Good
News for the Southern Resident Orca population and a great way to end
2014 and start 2015. A new calf known as J50 was first spotted
December 30th. There is a bit of question as to who the
mother is since the calf was seen beside 42 year old J16, Slick.
Slick is most likely the Grandmother. It's surmised that the Mother
is 16 year old J36, Alki. With rake marks on the calf's dorsal, there
is a chance that the rest of the pod had to assist with a difficult
delivery and Alki was recuperating before assuming motherly duties.
We can only hope and monitor their welfare.
NOAA
once again has tagged, for the purpose of monitoring, a Southern
Resident Killer Whale (J27) and has reported J-Pod between Nanaimo
and Comox on December 31st, and by Savary Island on
January 1st. We have included a link to their 2015
satellite tagging page in the Links section below.
Susan
MacKay & Lynne Cracknell, Whales and Dolphins BC
Have
you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every
sighting report is valuable!
UNIDENTIFIED
KILLER WHALES
(presumed
Transient Bigg's)
Orca
off Cape Mudge
(possibly
T37A's)
December
30, 2014 – 2 photos
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
January
2:
12
– 12:30 pm: At least 4 Orca Northbound in Lambert Channel. There
appeared to be two large whales with very straight and tall dorsal
fins, one very small whale with them and one medium sized whale.
(Tagged Southern Resident Orca have been around this area and this
could be a few of them rather than Transient Bigg's - SM)
Cindy
McDonald, Hornby Island
December
30:
10:40
am: At least 5 Orca heading past Cape Mudge on Quadra Island,
northbound.
Michelle,
Discovery Marine Safaris / Stubbs Island Whale Watching.
December
30:
11:00
am: Killer whales breaching mid channel between Cape Mudge and
Vancouver Island.
Geord
Dunstan, Discovery Marine Safaris.
December
30:
11:18
am: I see them (the
Orca)
but they are quite far away. Saw a big splash, off Cape Mudge, by Big
Rock area.
11:30
am: See them again. Looks like more than 5 of them. Looks like they
are a bit farther south.
11:48
am: They are in line with the Cape Mudge Lighthouse, mid channel.
Going around in circles.
12:00
pm: Lost track of them, last seen they were south west bound in
Georgia Strait towards Vancouver Island. There are at least 5
animals, one large fin and a young Orca.
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours.
Orca
off Cape Mudge
(possibly
T37A's)
December
30, 2014 – 2 photos
Garry
Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
PACIFIC
WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Dec
30:
10:00
am: Overheard some Sports Fishermen talking about large groups of
Pacific White Sided Dolphins foraging off the NW tip of Texada
Island. They are out of my view.
Susan
MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
Dec
25:
2:16
pm: Just passed a pod of about 80 Pacific White Sided Dolphins on the
12:50 ferry to Nanaimo. They passed close to Gabriola Island and
headed north. Great Christmas show!
Eric
Foster.
Dec
24:
11:35
am: Some Pacific White Sided Dolphins just passed by Fisherman's
Wharf in Campbell River as I was locking up the office! Merry
Christmas from everyone at Stubbs and Discovery Marine Safaris!
Geord
Dunstan, Discovery Marine Safaris and Stubbs Island Whale Watching.
Pacific
White Sided Dolphins wake riding by ferry
December
25, 2014
Eric
Foster
LINKS
New
Southern Resident Orca J50 first photos with CBC article:
Really
excellent news on the last day of 2014! A new Southern Resident Orca
has arrived!:
NOAA
2015 Tracking of Satellite Tagged Southern Resident Orca J27:
Here
is some incredible footage of scientists tagging a gathering of
highly curious Orca on the McMurdo Ice Shelf. A must-watch!
And
to finish off, here is some lovely video of some very close
encounters of the Orca kind:
Have
you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
Every
sighting report is valuable!
We
are the non-profit Wild Ocean Whale Society