Humpback Whales in December is not the usual set of circumstances. We've had the odd one over the past number of years that may have stayed due to a calf that couldn't make the migration, or some other reason, but this year we are seeing a number of them. Are they staying or are they just Southbound extremely late? Only time will tell for sure, but keep your eyes open. They are still out here, and we'd really like to hear about it. We've also noticed that when we have some Orca in the area, most of the Humpbacks tend to go off into other areas for a while to keep their distance. Unfortunately the Killer Whales that were seen over the past bit have had to be categorized as Unidentified Killer Whales due to indistinguishable markings and behaviours to confirm. In most cases, we believe they are Transient Bigg's. There were a number of Pacific White Sided Dolphins in the mid-Georgia Strait, but none have been reported venturing farther North. We do have a few reports of the small Harbour Porpoise to round out this report. Of course, we can't forget to talk about the exciting news of the seventh calf born to the Southern Resident Orca this year. Quite the baby boom this year for these endangered Orca.
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
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Sightings Update
SIGHTINGS MAP 2015-043
UNIDENTIFIED KILLER WHALES
Mon Dec 07 2015
??:?? • 7 Orca hunting, heading North off Van Anda, Texada Island, Malaspina Strait. ▫ Second Hand
Michelle Pennell, Powell River
Sun Dec 06 2015
08:31 • Orca heading North passing Black (Albion) Point, Malaspina Strait. Too rough to count and moving quickly. ▫ Observed from Shore
Bill Taylor, Powell River
Sun Nov 29 2015
15:30 • Orca in Discovery Passage. Based on radio chatter, at least some of the Orca went up through Discovery. ▫ Radio Report
Radio, overheard or call out
10:10 • 8-10 Orca heading North spread out between Powell River and Blubber Bay in Malaspina Strait. At least one male in the group. Small fins were observed in the group. They continued up Malaspina Strait. ▫ Observed from Shore
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
10:00 • Orca heading North between Harwood Island and Powell River, Malaspina Strait. They were a long way out.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River
Unidentified Killer Whales
Sun Nov 29 2015 - 2 Images / Media Files
Michelle Pennell, Powell River
Unidentified Killer Whales
Sun Nov 29 2015 - 2 Images / Media Files
Michelle Pennell, Powell River
09:38 • 9 Orca heading North-West off Black (Albion) Point in Malaspina Strait. Two large Orca were first observed. Then, four Orca and a tiny calf were observed, and they were followed by another two Orca. ▫ Observed from Shore
Nina Falls, Powell River, BC
09:30 • Orca off Blubber Bay on Texada Island in Malaspina Strait. I bet two groups. I saw the splashes as the ferry was leaving. My friend texted back that they saw them on there way into Blubber Bay.
09:28 • 1 Orca heading North-West approaching Grief Point in Malaspina Strait. My family saw what they thought was a Dolphin, then an Orca. It was by itself. It was half a mile from the shore off of the Beach Gardens and heading towards Grief Point.
Jay Feaver, Powell River, CCG
09:07 • Orca heading North by Butterfly Point on Texada Island in Malaspina Strait. Can't tell how many but at least one has a huge dorsal fin near the Texada quarry. ▫ Observed from Shore
09:07 • Orca heading North Can't tell how many but at least one has a huge dorsal fin near the Texada quarry. ▫ Observed from Shore
Bill Taylor, Powell River
Sat Nov 28 2015
13:39 • Orca heading North angling towards Dinner Rock in Shearwater Passage.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
13:06 • 4 Orca off Vivian Island in Strait of Georgia.
Michelle Pennell, Powell River
Unidentified Killer Whales
Sat Nov 28 2015 - 5 Images / Media Files
Michelle Pennell, Powell River
Unidentified Killer Whales
Sat Nov 28 2015 - 5 Images / Media Files
Michelle Pennell, Powell River
Thu Nov 26 2015
12:00 • 4-10 Orca off Point Atkinson in West Vancouver in Strait of Georgia. Unknown Cetaceans were observed. Much larger than dolphins - possibly Orca. They were breaking water, cresting, and showing their fins.
David Neviazsky, England.
HUMPBACK WHALES
Wed Dec 09 2015
16:38 • 1 Humpback Whale heading South by Myrtle Rocks heading quickly down Malaspina Strait. Surfaced right in front then saw it head off. ▫ Observed from Shore
Jim Southern, Powell River
15:40 • 1 Humpback Whale heading South past Myrtle Rocks moved out to center of Malaspina Strait. Was moving off quite quickly. ▫ Observed from Shore
Michelle Pennell, Powell River
Humpback Whales
Wed Dec 09 2015 - 6 Images / Media Files
Michelle Pennell, Powell River
Humpback Whales
Wed Dec 09 2015 - 6 Images / Media Files
Michelle Pennell, Powell River
15:25 • 1 Humpback Whale heading South close in by Beach Gardens Marina below Grief Point, Malaspina Strait. Just getting in with the boat when I heard a big blow and saw an enormous tail.
Joe VanEs, Powell River
14:58 • 1 Humpback Whale heading South just off Grief Point. Working on getting some photos. ▫ Observed from Shore
Michelle Pennell, Powell River
14:25 • 1 Humpback Whale close to shore by Grief Point, Malaspina Strait. Spotted the blow while sailing. ▫ From Power or Sail Boat
Joe VanEs, Powell River
13:13 • 3 Humpback Whale heading North right off Myrtle Rocks. ▫ Observed from Shore
Jim Southern, Powell River
09:08 • 3 Humpback Whale heading South close to Texada Island just below Blubber Bay, Malaspina Strait. ▫ Observed from Shore
08:48 • 2 Humpback Whale heading West towards Rebecca Rock in front of Powell River, Algerine Passage. ▫ Observed from Shore
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
Fri Nov 27 2015
16:03 • Humpback Whale off Rebecca Rock in Strait of Georgia. The spouts were observed from Harwood Island and were seen a couple of miles past Rebecca Rock.
Jay Feaver, Powell River, CCG
08:50 • 2 Humpback Whale one mile West of Harwood Island. ▫ From Ferry
John and Joan Treen, Powell River and Savary Island, BC
Thu Nov 26 2015
16:20 • 2 Humpback Whale off Blubber Bay on Texada Island in Malaspina Strait. ▫ From Ferry
Jay Feaver, Powell River, CCG
Wed Nov 25 2015
13:21 • 1 Humpback Whale
Michelle Pennell, Powell River
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Fri Nov 27 2015
13:45 • 500 PWS Dolphins half-way between Departure Bay and Horseshoe Bay in Strait of Georgia. ▫ From Ferry
Roger McDonell, Stubbs Island Whale Watching
HARBOUR PORPOISE
Mon Nov 30 2015
15:00 • 5 Harbour Porpoise foraging, between Cordova Spit at the North end of James Island and Sidney. I saw, through the telephoto, as few as five within seconds, three headed west, to shore, and two headed east, as if to corral food possibly. I was on the Cordova Marine park spit trying to photograph them for two hours between 1 and 3. They were very fast and far, those photos are fully cropped. ▫ Observed from Shore
James Younger,.
Harbour Porpoise
Mon Nov 30 2015 - 4 Images / Media Files
James Younger,.
Harbour Porpoise
Mon Nov 30 2015 - 4 Images / Media Files
James Younger,.
Fri Nov 27 2015
11:40 • 4 Harbour Porpoise foraging, North of Gillies Bay on Texada Island in Strait of Georgia.
Micheline Macauley, Texada Island, BC
SIGHTINGS HEAT MAP 2015-043
The Magazine
The WOWs Magazine welcomes reader submissions of links to Published Articles and Media. We also welcome submissions of original: Articles, Letters, Notices, Photography, Video and Audio.
Please look for the Magazine Submissions Button at the bottom of the page and in the top sidebar, and for our Original Material Guidelines at the bottom of the Magazine.
REGIONAL & WEST COAST
The Canadian Press
Center for Whale Research says the baby named L123 is the seventh calf born into the Southern Resident population in the past year
KOMO News,
Seattle WA
From this Summer, fishers out for some early morning Salmon fishing happened to be in the area of the Tacoma bridge when their boat was briefly surrounded as the orcas moved through.
Vancouver Sun
Salmon may be small, compared to a whale, but there are strong evolutionary reasons for sharing
KFSK Community Radio,
Petersburg, AK
An Oregon State U. researcher who has just completed tagging Humpback whales with tracking devices to follow the whales migration to Hawaii and back. Are some Humpbacks not making the trip because they haven't eaten enough over the Summer?
Global News
Three fin whales have been found dead on a beach near Bella Bella on the central coast of B.C.
The dead whales were spotted by a helicopter pilot flying over Bird Point, northwest of Bella Bella, who then notified Fishers and Oceans Canada (DFO) on Saturday.
Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC)
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the U.S. agency responsible for the stewardship of marine mammal populations in U.S. waters, authorized the US Navy’s Northwest Training and Testing (NWTT) proposal, which includes sonar testing and exercises within the range of the critically endangered Southern Resident orca population. .. Read more by clicking the image or link, above.
Orange County Register, CA
From California comes a very informative look at the work of small teams coordinated by NOAA, tasked with disentagling whales from fishing gear. The article also looks at the larger problem of whale entaglements, and provides intersting graphics and a photo slide show.
CANADA
EarthTouch News Network
Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic might be one of the most remote and sparsely settled spots on earth, but if it's whales you want to see, you've come to the right place. This amazing drone footage captured by wildlife photographer Nansen Weber shows hundreds of beluga whales gathered at their summertime nursery grounds in Nunavut's Cunningham Inlet.
CBC News
An expedition of scientists will devote the fall and winter to figuring out the migration habits of Beluga whales in the St. Lawrence estuary — and help ensure the survival of the species.
INTERNATIONAL
Mail Online, Australia
See video and more photographs
The WOWs Magazine welcomes reader submissions of links to Published Articles and Media. We also welcome submissions of original: Articles, Letters, Notices, Photography, Video and Audio.
Please look for the Magazine Submissions Button at the bottom of the page and in the top sidebar.
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For our DONATE page click here
Have you seen a whale, dolphin or porpoise?
We are the non-profit Wild Ocean Whale Society
Call
1-877-323-9776