many and fast!. ▫ Observed from Shore
Christie Close, Mill Valley, CA, USA
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Two Pacific White Sided Dolphins playing together in the summer
Fri, 10 Mar 2017 - 1 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Two Pacific White Sided Dolphins playing together in the summer
Fri, 10 Mar 2017 - 1 items
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Jump to: Biggs Orca | Orca | Humpback Whales | PWS Dolphins | Harbour Porpoise
HARBOUR PORPOISE
Wed Mar 15 2017
14:00 • 2 Harbour Porpoise in Kanish Bay.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Sun Mar 05 2017
12:02 • 20 Harbour Porpoise milling, about 200-300 meters off Stories Beach south of Campbell River, Georgia Strait.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
NEW! WOWs Sightings Archive Explorer
Recommended for desktop browsers and newer mobile devices
Dive into over 5,000 Cetacean Sightings, images, videos and audio recordings reported in our Sightings Updates with the WOWS Sightings Archive Explorer
Archive Explorer takes readers into the Cetacean world of the BC Coast. Easily view all Cetacean sighting reports together with all sighting photos and videos:
• View species such as Humpback, Grey Whale or Dalls Porpoise
• Follow the endangered Southern Residents Orca in the Salish Sea
• Search for encounters with T002C2 Tumbo
• Goto Port Alberni to watch a close-up video of Orca in the harbour
• Track the T010s Transients as they hunt and travel the inside passage
• Check-Out "KC", the ever popular Humphack and track his whereabouts this past August
• Goto one of 12,000 named locations on the BC and WA State coast
• Print custom sighting reports and maps (Coming Soon)
Explore this powerfull new research tool with the Archive Explorer Help page
Note: The Cetacean Sightings Archive is also available in database format together with sighting photo and video links for viewing, query and download here
Send your Comments and Questions to: Archive Explorer Feedback
Dive into over 5,000 Cetacean Sightings, images, videos and audio recordings reported in our Sightings Updates with the WOWS Sightings Archive Explorer
Archive Explorer takes readers into the Cetacean world of the BC Coast. Easily view all Cetacean sighting reports together with all sighting photos and videos:
• View species such as Humpback, Grey Whale or Dalls Porpoise
• Follow the endangered Southern Residents Orca in the Salish Sea
• Search for encounters with T002C2 Tumbo
• Goto Port Alberni to watch a close-up video of Orca in the harbour
• Track the T010s Transients as they hunt and travel the inside passage
• Check-Out "KC", the ever popular Humphack and track his whereabouts this past August
• Goto one of 12,000 named locations on the BC and WA State coast
• Print custom sighting reports and maps (Coming Soon)
Explore this powerfull new research tool with the Archive Explorer Help page
Note: The Cetacean Sightings Archive is also available in database format together with sighting photo and video links for viewing, query and download here
Send your Comments and Questions to: Archive Explorer Feedback
The Magazine
REGIONAL & WEST COAST
Times-Colonist, Victoria, BC
The Canadian Coast Guard is responding after up to 178 litres of diesel spilled near a protected killer whale habitat off northern Vancouver Island.
A citizen reported fuel on the beach and in the water near Port Harvey Marina, across Johnstone Strait from Vancouver Island and about 25 kilometres from Robson Bight Ecological Reserve.
The marina is closed for the season.
The spill was initially reported at up to 1,100 litres, based on the capacity of the fuel tank from which it came. The estimate was reduced after Transport Canada flew over the area.
CBC - BC
A decade of observation in a fjord on B.C.'s North Coast has uncovered an intriguing pattern among the thriving humpback whales that feed there each summer.
Researchers call it a "whale wave," in a peer-reviewed study published this week in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series.
Each year, as hundreds of humpbacks arrive in the Kitimat fjord system, near Hartley Bay, B.C., they follow a seasonal pattern, as observed in visual surveys by the Gitga'at First Nation and North Coast Cetacean Society.
The whales start in outer waters and move into the inlet and Douglas Channel — but it's not clear why....
CBC-BC
Three underwater robots spent weeks listening to grey whales off the west coast of Vancouver Island last month, so scientists can learn more about what the whales are doing in northern waters.
The two-metre long yellow gliders travelled together in underwater canyons over the continental shelf near Clayoquot Sound.
"They're like torpedoes with little wings," said Richard Dewey, Associate Director of Science Services for Ocean Networks Canada.
"They're measuring sea water temperature, but they had ...
CTV - Vancouver, BC
For better or worse, the era of live cetaceans at the Vancouver Aquarium appears to be coming to an end.
On Thursday night, following two days of passionate debate from dozens of speakers, the Vancouver Park Board voted unanimously to move toward banning the importation or display of whales, dolphins and porpoises at the popular Stanley Park attraction.
Staff members have been asked to present a draft bylaw amendment to facilitate the change by May 15.
INTERNATIONAL
Gizmodo
Sightings of True’s beaked whales are so rare that even the most devoted whale expert can go an entire career without ever seeing one in the wild. Researchers working near the Azores are now the first to ever capture underwater footage of these aquatic creatures in their natural habitat.
The new footage, captured by a research team ...
Phys.org
A new study involving biologists from Monash University Australia has found that despite their very different ancestors, dolphins and crocodiles evolved similarly-shaped skulls to feed on similar prey.
Dolphins and crocodiles now live in rivers and oceans, but each evolved from land-based animals. Feeding in water has many new challenges. This new study shows that despite being separated by 300 million years, dolphins and crocodiles found comparable solutions to these problems, and evolved skull shapes that are remarkably similar ...
Gizmodo
Researchers observed 22 instances of humpback whales gathering in never-before-seen groups of 20 to 200 whales, on three separate trips off the southwest coast of South Africa. The study’s authors write that such large aggregations haven’t been recorded on prior research trips except for one sighting of 20 whales, which was more likely a number of smaller groups. Changes in the whales’ prey, or a growing population, might be leading to the new behavior. Or maybe the whales are plotting to take down humanity.
“It’s quite unusual to see them in such large groups,” Gísli Vikingsson, head of whale research at the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute in Iceland told New Scientist...
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