Have You Seen Any of These?

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Gray Whale Migration and Plenty of Bigg's Hunting

Transient Bigg's were spending a lot of time hunting sea lions by Comox and Hornby Island during the herring fishery with some others on the hunt on the West Coast of Vancouver Island where the Grey Whales have made there way back into our coastal waters in numbers. Grey (or Gray) Whales most frequently travel along our outer coast as they make their way back from breeding grounds to their primary feeding grounds. If we are lucky, sometimes they come into our inside waters, and even spend time feeding very close to shore as they scoop their food from the bottom.

Pacific White Sided Dolphins and even some Dall's Porpoise passed through staying well clear of the Bigg's orca to avoid being hunted. What are missing are the Humpback Whales although there must be some around.

Our main photo this issue is the amazing sign produced by Barry Rice to help us promote our Earth Week Event. Huge thanks to all our volunteers!
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society



Cover Image:
WOWs sign on Marine Ave. Powell River. Amazing volunteer effort by Barry Rice and Michelle Pennell to promote our Earth Week Event!
Thank You Powell River Volunteers.



Society News & Events

Mark Your Calendars:
Our Earth Week Buffet Event is scheduled for April 26, 2018 at McKinney's Pub in the Historic Powell River Townsite. Tickets are $25 each with limited seating. We will have tickets available at our information tables set up by Quality Foods March 29th and at Town Centre Mall April 5, 12 and 19th. or at Hindle's Gifts or Capone's Cellar.

Real Time Monitoring Station Live Update:
Our live camera feed is at YouTube Channel Live Link. Work continues on a resolution for the transmission problems causing the intermittent bouncy images from the Beach Gardens Marina camera. Our second (backup) live stream mounted in Powell River appears when the Beach Gardens camera is down. We appreciate your patience.

Thank You to all our hardworking volunteers and contributors!
Our team of online Volunteers continue to do a great job in making sure all your sightings reports are mapped and published regularly. Would you like to join us? Updated Job Postings are in the works for 2018, so stay tuned.
Review our current Volunteer Job Postings

We appreciate and thank you for your kind donations. Donations Page
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Sightings Update


ISSUE SIGHTINGS MAP 2018-006

ISSUE SIGHTINGS MAP


TRANSIENT BIGGS KILLER WHALES

Tue Mar 20 2018

12:00 • 4 Biggs Orca heading west from Chrow Islands towards George Fraser Islands, Barkley Sound. Appears to be all females. Possibly the T010s pod. They may have been hunting as there were many sea lions hauled out on rocks. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
Don McBain, North Vancouver, BC


Sun Mar 18 2018

15:47 • Biggs Orca moving slowly, north of Hornby Island, Georgia Strait.
Peter Hamilton, Lifeforce

14:29 • Biggs Orca between Mitlenatch Island and Vancouver Island, Georgia Strait. One big fin.
Elvis Chikite, Pacific Pro Dive

14:12 • Biggs Orca heading north off Hornby Island Ferry Terminal, Lambert Channel.
Peter Hamilton, Lifeforce

11:22 • Biggs Orca ◦T101s◦ foraging, at Ford Cove, Hornby Island, Lambert Channel. They just took a sea lion.
10:08 • Biggs Orca ◦T101s◦ heading north off Hornby Island in the middle of Lambert Channel.
Bill Coltart, Pacific Pro Dive


Sat Mar 17 2018

16:00 • Biggs Orca ◦T018s;T019s◦ heading north in Seymour Narrows, Discovery Passage.


SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Bigg's Killer Whales, T018s & T019s, heading north in Seymour Narrows
Sat, 17 Mar 2018 - 7 items








SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Bigg's Killer Whales, T018s & T019s, heading north in Seymour Narrows
Sat, 17 Mar 2018 - 7 items


14:08 • Biggs Orca ◦T018s;T019s◦ heading north off Steep Island near Quadra Island, Discovery Passage. ▫ Observed from Shore
13:46 • Biggs Orca ◦T018s;T019s◦ passing Campbell River, Discovery Passage.
12:54 • 4-5 Biggs Orca ◦T018s;T019s◦ heading north centre of the passage just above the Cape Mudge Lighthouse on Quadra Island, Discovery Passage.
Elvis Chikite, Pacific Pro Dive


Thu Mar 15 2018

13:15 • Biggs Orca ◦T018s◦ travelling, heading toward the west end of Savary Island from Vivian Island, Malaspina Strait. Heading toward Savary's west end after a seal snack between Harwood and Vivian Islands. Other than T018s not sure who was in the mix. There were at least three big males and 3-4 females. T19B has a new nick in his dorsal.
12:21 • Biggs Orca taking long dives, at south west tip of Harwood Island, Malaspina Strait. Spread out.
Barry Rice, Powell River, BC

11:35 • Biggs Orca taking long dives, half way between Powell River and the light in Blubber Bay, Malaspina Strait.
Mike Filewich, Powell River, BC

11:25 • 5-6 Biggs Orca heading north just rounded Grief Point, Powell River, Malaspina Strait.
Joan Treen, Powell River and Savary Island, BC

11:20 • Biggs Orca off Cape Lazo, Comox, Georgia Strait. ▫ Second Hand

Tue Mar 13 2018

14:45 • Biggs Orca ◦T100s;T086As◦ heading south by Salmon Point, Georgia Strait. Other Orca as well.


SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Bigg's Killer Whales heading south by Salmon Point
Tue, 13 Mar 2018 - 9 items










SIGHTING MEDIA
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Bigg's Killer Whales heading south by Salmon Point
Tue, 13 Mar 2018 - 9 items


13:31 • Biggs Orca heading south off Willow Point, Georgia Strait.
Dean Parsonage, 50 North Adventures

12:53 • 12-13 Biggs Orca spread out, heading south in front of Discovery Harbour Marina, Campbell River, Discovery Passage.
Jerry Weldon, Eagle Eye Adventures

12:00 • est. 20 Biggs Orca in Duncan Bay, Discovery Passage.
Gord Kurbis, CTV News Vancouver Island

11:17 • est. 7 Biggs Orca heading south at Race Point, Discovery Passage. Possibly feeding.

Mon Mar 12 2018

18:30 • Biggs Orca heading south off Cape Lazo, Comox, Georgia Strait.
16:15 • Biggs Orca heading towards Cape Lazo, Comox. Close to the shore in the shallows.
Peter Hamilton, Lifeforce

15:50 • Biggs Orca foraging, back close to shore at Goose Spit, Baynes Sound. Lots of feeding.
15:23 • Biggs Orca between Sandy (Tree) Island and north of Union Bay, Baynes Sound. Very active, but slowly moving.
14:55 • Biggs Orca hunting, off Goose Spit moving towards Union Bay, Baynes Sound. Orca feeding on sea lions.
Kurt Staples, Eagle Eye Adventures

14:10 • 7-8 Biggs Orca hunting, outside Comox Bar, Baynes Sound. Transients on a kill.
Radio, overheard or call out


Sat Mar 10 2018

16:51 • 7-8 Biggs Orca foraging, off Union Bay, Baynes Sound. From a boater. ▫ Second Hand
Peter Hamilton, Lifeforce

16:40 • 6 Biggs Orca hunting, off Union Bay. Hunting sea lions.
Radio, overheard or call out

11:50 • Biggs Orca in Comox Harbour.

Fri Mar 09 2018

11:11 • Biggs Orca off Goose Spit, Comox, Baynes Sound. Unsure on numbers. ▫ Second Hand
--:-- • Biggs Orca off Whaling Station Bay, Hornby Island, Georgia Strait. They have been visiting the bay every day for the past three days. ▫ Second Hand
Kurt Staples, Eagle Eye Adventures



SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Bigg's Killer Whales, T002C, with their newborn baby last summer
Sun, 18 Mar 2018 - 5 items






SPECIES SUPPLEMENT
Transient Biggs Killer Whales
Transient Bigg's Killer Whales, T002C, with their newborn baby last summer
Sun, 18 Mar 2018 - 5 items




UNIDENTIFIED KILLER WHALES

Wed Mar 07 2018

09:16 • 6-8 Orca heading east mid channel between Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay, Georgia Strait. Heading towards Vancouver.


HUMPBACK WHALES

Tue Mar 20 2018

13:00 • 1 Humpback Whales moving quickly, heading east off George Fraser Islands, Barkley Sound. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
Don McBain, North Vancouver, BC


Sun Mar 18 2018

13:30 • 1 Humpback Whales foraging, north of Hankin Island in Loudoun Channel, Barkley Sound. Lone small young one.
Don McBain, North Vancouver, BC



GREY WHALES

Tue Mar 20 2018

13:00 • Grey Whales between Forbes Island and Stopper Islands, Barkley Sound. Many Grey whales in the area. There were lots of them “sharking”, which means a Grey close to shore on it’s side feeding from the bottom with one half of it’s tail fluke sticking out of the water and sometimes even it’s pectoral fin which makes it look like a shark or two in the water. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
Don McBain, North Vancouver, BC


Sun Mar 18 2018

12:00 • 6-8 Grey Whales foraging, east of Forbes Island, Barkley Sound. More whales further east.
12:00 • 8-10 Grey Whales east of Forbes Island closer to the shore of Vancouver Island, Barkley Sound.
Don McBain, North Vancouver, BC


Sat Mar 17 2018

12:00 • 6-10 Grey Whales foraging, just offshore east of Forbes Island, Barkley Sound. Included the locally known 'The Admiral'.
Don McBain, North Vancouver, BC



PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS

Sun Mar 18 2018

19:40 • est. 8 PWS Dolphins doing circles, heading south in front of Powell River, Malaspina Strait.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC



SIGHTING MEDIA
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Pacific White Sided Dolphins circling in front of Powell River
Sun, 18 Mar 2018 - 8 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC









SIGHTING MEDIA
Pacific White Sided Dolphins
Pacific White Sided Dolphins circling in front of Powell River
Sun, 18 Mar 2018 - 8 items
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC



Sat Mar 17 2018

15:19 • PWS Dolphins heading north in Seymour Narrows, Discovery Passage.
10:15 • est. 100+ PWS Dolphins heading north off Tyee Spit, Campbell River, Discovery Passage.
Reuben Buerge, Eagle Eye Adventures


Wed Mar 14 2018

14:17 • est. 100 PWS Dolphins heading south in front of Powell River towards Blubber Bay, Malaspina Strait.

Mon Mar 12 2018

18:10 • est. 15 PWS Dolphins heading south passing Blind Channel.
Jess Cavanagh, Blind Channel Resort



DALLS PORPOISE

Wed Mar 14 2018

05:45 • est. 30+ Dalls Porpoise foraging, heading north mid-channel between Powell River Viewpoint and Texada Island, Malaspina Strait. The animals (probably Dalls Porpoises) were racing along the surface in short bursts as if they were feeding on bait fish. The animals were spread out singly or groups of 2-3. There were no observed breaches during the 10 minutes I saw them and while looking through a telescope did notice short triangular dorsal fins on a dark back. I could also observe small blows that quickly dissipated in the wind. ▫ Observed from Shore
Steve & Susan Grover, Powell River, BC


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