Transient (meat eating) Orca still in
the area, Pacific White Sided Dolphins, one taken by Transients while
others spread out, and a few Dall's Porpoise spotted. A couple of
missed reports as well as a few that arrived late. Lots of activity
around so keep your eyes on the water!
Susan MacKay, Whales
and Dolphins BC
Transient
Orca – Killer Whales
Transient Orca
May 19, 2012
Nick Templeman, Eagle
Eye Adventures
May 22:
6 am 3 Orca Northbound by Seymour
Narrows.
Radio transmission – unknown
source
May 22:
12 pm 3 Transients by Squirrel Cove,
Cortez Island. No direction, milling around. Kurt & Scotty
are with them...I'm the messenger.
Jen, Campbell River Whale Watching
May 22:
12:24 pm The 3 Orca just became 7
about half way between Squirrel Cove and Mary Point angling towards
Cortez Bay. There's at least one calf – this year's. Am leaving
the area.
A couple of minutes later: Another 6
to 8 Transient Orca just popped up at the South end of Twin
Islands heading towards the other two groups and Cortez Bay area.
This is where they were the other day when they took a sea lion.
Kurt, Campbell River Whale Watching
May 22:
3:20 pm Orca still between Twin
Islands and Cortez Bay.
Radio
Transient Orca
May 19, 2012
Nick Templeman, Eagle
Eye Adventures
May 21:
11:40 am 4 to 6 Transients
heading Southwards towards Powell River. They were about
center strait and between Harwood and the Powell River mill, they
stopped to take a sea lion. I lost track of them around 1:20 pm.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
May 21:
Around 12 pm 8 Orca including two
calves, one still with orange tinge close off Westview ferry
terminal in Powell River. There were some really nice spy hops as
the Comox ferry pulled out and the Texada ferry came in. (they
were behind a tree for me during this time – SM)
Steve Grover, Powell River
May 20:
4 pm Some Orca were Southbound
travelling quickly in Discovery Passage by April Point.
Scotty
May 20:
6 pm 1 Pacific White Sided Dolphin
killed by about 5 or 6 female Orca in Bute Inlet across from Bear
Bay. There were more Transients in the area including a large
male, but it was only the females on the hunt. (partial repeat
from Dolphin Report)
Brian Gage, Bute Inlet Lodge
Humpback
Whale
May 22:
8 am Humpback Whale just below
Seymour Narrows. Unknown on Radio – later, no tours
found the whale.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
Pacific
White Sided Dolphins
May 22:
8 am Pacific White Sided Dolphins
just by the red can buoy close to Campbell River. No numbers or
direction.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale
Watching
May 22:
12 pm Around 20 or so Pacific White
Sided Dolphins are moving really quickly Southwards past Grief
Point, Powell River.
John Treen, Powell River
May 22:
12:24 pm Dolphins headed South by
April Point, Campbell River. No numbers or direction.
Scotty
May 22:
2:30 pm 12 PWS Dolphins Eastbound in
Okisollo Channel.
Eagle Master
May 22:
3:20 pm A number of PWS Dolphins
moving fast Southwards at Race Point, Campbell River Area.
Radio
May 20:
6 pm 500+ Dolphins in Bute Inlet.
1 Pacific White Sided Dolphin killed by about 5 or 6 female Orca
in Bute Inlet across from Bear Bay (partial repeat from Orca
Report)
Brian Gage, Bute Inlet Lodge
May 18:
9:35 am 6 to 8 Pacific White Sided
Dolphins moving quickly Northwards past the Powell River
viewpoint.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
May 18:
1:20 pm Large number – in the
hundreds – of PWS Dolphins heading into Bute Inlet.
Radio
Dall's
Porpoise
May 21:
12 pm A couple of Dall's Porpoise
foraging by Elk Bay.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
Transient Orca Reports
submitted by our friends at Orca Network, Whidbey Island, Wa
May 21
Myself and Ron King picked up 6
or 7 transient killer whales a mile and a half off race rocks light
house. They were breaching and lots of spyhops as well as
high speed porpoising. We found them making a kill on a group of
harbor porpoise. Pretty sure the identification was the T100s
and a brand new calf still bright yellow. Photographs on transient
killer whale research blog and orca network. Josh McInnes
May 19
Transient orcas
located today in the more northerly portions of Georgia Strait. We
found T10 with her sons T10B and T10C, plus T26 with her
daughter T26A northwest of Winchelsea Island, heading west.
They continued in this direction until we left them at approximately
2 PM northwest of the Ballenas Islands. For those
unfamiliar with this part of Georgia Strait, we were northwest of
Nanaimo. Nice to have some orcas around again. Joan Lopez,
Naturalist, Vancouver Whale Watch
May 19
Located 4 transients off
Mistaken Island, near Parksville, about 20 miles northwest
of Nanaimo. They were traveling north, and included in the group was
T26 and T26A. They were with the T10s, T10B and T10C.
Shortly after we left the scene, the four were joined by at
least 9 other transients. Wow, what are they up to?? They
were taking 2 minute dives, and swimming just under the surface, as
we could see the their white eye patches and flank patches flashing
just under the waves. They were making a slow and steady pace north,
and were not exhibiting the "super stealth" mode of hunting
transients. Tasli Shaw
May 18
7:00 pm. Four Orcas were
swimming east through Active Pass. Got a great look at them.
Beth Triggs
May 18
WOW... We had an epic day on the water
yesterday! We traveled over 110 nautical miles or 200 km to see a
group of transients. When we first arrived with the transient
orcas off Parksville, we sighted 5 transients the T10's and
the T26's. After spending time with them we saw more
transient orcas appear in the distance. Then more and more appeared
from almost every direction. We ended up with at least 17 transients
socializing and having a big party. It was a truly amazing day!!!
Here are the transients I managed to i.d.- T10's, T87, T26's,
T90's, T86A's, T100's. Ocean EcoVentures Whale Watching -
Cowichan Bay
May 12
The transient orcas in Georgia
Strait on this date were T87 and the T90's near Valdez
Island and the T100's with T102 in the mid-strait, west of Vancouver
Airport. Joan Lopez, Naturalist, Vancouver Whale Watch
May 10
Pod heading
north....seem to be feeding on seals to the north of mistaken island
at the entrance to "northwest bay, in Georgia Straits,
Canada, near Parksville, about 20 miles NW of Nanaimo.
About 6 in the pod. Reg Hawkes
2012
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