Intermittent
sightings of Transient Bigg's Killer Whales and, although there are
Humpback Whales transiting the area, they too have been spotted only
intermittently. Pacific White Sided Dolphins are in larger groups and
seem to be the most noticed, perhaps because of their numbers and
wonderful leaping antics. Dall's Porpoise are regulars around Bute
Inlet and have also been noticed frolicking.
Susan
MacKay & Lynne Cracknell, Whales and Dolphins BC
Have
you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every
sighting report is valuable!
TRANSIENT
BIGG'S KILLER WHALES
Transient
Bigg's Killer Whales Punching through waves
October
14, 2014 – 4 photos
Steve
Grover, Powell River
Oct
17:
6:48
pm: Report via John Lewis (Discovery Marine Safaris) of Killer Whales
northbound in Seymour Narrows in the dark.
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
Oct
14:
9:25
am: 4 Orca southbound, one big fin and three small fins, near No Name
Creek in Campbell River. Not sure who they are. Leaving the scene.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Oct
14:
10:15
am: Orca at Powell River, southbound. There's at least three.
Saw one big spy hop. Picked up Susan MacKay and headed to beach to
see about photos.
Steve
Grover, Powell River.
Oct
14:
11:00
am: The 4 southbound Transient Bigg's Orca are already by Myrtle
Rocks, Powell River, still southbound through big waves.
5:45
pm: Orca northbound at Powell River. Haven't seen them yet but was
told there were at least two from Jean via Judy Brant.
Susan
MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
Oct
13:
10:10
am: Four Orca milling by Albion Point and just below Myrtle Rocks,
Powell River. They were there last evening too. One big male and two
calf-size in the mix.
Bill
Taylor, Powell River.
Oct
12:
9:28
am: Unconfirmed report of Orca following a mass pod of Pacific White
Sided Dolphins in the mist off Separation Head, Quadra Island.
Described as big black dorsal fins sliding through the mist behind
the Dolphins and heading in the same direction, possibly southbound.
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
Transient
Bigg's Killer Whales
October,
2014 - 5 photos
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions
Oct
12:
3:22
pm: Six or more Orca including two big males and two calves
southbound by Myrtle Rocks, Powell River.
Jim
Southern, Powell River.
Oct
12:
4:10
pm: Orca off Whalen Road area in Powell River- at least one male, 3-4
females, a juvenile and possibly a calf. They were moving very
slowly, circling, breaching and tail lobbing. Watched for about
twenty minutes before they moved out of sight towards Myrtle Rocks.
Liz
Kennedy, Powell River.
Oct
11:
9:34
am: Transient Bigg's Orca by Whaletown on Cortes Island.
(from
radio)
Oct
11:
9:35
am: Think radio call out (above) said they were heading towards
Campbell River.
3:07
pm: These, (the Orca at Francisco Point) are the Transient Bigg's
Orca T002Cs and either T100's or T049A's.
3:59
pm: Nine animals. Will confirm later but best educated guess is
Transient Bigg's T100's.
4:27
pm: Orca now south west bound off the green can buoy and have split
into two groups.
7:51
pm: Just going through pics and it was actually the Transient Bigg's
T049A's with the T002C's today.
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
Oct
11:
11:11
am: Two Transient Bigg's Orca at Burdwood Bay, Read Island,
southbound. One male, one female. Actually there are more like 5
animals.
11:20
am: Now there are 8 Orca southbound on the Read Island side of
Burdwood Bay, one small orange calf in the pod.
1:15
pm: Transient Bigg's Orca at the Quadra Island scallop farm,
southbound at 3 knots.
Fabien
Minfray, Eagle Eye Adventures.
October
11:
2:22
pm: Orca about one mile north of Francisco Point on Quadra Island,
Heriot Bay side.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Transient
Bigg's Orca
October
14, 2014 – 2 photos
Susan
MacKay, SG Images
UNIDENTIFIED
KILLER WHALES
Oct
18:
12:25
pm: Orca off Hein Bank, in Juan de Fuca Strait, heading west. (no
numbers or identification if Transient Bigg's or Southern Resident
Orca provided)
Cedric
Towers, Vancouver Whale Watching.
HUMPBACK
WHALES
Oct
19:
12:00
pm: Spotted blows of one, possibly two Humpback whales in lumpy seas
by Powell River.
12:45
pm: Judy Brant called to say that her sister Jean had spotted one
Humpback whale southbound in front of her place. Judy and I went to
Grief Point and Myrtle Rocks and saw blows and a back but no flukes.
The humpback was making good time against tide, wind and seas.
Susan
MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
Oct
14:
9:10
am: I spotted a Humpback Whale by Maud Island south of the Winchelsea
Islands.
Kerry
Jenkins, via email.
Oct
13:
2:45
pm: One Humpback whale near Sonora Resort, southbound.
Jen
Furst, Campbell River Whale Watching.
Oct
11: Humpback whale northbound in front of Okisollo Channel, Discovery
Passage.
Carl
“Scholar Holler.”
Humpback
Whale(s) in the Surf
October
19, 2014 – 2 photos
Susan
MacKay, SG Images
PACIFIC
WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
October
19:
5:04
pm 50 Pacific White Sided Dolphins off Race Point, Seymour Narrows
westbound.
John
Lewis, Discovery Marine Safaris.
Oct
18:
9:28
am: 200 Pacific White Sided Dolphins at McMullen Point, Quadra
Island, milling.
4:35
pm: 300 Pacific White Sided Dolphins northbound in Deepwater Bay,
Discovery Passage, Quadra Island.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
October
18:
12:49
pm: 200 Pacific White Sided Dolphins westbound by the Maude Island,
Seymour Narrows.
John
Lewis, Discovery Marine Safaris.
Oct
17:
1:45
pm: Couple of hundred Pacific White Sided Dolphins southbound by the
Maude Island light, Seymour Narrows.
John
Lewis, Discovery Marine Safaris.
Oct
16:
10:11
am: 30 Pacific White Sided Dolphins in Calm Channel, SW of Raza
Island, milling, along with one lonesome Sea Lion.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Oct
16:
10:57
am: 200 – ish Pacific White Sided Dolphins at Arran Point/ Ritchie
Brothers Resort, south side of Arran Rapids, reportedly right now.
Aaron
Nagler, Sonora Lodge.
Oct
16:
11:30
am: 30 Pacific White Sided Dolphins at the top end of Cortes Island,
milling, and I think that same lonely Sea Lion that Garry had this
morning.
12:27
pm: 300 Pacific White Sided Dolphins now heading for Lewis Channel,
southbound.
Jos
Krijnen, Eagle Eye Adventures.
October
15:
8
am My family and I just saw a pod of 100+ Pacific White Sided
Dolphins at the left side of Rocky Point Beach, Nanaimo. There were
at least 100 of them jumping all around.
Luke
Ashton, Nanaimo
Oct
15:
9:20
am: 10 Pacific White Sided Dolphins in Deer Passage, between West
Redonda Island and Raza Island, milling.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Oct
15:
9:30
am: Dozen Pacific White Sided Dolphins at McMullen Point, Discovery
Passage northbound.
4:48
pm: Half a dozen Pacific White Sided Dolphins at White Rock Passage.
Fabien
Minfray, Eagle Eye Adventures.
Oct
15:
11:12
am: 12-15 Pacific White Sided Dolphins southbound by Myrtle Rocks,
Powell River. Just easily rolling along.
Jim
Southern, Powell River.
Oct
14:
12:42
pm: 12 Pacific White Sided Dolphins at Jimmy Judd Island, westing.
Aaron
Nagler, Sonora Lodge.
Oct
14:
3:50
pm: Couple hundred Pacific White Sided Dolphins by Chatham Point, at
the junction of Discovery Passage and Johnstone Strait.
(from
radio)
Oct
14:
4:30
pm: 200 Pacific White Sided Dolphins at Chatham Point, milling.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Oct
13:
1:30
pm: 50 or so Pacific White Sided Dolphins foraging at Kanish Bay, in
Discovery Passage.
(from
call)
Oct
13:
3:59
pm: 10 Pacific White Sided Dolphins milling in Seymour Narrows.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Oct
12:
9:28
am: Reports from the mist at Separation Head, Discovery Passage from
Carl indicate that a massive pod of Pacific White Sided Dolphins is
foraging, possibly southbound. As well, Carl swore he saw big black
dorsal fins sliding through the mist behind the Dolphins and heading
in the same direction. He could not confirm nor deny their presence.
Nick
Templeman, Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions.
Oct
12:
10:00
am: 40 Pacific
White Sided Dolphins at Henrietta Point heading into Bute Inlet.
4:22
pm: 300 Pacific White Sided Dolphins frolicking at Granite Point,
Quadra Island.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Oct
12:
12:39
pm: 200 Pacific White Sided Dolphins at Granite Point, northwest
corner of Quadra Island.
Fabien
Minfray, Eagle Eye Adventures.
Pacific
White Sided Dolphins
2014
– 2 photos
Susan
MacKay, SG Images
Oct
12:
1:56
pm: Lots of Pacific White Sided Dolphins in front of Kanish Bay,
Quadra Island.
Leigh
Nelson, Adventure Quest Tours.
Oct
12:
4:57
pm: Leaving the Pacific White Sided Dolphins now, they are in the
same place (Kanish Bay.)
Jen
Furst, Campbell River Whale Watching.
Oct
11:
9:00
am: Super pod of Pacific White Sided Dolphins just north of Brown's
Bay near Campbell River right now.
From a fishing guide.
Jen
Furst, Campbell River Whale Watching.
Oct
11:
9:20
am: 200 Pacific
White Sided Dolphins milling north of Brown's Bay.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Oct
11:
11:45
am: The Pacific White Sided Dolphins are at Point 45,n Discovery
Passage now, no direction.
Geoff
Dunstan,
Discovery
Marine Safaris.
October
11:
2:53
pm 300 Pacific White Sided Dolphins foraging at Otter Cove, by
Chatham Point.
Fabien
Minfray, Eagle Eye Adventures
DALL'S
PORPOISE
Oct
14:
1:36
pm: Half a dozen Dall's Porpoise at Hole in the Wall, between
Springer Point and Etta Point, Okisollo Channel.
Fabien
Minfray, Eagle Eye Adventures.
Oct
13:
2:10
pm: 4 Dall's Porpoise at Clipper Point, in Bute Inlet.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Oct
12:
1:53
pm: A dozen playful Dall's Porpoise at Davis Point, entrance to
Thurston Bay in Nodales Channel.
2:08
pm: Another dozen Dall's Porpoise at John's Point, at the top of
Nodales Channel, East Thurlow Island.
Fabien
Minfray, Eagle Eye Adventures.
LINKS
A
wonderful experience for passengers on a whale watching boat in
California as they are surrounded by a huge pod of 60 to 100 Sperm
whales. Excellent video provided by their underwater camera as well.
Some
footage of Northern Resident Killer Whales being filmed from above by
a drone camera:
Have
you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every
sighting report is valuable!
We
are the non-profit Wild Ocean Whale Society