Whale, Dolphin or Porpoise Sightings from our Coastal waterways in British Columbia. We monitor and publish numbers, species, sightings and behaviour of Cetaceans to raise public awareness, respect and enthusiasm for the protection of our coastal wildlife and marine ecosystems.
More Humpback Whales Showing Up as well as Plenty of Bigg's
As anticipated in the last update, more Humpback Whales are working their way back into the upper sections of Georgia Strait with some headed into Johnstone Strait and surrounding channels. Transient Bigg's are being seen in various channels and do not appear to be staying in any one area for long at the moment. The T023's even tried to surf their way through Hole in the Wall during a large tide change. Every once in a while we hear about Pilot Whales in Georgia Strait, but they are not regular visitors. A few groups of Pacific White Sided Dolphins and Porpoise complete this update.
Susan MacKay, Wild Ocean Whale Society
Playful Orca T23's
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Society News & Events
Summer 2016 Raffle: This year our draw will be on Canada Day, July 1st. Great prizes include Pacific Coastal Flight, Eagle Eye Adventure Tour, Stubbs Island Whale Watching Tour, BC Ferries Pass, Campbell River Whale Watching Tour, I'Hos Cultural Tour, Discovery Marine Safaris Tour, and Beyond the Road Desolation Sound Cruise. Tickets are $5. each and can be ordered through our Add To Cart button or at our information tables.
Our 2016 Raffle Tickets available at our information tables at:
May 16: Quality Foods, Powell River
May 28 and 29: Lund Shellfish Festival in Lund Harbour
Vancouver Island and other Locations are being worked on and we will post as we confirm.
July 1st: Canada Day Celebrations have been moved to Willingdon Beach, Powell River and we will be drawing the raffle winners there. Full Raffle Details available Here
Are you the type of volunteer interested in Cetacea and mapping, who would be willing to spend some time with our growing Society network?
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
T23s at Hole in the Wall
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
TRANSIENT BIGG'S KILLER WHALES
Tue May 10 2016
17:24 • 5-10 Bigg`s Orca North of Mitlenatch Island heading towards Cortes Island, Georgia Strait. About 2 km North of Mitlenatch. Two big fin and two small fins. ▫ Leaving the Scene
16:31 • 5-10 Bigg`s Orca between Mitlenatch Island and Willow Point, Georgia Strait. Heading towards Campbell River.
Shea, Campbell River Whale Watching
Sat May 07 2016
16:11 • 6 Bigg`s Orca, Hole in the Wall. ◦T23's◦ Attempting again to go through Hole in the Wall; first time they didn't make it. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
Transient Bigg' s Killer Whales
T23s at Hole in the Wall
Sat May 07 2016 - 7 Images / Media Files
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
Transient Bigg' s Killer Whales
T23s at Hole in the Wall
Sat May 07 2016 - 7 Images / Media Files
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
15:01 • Bigg`s Orca heading West ◦T23's◦
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Transient Bigg' s Killer Whales
T23s at Hole in the Wall
Sat May 07 2016 - 9 Images / Media Files
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Transient Bigg' s Killer Whales
T23s at Hole in the Wall
Sat May 07 2016 - 9 Images / Media Files
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
12:18 • 6 Bigg`s Orca bucking tide, heading West from Sonora Lodge on Sonora Island, Yuculta Rapids. ◦T23's◦ All small fins and one calf.
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
11:22 • 3 Bigg`s Orca resting, at the bottom of Stuart Island heading towards Sonora Lodge, Yuculta Rapids.
Radio, overheard or call out
Fri May 06 2016
20:05 • Bigg`s Orca moving slowly, heading South between Powell River Viewpoint and Rebecca Rocks in the middle of Malaspina Strait. One of the two groups of Orca observed.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
19:20 • 4 Bigg`s Orca heading South off Harwood Island, Malaspina Strait. ▫ Observed from Shore
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Transient Bigg' s Killer Whales
Transients off Harwood Island in Malespina strait
Fri May 06 2016 - 1 Images / Media Files
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
Transient Bigg' s Killer Whales
Transients off Harwood Island in Malespina strait
Fri May 06 2016 - 1 Images / Media Files
Michelle Pennell, Powell River, BC
19:09 • Bigg`s Orca off Powell River, Malaspina Strait. The orca are just on a slow roll still centre strait towards Powell river.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
18:23 • 4-5 Bigg`s Orca heading South near Harwood Spit heading towards Powell River, Malaspina Strait. From Susan: May be as many 12 - seeing blows from deck.
Erik Blaney, I'Hos Cultural Tours
16:00 • 2 Bigg`s Orca moving slowly, heading South, Phillips Arm. ◦T002C's◦ ▫ Leaving the Scene
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Transient Bigg' s Killer Whales
T2Cs in Phillips Arm
Fri May 06 2016 - 9 Images / Media Files
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Transient Bigg' s Killer Whales
T2Cs in Phillips Arm
Fri May 06 2016 - 9 Images / Media Files
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
14:00 • 4 Bigg`s Orca, Cordero Channel. ◦T002C's◦ One bull, one female, and a couple of really small ones.
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
Transient Bigg' s Killer Whales
T2Cs in Cordero channel
Fri May 06 2016 - 10 Images / Media Files
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
Transient Bigg' s Killer Whales
T2Cs in Cordero channel
Fri May 06 2016 - 10 Images / Media Files
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
06:30 • 4 Bigg`s Orca heading North ▫ Second Hand
Radio, overheard, or call out
Thu May 05 2016
11:00 • 3 Bigg`s Orca heading North, Lewis Channel.
Jack Springer, Campbell River Whale Watching
HUMPBACK WHALES
Tue May 10 2016
11:55 • 1 Humpback Whales heading West approaching Port Neville, Johnstone Strait.
09:47 • 1 Humpback Whales heading North at Ripple Shoal, Johnstone Strait.
Leigh Nelson, Adventure Quest Tours
08:44 • 2 Humpback Whales off Wilby Shoals just South of Cape Mudge Red Can Buoy, Georgia Strait.
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching
Mon May 09 2016
19:31 • 1 Humpback Whales heading North off Cape Mudge, Georgia Strait. Still bucking tide.
16:40 • 1 Humpback Whales off Cape Mudge, Georgia Strait. The humpback whale was bucking the current. ▫ Leaving the Scene
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Humpback Whales
HBs at Cape Mudge Lighthouse
Mon May 09 2016 - 3 Images / Media Files
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
Humpback Whales
HBs at Cape Mudge Lighthouse
Mon May 09 2016 - 3 Images / Media Files
Garry Henkel, Aboriginal Journeys Whale and Grizzly Bear Tours
15:20 • 1 Humpback Whales heading North off Campbell River Best Western Hotel, Discovery Passage.
Leif Nordman, Campbell River Whale Watching
Sun May 08 2016
17:26 • 2 Humpback Whales off the southwest tip of Harwood Island aiming towards Vivian Island, Malaspina Strait. One fluking.
16:44 • 2 Humpback Whales between Rebecca Rocks and Harwood Island, Malaspina Strait. Two large blows observed. Moved out towards Vancouver Island a bit as ferry approached. Non-fluking.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
Sat May 07 2016
08:07 • Humpback Whales heading South from Cape Lazo heading towards Hornby Island, Georgia Strait.
Aaron Webber, Campbell River Whale Watching
Fri May 06 2016
16:36 • 2 Humpback Whales heading South at Hidden Harbour off Campbell River, Discovery Passage.
Jos Krynen, Eagle Eye Adventures
Wed May 04 2016
16:20 • 1 Humpback Whales travelling, heading North east of gap between Discovery Island and Chatham Islands, Haro Strait. Normal swimming; no breaching.
Barrie Moen, Victoria BC
PILOT WHALES
Sat May 07 2016
13:00 • 1 Pilot Whale heading South by Portland Island off Swartz Bay, Satellite Channel. Saw it only briefly but clearly from our boat with deeply curved dorsal fin.
Kent Laundy, Victoria, BC
UNABLE TO ID WHALE SPECIES
Tue May 10 2016
18:03 • Unable to Identify Whales above Bates Beach on the Vancouver Island side of Georgia Strait. Seeing a number of blows and/or splashes, not sure if more orca or dolphins.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
Fri May 06 2016
19:09 • Unable to Identify Whales heading North off Powell River, Malaspina Strait. Couldn't tell if dolphins or porpoises turned tail headed north - due to presence of Orca.
Susan MacKay, Whales and Dolphins B.C.
PACIFIC WHITE SIDED DOLPHINS
Thu May 05 2016
10:22 • 5+ PWS Dolphins about one mile from Johnstone Bluff, Bute Inlet.
Sighting Submissions
The Sightings Update welcomes reader submissions of Sightings and Sighting Photographs, Video and Audio recordings. Please review our
Media Submission Guidelines. SUBMIT Your Sightings Here or by
eMail
or call 1-877-323-9776
The Magazine
There is cetacean activity being reported all along the West Coast. This weeks magazine tracks our Pacific cetaceans to California, Oregon, Alaska and Hawaii. We also feature a selection of cetacean reports from Ireland, the UK and Australia.
This up close video, well right beside the dock, shows an up close look at a Humpback bubble netting a school of fish, and then lunging up out of the water to grab the meal. Check out the full article to watch a pair of Humpbacks bubble netting within the marina.
The number of whales that made the annual migration to Hawaiian waters this past winter appears to be at its lowest level in five years, according to officials with the Hawaiian Island Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary....
Three subgroups of Killer Whales were hunting over the Monterey Submarine Canyon today. We were lucky enough to watch one group toss an Elephant Seal around a few times to stun it and teach the juveniles in the group some hunting techniques and maneuvers....
MOSS LANDING , CA - As orcas, gray and humpback whales feast and pass through Monterey Bay, a rescue crew spent two days this week disentangling a humpback wrapped in crab fishing gear. It was a close call that ended safely because of cooperation between a Moss Landing fisherman and authorities. The whale was freed Thursday afternoon.
A gray whale that was reported dead last week off of Vashon WA in Puget Sound, likely died of starvation, whale experts say, though it is not yet clear if there were additional causes that contributed to the animal's condition.
A U.S. non-profit wants to build a sanctuary for rescued and retired aquarium whales to live out the rest of their days, and they're eyeing the B.C. coast as a possible location.
CLICK the above image to hear the interview with Whale Sanctuary Project president Dr. Lori Marino
NEWPORT, OREGON — Although sperm whales have not been driven to the brink of extinction as have some other whales, a new study has found a remarkable lack of diversity in the maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA within the species. In fact, the mitochondrial DNA from more than a thousand sperm whales examined during the past 15 years came from a single “Eve” sperm whale tens of thousands of years ago, the researchers ....
INTERNATIONAL
Humpback Courtship Dance
BBC Earth, UK
Astounding underwater photography captures the courtship dance of a pair of Humpback whales....
Strumble Head, north Pembrokeshire, Whales is proving itself as one of the best places in Britain to see cetaceans from the land, after three different species were spotted in just sixty minutes.
Early last Sunday morning Sea Trust volunteer, photographer Ken Barnett, had an epic early morning shift at Strumble Head, recording and photographing harbour porpoise, Risso’s dolphins and bottlenose dolphins in the space of an hour.
Video taken from a drone off Sydney, Austraia show False Killer whales hunting down a shark. Click the image to view.
Magazine Submissions The Magazine
accepts submissions of links to Published Articles and Media of interest to our readers. We also welcome submissions of Original Articles, Letters, Notices, Photography, Video and Audio. Please review our
Media Submission Guidelines. Original Material Guidelines:
Notices: max. 100 words;
Letters & Articles: max. 500 words.
You or your organization must be the Authors of the work and are solely responsible for its content.
The WOWs Magazine gives no assurance material submitted will be published.
Sighting Submissions
The Sightings Update welcomes reader submissions of Sightings and Sighting Photographs, Video and Audio recordings. Please review our
Media Submission Guidelines. SUBMIT Your Sightings Here or by
eMail
or call 1-877-323-9776
