Pacific White Sided Dolphins have been
spotted along Georgia Strait including South of Powell River to
Savary Island areas which have been devoid of any cetaceans for quite
a while. Transient Orca grouped up in large numbers, a couple of
Humpback and Dall's Porpoise Sightings and more sightings of the Grey
Whales between Saltrey Bay and Earl's Cove.
Cetacean sightings reports were a bit
hit and miss over the Canadian Thanksgiving Day long weekend. Reports
came in mostly after the fact and covering the whole day, so these
listings are not separated by species, but are posted by Day and
grouped by report.
Susan MacKay, Whales
and Dolphins BC
Transient (Bigg's)
Killer Whales
October 10, 2012
Garry Henkel,
Aboriginal Journeys
October
10, 2012
8:30 am Large group of PWS Dolphins at
Hall Point, Nodales Channel headed to Frederick Arm.
Aaron Nagler, Sonora Resort
12:29 pm Large group of Transient Orca
between Bates Beach and Miracle Beach, just above Comox headed North.
Commercial vessel
1:30 p Found the Transients 3 miles
South of Miracle Beach. They were moving slowly Northward – great
vocals.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale
Watching
3:40 pm There are now three groups of
Transient Orca. I have 13 of them, above Mitlenatch, there are
another 5 or so closer towards Cape Mudge and another couple still
South of Mitlenatch Island. Lots of breaching and splashing.
3:40 pm Report of 2 Humpback Whales by
Kanish Bay too!
Jos Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures
3:50 pm 2 Harbour Porpoise Grant's
Reef, off Savary Island foraging. At the same time, there were a
couple of Dall's Porpoise heading towards Savary Island and som PWS
Dolphins appeared to head towards Vancouver island northbound mid
strait out from Grant's Reef.
5:30 pm A number (couldn't make out how
many for sure) were leaping off the end of Mystery Reef, Savary
Island. They were back and forth and I last saw them headed towards
Lund.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
5:11 pm Lots of Orca. Many groups just
North of Shelter Point. By 5:30 pm they were almost to Cape Mudge
Lighthouse now. There's over 20 of them! They went past Wai Kai
Village mid-channel. One seal kill so far. Left them at Quathiaski
Cove at 6 pm.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
Transient (Bigg's)
Killer Whales
October 7, 2012
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
October
9, 2012
9:39 am 75-100 PWS Dolphins off Dent
Rapids just splashing around.
10 am 6 Dall's Porpoise by Sonora
Point.
10:30 am 100 PWS Dolphins at Horn Bay,
Dent Rapids – Milling.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
Day: 2 big pods of PWS Dolphins by Dent
Island.
Day: 2 Humpback Whales Chatham Point
went for Nodales Channel.
Jos Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures
10 am: 150 PWS Dolphins just North of
Dent Rapids this morning in glorious golden sunshine!
Aaron Nagler, Sonora Resort
5:20 pm 8 or so PWS Dolphins off Powell
River Viewpoint Southbound.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins BC
5:40 pm Humpback
Whale in Deepwater Bay.
Aaron Webber, Campbell River Whale
Watching
October
8, 2012
9:30 am 200+ PWS Dolphins at Little
Dent Island.
5:30 pm Humpback Whale at Separation
Head, Discovery Passage.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale
Watching
Day: Had PWS Dolphins mid Strait
Discovery Passage.
Jos Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures
4:36 pm Simon is sitting right now off
the bottom of Texada Island between Texada and Thormanby with 30+
Transient Orca! They're socializing and having a hoot. No general
direction yet. Sounds like and amazing place to be! ID's so far: T101
/ T102's, T100's, T124's, T90's, T30's plus others.
Nick Templeman
4 pm 100 PWS Dolphins in Nodales
Channel.
4 pm Humpback Whale by Chatham Point
Lighthouse to Deepwater Bay, Southbound.
Day: This beautiful evening has a nice
Humpback making shallow but vertical and rapid dives inshore of the
Chatham pt. light, fluking every second dive- I presume it had found
a school of something delicious. And a lovely herd of PWS Dolphins in
the western mouth of Nodales channel. And many little groups of
Dall's, in Bute, and eastern Nodales, and to the south by Horn pt.
Aaron Nagler, Sonora Resort
All Day Long till 4 pm Large group of
PWS Dolphins off Finn Bay – Lund.
Geri Batchelor, Savary Island
Transient (Bigg's)
Killer Whales
October 7, 2012
Garry Henkel,
Aboriginal Journeys
October
7, 2012
8:36 am 5 Transient Orca Northbound at
Cape Mudge – All small fins. The 5 became 12 Transient Orca by 8:50
am in three different groups – 1 large male
4:19 pm 60 PWS Dolphins by North
Rendezvous Islands swimming 15 knots Southbound.
5:48 pm Met up with the 12 Orca by
Copper Bluffs slowly Southbound. Includes T101/T102's and others.
Left them at 6 pm.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys
9:14 am 14 Transient Orca total are
Northbound at Quathiaski Cove. T102's and..?
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale
Watching
9:44 am Left the approx. 12 Transient
Orca at Steep Island still Northbound and grouped together. There's
about 15 PWS Dolphins right on my wake running from the Orca at Steep
Island. The Orca had just kill a seal, so were busy.
Jos Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures
10 am: Gil took the ferry from Saltery
Bay yesterday. Just past Captain’s Island the bridge pointed out a
grey whale and a calf. Gil said he only saw the spouts, one large and
one small, so couldn’t tell if it was a humpback or a grey, but
there was a calf or much smaller whale there. That would have been
around 10:00am.
Sherri Wretham, Powell River
10:45 am Grey Whale announced on ferry
to Saltery Bay. Just off Captain island.
Allan Knowles, Sechelt
12:30 pm Transient Orca update: Some
coming out of Menzies Bay, northbound. Some just above Separation
Head also Northbound. Third group...??
2:30 pm Got text that the Orca were at
Brown's Bay Southbound, bucking the ebb. And around 5:45 pm they were
in Duncan Bay Southbound.
Nick Templeman
6:30 pm I was recently at Pirates Cove
Marine Park on DeCourcy Island (Oct 7th) and we saw a Humpback whale
moving from the north to the south down Pylades Channel at
approximately 630 pm. I took some (bad) photos, but was wondering a)
if this information is useful to you and b) if you can identify the
individual?
(Yes, very useful, thank you! The
photos make it a bit difficult to Identify the whale, but from one
distinct mark, I believe it is the one we call “Stripe” - must be
headed South for the winter - SM)
Marina Elliott
October
6, 2012
(Rest of the 6th
reports are in prior posting)
Rec'd on 7th:
I arrived home at 9 AM today after 3
weeks in Ireland and was thrilled to see about 60 dolphins swim
quickly through Lang Bay heading West. What an amazing homecoming!
Michael Stewart, Powell River -
South