Have You Seen Any of These?

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Where did the Orca Go? Humpbacks and Porpoise Abound


Humpback Whales are back and forth around Cape Mudge and a few decent size groups of Harbour Porpoise are still staying together in the upper Georgia Strait.

The Orca we usually see in the upper strait have been very ellusive with minimal sightings this past week and everyone wondering where they may have gone to. Some of the Southern Residents are still noted in the southern sections of the strait, but the Transient Bigg's are not being reported though we have heard rumours of some in the Vancouver area at the start of June.

Pacific White Sided Dolphins appear to be holding in the upper Discovery Passage area near the entrance to their favourite Summer region, Nodales Channel.

Of note is the distinct lack of any Cetaceans close to the mainland side of Georgia Strait or the east side of Texada up to the Powell River area. There also seems to be a lack of birds. All numbers of species seem to increase closer to Vancouver Island. Bottom line, there's a lack of food!

Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society


Humpback Whale fluking while heading south off of the Cape Mudge Lighthouse



Society News & Events

Our World Oceans Week celebration event on June 10th at Dwight Hall, Powell River is just around the corner! If you don't have your ticket yet, there are still some available. Enjoy an evening of great food by David Bowes of Laughing Oyster, music, many items for our silent and live auctions including trip for 2 to Las Vegas, Pacific Coastal flights, Westin Whistler weekend getaway, and so much more. Tickets are available at Hindle's Gifts and Taws Cycle and Sports or give us a call or email to reserve!

Real Time Monitoring Station Update:
Work has progressed at Beach Gardens Marina and we will be back to testing connectivity after our fundraising event this coming Saturday. Ongoing thanks you to all the volunteers and contributors who have, and are, working on this first installation!

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?
Review our current Volunteer Job Postings
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Sightings Update


ISSUE SIGHTINGS MAP 2017-014

ISSUE SIGHTINGS MAP


TRANSIENT BIGGS KILLER WHALES

Fri Jun 02 2017

08:42 • 2 Biggs Orca heading east angling toward Hernando Island from Cape Mudge, Georgia Strait.
07:40 • Biggs Orca south of Cape Mudge Red Can Buoy off Wilby Shoals, Georgia Strait. A couple of smaller blows.
Elvis Chikite, Eagle Eye Adventures


Wed May 31 2017

18:20 • Biggs Orca heading north just south of Eagles Cove, Discovery Passage.
17:22 • Biggs Orca heading north by Separation Head in the middle of Discovery Passage.
16:41 • Biggs Orca ◦T010 Langara; T010B Siwash◦ heading north off of Race Point, Discovery Passage.
Kurt Staples, Eagle Eye Adventures



SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES

Fri Jun 02 2017

09:30 • 4 SRKW Orca foraging, off Burial Islet, Sansum Narrows, Stuart Channel. Two females and two calves.
Kerry Blaauw, Victoria, BC



UNIDENTIFIED KILLER WHALES

Sun Jun 04 2017

09:01 • Orca off of Cape Mudge Red Can Buoy off Wilby Shoals, Georgia Strait.
06:50 • 2 Orca between Twin Islands and Hernando Island, Malaspina Strait. Heading towards Cortez Island. One female with a little one. ▫ Second Hand

Wed May 31 2017

15:17 • 1 Orca heading north between Cape Mudge Village and Campbell River, Discovery Passage.
Elvis Chikite, Eagle Eye Adventures



HUMPBACK WHALES

Mon Jun 05 2017

19:17 • 1 Humpback Whales in front of Cape Mudge Lighthouse, Georgia Strait. ▫ Observed from Shore
18:04 • 1 Humpback Whales ◦BCX Notcho◦ doing circles, near the Cape Mudge Lighthouse in the middle of Georgia Strait. ▫ Leaving the Scene
17:05 • 1 Humpback Whales between the Cape Mudge Red Can Buoy and the Cape Mudge Green Can Buoy, Georgia Strait.
16:52 • 1 Humpback Whales just south of Cape Mudge Red Can Buoy off Wilby Shoals, Georgia Strait.
15:40 • Humpback Whales off the Cape Mudge Green Can Buoy, Georgia Strait. From a fisherman. ▫ Second Hand
15:12 • 2 Humpback Whales at the Cape Mudge Green Can Buoy. From a fisherman. ▫ Second Hand
12:48 • 2 Humpback Whales by the mill in Campbell River, Discovery Passage. ▫ Second Hand
11:57 • 1 Humpback Whales at the Cape Mudge Green Can Buoy, Georgia Strait.
Tenacious3 (Boat), Discovery Marine Safaris

07:52 • 1 Humpback Whales between Cape Mudge and Willow Point in the middle of Georgia Strait.

Sun Jun 04 2017

18:02 • 1 Humpback Whales moving slowly, heading south between Cape Mudge Red Can Buoy and Vancouver Island, Georgia Strait. Fluking.
18:01 • 1 Humpback Whales doing circles, between Cape Mudge Red Can Buoy and Cape Mudge Green Can Buoy, Georgia Strait. Not-fluking.
16:51 • 1 Humpback Whales off of Francisco Point, Sutil Channel.
16:35 • 6-8 Humpback Whales foraging, heading south-east off of Cape Mudge, Discovery Passage. ▫ On Scene
Tatia MacGregor, Campbell River, BC

12:19 • 1 Humpback Whales ◦Linea◦ off of the southeast corner of Hill Island, Sutil Channel.
11:08 • 1 Humpback Whales around the Cape Mudge Red Can Buoy off Wilby Shoals in the middle of Georgia Strait.
Dean Parsonage, 50 North Aventures

10:47 • 2 Humpback Whales heading south off of Whiskey Point, Quadra Island, Discovery Passage.
09:50 • 1 Humpback Whales off of Cape Mudge Fishing Hump off Wilby Shoals, Georgia Strait.
Radio, overheard or call out

08:39 • 1 Humpback Whales off Race Point, Discovery Passage. ▫ Second Hand

Sat Jun 03 2017

20:13 • 2 Humpback Whales heading south-west off Yaculta, Quadra Island, Discovery Passage. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Mireille Morissette, On A Dime Outdoor Adventures

18:45 • 1 Humpback Whales heading south off Browns Bay, Discovery Passage.


SIGHTING MEDIA
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whale off of the Cape Mudge Lighthouse
Sat, 3 Jun 2017 - 1 items


SIGHTING MEDIA
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whale off of the Cape Mudge Lighthouse
Sat, 3 Jun 2017 - 1 items


18:31 • 2 Humpback Whales heading south off Campbell River, Discovery Passage. Heading towards Vancouver Island, mid-channel. ▫ On Scene
17:56 • 2 Humpback Whales milling, heading north just south of Whiskey Point, Quadra Island, Discovery Passage.
Mireille Morissette, On A Dime Outdoor Adventures

16:45 • 1 Humpback Whales heading south towards Deepwater Bay, Discovery Passage. Juvenile whale.
14:22 • 2 Humpback Whales ◦BCY0291 KC; BCY0767 Arial◦ milling, off April Point, Discovery Passage.
13:27 • 2 Humpback Whales ◦BCY0291 KC; BCY0767 Arial◦ foraging, off April Point.
12:21 • 2 Humpback Whales ◦BCY0291 KC; BCY0767 Arial◦ bubble netting, heading south between Copper Bluffs and Race Point, Discovery Passage.


SIGHTING MEDIA
Humpback Whales
Two Humpback Whales, BCY0291 KC and BCY0767 Arial, heading south between Cooper Bluffs and Race Point
Sat, 3 Jun 2017 - 5 items
Michelle, Discovery Marine Safaris Naturalist






SIGHTING MEDIA
Humpback Whales
Two Humpback Whales, BCY0291 KC and BCY0767 Arial, heading south between Cooper Bluffs and Race Point
Sat, 3 Jun 2017 - 5 items
Michelle, Discovery Marine Safaris Naturalist


11:12 • 2 Humpback Whales off Seymour Narrows, Discovery Passage.
08:52 • 1 Humpback Whales heading north off Race Point near Yellow Island, Discovery Passage. Left the Humpback in the same spot at 9:12 AM.
07:00 • 1 Humpback Whales heading north past ferry terminal in Campbell River, Discovery Passage. From ferry worker. ▫ Second Hand

Fri Jun 02 2017

20:23 • Humpback Whales off Cape Mudge Red Can Buoy off Wilby Shoals, Georgia Strait.
Kurt Staples, Eagle Eye Adventures

17:40 • Humpback Whales heading south off Cape Mudge Lighthouse, Quadra Island, Georgia Strait. ▫ Leaving the Scene


SIGHTING MEDIA
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whale off of the Cape Mudge Lighthouse
Fri, 2 Jun 2017 - 1 items


SIGHTING MEDIA
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whale off of the Cape Mudge Lighthouse
Fri, 2 Jun 2017 - 1 items


16:33 • Humpback Whales between Cape Mudge and Willow Point, Georgia Strait. Mid Strait.
16:02 • 2 Humpback Whales heading north off Campbell River, Discovery Passage.
Dean Parsonage, 50 North Aventures

08:08 • Humpback Whales off Cape Mudge Red Can Buoy off Wilby Shoals, Georgia Strait.
Elvis Chikite, Eagle Eye Adventures


Thu Jun 01 2017

16:59 • Humpback Whales heading south off Yellow Island, Quadra Island, Discovery Passage. 400 metres from shore. ▫ Leaving the Scene
16:30 • Humpback Whales heading south off Yellow Island, Quadra Island.
16:30 • Humpback Whales heading north off Copper Bluffs, Quadra Island, Discovery Passage.
Kurt Staples, Eagle Eye Adventures

14:34 • 1 Humpback Whales heading north mid-channel off Cape Mudge Lighthouse, Quadra Island, Discovery Passage. One small boat with him. ▫ Observed from Shore
Reuben Buerge, Eagle Eye Adventures

06:30 • 2 Humpback Whales off Cape Mudge, Georgia Strait.

Wed May 31 2017

18:20 • 1 Humpback Whales near Wilson Point, Nodales Channel. White markings on its port side dorsal fin.
Ryan Eisen, Sonora Resort

15:01 • 1 Humpback Whales bucking tide, heading south between Cape Mudge Red Can Buoy and Vancouver Island, Georgia Strait.
Elvis Chikite, Eagle Eye Adventures

14:00 • 1 Humpback Whales heading south at Denham Islet, Dent Rapids.

Sun May 28 2017

--:-- • 2 Humpback Whales by Promise Island heading toward Prince Rupert, Wright Sound. Humpback and calf.
Randy Hodge, Vancouver, BC



PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS

Sun Jun 04 2017

11:24 • PWS Dolphins heading south off of Chatham Point in the middle of Discovery Passage. ▫ Second Hand

Sat Jun 03 2017

15:27 • 6 PWS Dolphins heading north off Browns Bay, Discovery Passage.
14:51 • 6 PWS Dolphins milling, off Copper Bluffs, Quadra Island, Discovery Passage.

Fri Jun 02 2017

16:24 • 20 PWS Dolphins south of Chatham Point, Discovery Passage.
11:20 • PWS Dolphins doing circles, at Elk Point, Elk Bay, Discovery Passage. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Reuben Buerge, Eagle Eye Adventures

10:34 • est. 50 PWS Dolphins heading south by Chatham Point, Johnstone Strait.

Thu Jun 01 2017

13:25 • est. 60 PWS Dolphins heading south, Quadra Island, Kanish Bay.
11:34 • 20-30 PWS Dolphins heading south off Little Bear Bay near Walkem Islands, Johnstone Strait.
Kurt Staples, Eagle Eye Adventures


Wed May 31 2017

19:15 • 20 PWS Dolphins entering Okisollo Channel from Discovery Passage.

Tue May 30 2017

12:15 • PWS Dolphins spread out, moving slowly, heading south at Elk Bay, Discovery Passage.
Jerry Weldon, Eagle Eye Adventures

11:28 • est. 50 PWS Dolphins off Howe Island heading into Discovery Passage. ▫ Second Hand

Sun May 28 2017

--:-- • PWS Dolphins heading north at the south end of Grenville Channel. Heading toward Prince Rupert.
Randy Hodge, Vancouver, BC



DALLS PORPOISE

Sun Jun 04 2017

17:00 • est. 4 Dalls Porpoise moving slowly, off of Cape Mudge, Georgia Strait. ▫ On Scene
Tatia MacGregor, Campbell River, BC



HARBOUR PORPOISE

Mon Jun 05 2017

15:12 • 15 Harbour Porpoise in Vancouver Bay, Arran Rapids.

Sun May 21 2017

09:30 • 2 Harbour Porpoise foraging, heading north-west Victoria Shoal near Saltspring Island, Trincomali Channel. Seen making their way north-east between Long Harbour (Saltspring Isl) and Prevost Island and turning to head north-west up Trincomali Channel. They began foraging in Trincomali near Victoria Shoals and were last seen heading east towards Galiano Island. ▫ On Scene
Paul Nixon, Nanoose Bay, BC


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The Magazine



REGIONAL


Explore



Cracroft Point’s handheld video camera is operated by OrcaLab volunteer Megan Hockin-Bennett. Megan has a wonderful ability to follow the orcas, anticipating their breaths as they move. Her HD video camera is mounted on a tripod that sits on a platform built into rock, so it is absolutely stable.

Cracroft Point itself is at the juncture of Blackney Pass and Johnstone Strait, and is one of the most common thoroughfares for foraging orcas. Orca families often pass close to Cracroft Point as they head further out into the Strait.

The combination of Megan’s ability as a camera operator and the CP location itself is breathtaking.

OrcaLab’s whale research station is located on Hanson Island in British Columbia’s Johnstone Strait at Blackfish Sound. These waters are the summer home to over 150 orca whales, and an ideal place to study the whales in their natural habitat. To that end, OrcaLab set up a network of remote hydrophones covering 50 sq. km of the surrounding core habitat for Northern Resident orcas. The lab has long shared its library of orca songs with a worldwide audience. It now adds a visual dimension, streaming a series of live cameras in partnership with explore.org.


Vancouver Sun, BC


June is Orca Awareness Month in the Pacific Northwest. Officially declared in Washington State several years, Oregon and B.C. joined unofficially last year, and it’s a good thing they did. Orcas are in serious and life-altering danger, with seven adult southern resident killer whales lost last year, including the 105-year-old matriarch known as Granny.

The quality of orcas’ waters has also changed during Granny’s 105 years. The increase in the number and size of ships and tankers plying the Strait of Georgia create noise and disturbance. Vessel traffic interferes with pod communication and their ability to find the already sparse salmon they eat, not to mention it puts the species at a real risk of collision....


NRDC, DC


These majestic animals are a beloved icon of the Pacific Northwest and hold particular cultural and spiritual significance for Northwest tribes. Southern residents are highly intelligent, social creatures that live and hunt in complex family-oriented communities. They teach the younger members of their families special skills they need to survive, and demonstrate a culture of cooperation and sharing....


WEST COAST


KGTV News, CA


IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. (KGTV)—Dead dolphins are washing ashore in the South Bay, and lifeguards believe algae is killing them.

The first dead dolphin was discovered Sunday night at the foot of Elkwood Ave. in Imperial Beach, according to the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. Deputies found two more on Tuesday.

The algo-bloom isn’t visible on the surface, but it’s deadly as it works its way up the food chain, according to Clarissa Anderson of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at U.C. San Diego....


WildTech



Using custom-made, noninvasive underwater cameras that they attached directly to the dolphins’ bodies, researchers with the University of Sydney and the University of Alaska Southeast captured more than 500 minutes of footage, allowing them to observe behaviors that humans rarely have the privilege of witnessing.
The study’s lead author, Heidi Pearson, a dolphin specialist and assistant professor of marine biology at the University of Alaska Southeast, said that the cameras provide such a fine degree of information that they could open up whole new avenues of research for protecting endangered species.
While the cameras themselves may represent the cutting-edge in technology, Pearson and team attached them to eight wild dusky dolphins off the coast of New Zealand with the aid of decidedly low-tech implements: a long pole and some Velcro pads....


NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL


Atlas Obscura


Orca Guardians Iceland. In the northernmost reaches of the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of the small Icelandic village of Grundarfjördur, among a pod of about 360 orcas, lives a whale family caught in an accidental double life. The mother orca, a ...


National Geographic


Catch a glimpse into the life of orcas, the largest of the dolphin family and one of the top predators in the world.
Orcas, or killer whales, are one of the more well-known creatures of the sea with their distinctly vivid black and white coloring, sleek dorsal fin, and four-inch-long teeth. Despite their name they are actually the largest member of the dolphin family. Orcas rank as one of the world's top predators.

They are impressive hunters, traveling in close pods of up to 40, and communicating with distinctive sounds. Their group tactics allow them to prey on a variety of animals such as seals, fish, other whales, and other small marine mammals.

Orcas can be found anywhere from the polar regions to the equator, in any ocean, but are known to frequent cold coastal waters.


KUSI News, CA



MEXICO — The Sea Sheperd's research vessel, the R/V Martin Sheen, returned to Guadalupe this week to continue their research of Cuvier's beaked whales and captured never before seen drone footage of the rare animals.

Guadalupe Island is a Mexican reserve famous for its large congregations of great white sharks between the months of August and December. However, according to Cardenas, “what most people don't know is that in addition to large numbers of sharks we can also find the rarely seen Cuvier's beaked whales here."

Cuvier’s beaked whales are considered the most extreme mammal divers in the world, with the ability to dive down to almost 10,000 feet or 3000 meters - roughly the length of eight Empire State Building. They can stay under water for up to two hours and only need a few minutes of surface oxygen before going back down.

“Their exceptional diving ability makes them hard to study, in comparison to most whales which surface every 20 minutes or so," Trickey added.

On May 20th, the R/V Martin Sheen captain and drone pilot Fanch Martin recorded the first ever seen drone images of a Cuvier's beaked whale.


Live Science


Given the helical, horn-like tusks protruding from the front of narwhals' heads, it's no wonder why the whales are dubbed the "unicorns of the sea." And these Arctic-loving animals are just as mysterious as their mythical counterparts, especially when it comes to their mating behaviors.

Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) are medium-sized whales that are closely related to the beluga whale, which is part of the same taxonomic family. The whales spend their lives in the Arctic waters of Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia....

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