More Transient Orca, Dalls Porpoises - Sightings to Apr 19

Guess my intermittent sightings of blows was something! We've had Orcas spotted in the Powell River to Vancouver Island area for a number of days. We mostly seem to spot them when they appear to be going in a southerly direction, but I do believe they turn around and are some of the same ones spotted over the past few days.....Great reports everyone - keep up the sightings to share.

April 19:

4 Orca spotted by Grief Point, Powell River. They appeared to be in stealth mode, disappearing for long periods of time. They were close in to shore heading towards Beach Gardens Marina. One larger male and one juvenile in the mix. I watched to see if they'd come closer to Westview, but nothing till too dark. Since we've had around the same number for the past few days in the area, they may be Transient (meat eating) Killer Whales that have found a food source too good to leave.

April 19:

Heard a report from Hurricane Jack, Campbell River Whale Watching, of some porpoises earlier in the day by Rebecca Spit, Quadra Island, off Capbell River... could have been the same Dalles Porpoises from an earlier report.

April 19:

Hi there. A FB friend, Laila (last name removed since not provided directly by person named), gave me this site after seeing a couple photo's I took of 3 Orca's while at the Beachgarden's in Powell River today. They were heading south. I think I may have seen the big male you mentioned. He is huge.From Wendy P.

 

April 19:

HI, we just saw 3 Dall's Porpoises heading north into Thulin Passage, at the beginning of the Copeland Is Marine Park, just north of Lund. It was a positive id as there are no other Whales or Porpoises with their distinct white tipped dorsal fin. Exciting!! From Anonymous at 10:45 am

 

April 19:

Not really sure how to report to you but did post a comment on one of your blog posts.  There was a pod of orcas heading north on Sunday, April 17th we spotted them off of the Beach Gardens around 3:40 pm but way out there.  At least 6, including one very large male from what we could see through the scope.  They looked to be feeding, disappearing for 5 minutes or so and then reappearing in same area.  A couple of spy hops from the smaller whales then they slowly headed north, so I texted my friend and she spotted them off the 5 pm ferry to Vanc. Island “close enough to touch”.

Love the updates, thanks, Margaret

 

I haven't put my phone number on line to this point, but as I replied to Margaret, if anyone sees a whale, dolphin or porpoise, I would love a phone call as soon as possible to work together on these sightings, and possibly get some ID photos if they're in the area. My number is 604-485-9138

 

And, From the US:

Transient orcas  today were reported in Admiralty Inlet and Puget Sound, heading south, as well as some up by Patos Island and more reports of what sound like small Transient pods up further north in BC. Also several Gray whales have been wandering Saratoga Passage and Holmes Harbor today, and reports of Grays off Port Ludlow, WA and Lincoln City, OR as well.
Susan Berta and Howard Garrett, Orca Network

Orca and more Orca Reports to April 18

April 18 - No reports today, but again I thought I saw a blow during one of my scans of the ocean....keep looking, they're out there.There are many Transient (meat eating) Killer Whales along our coast right now. They do seem to be everywhere from the US to well into Johnstone Strait.

April 17 - There were at least 3 Orca right around noon including at least one large male moving quickly, with lots of splashing Southbound in front of Powell River towards Grief Point. Could not get a definite count from anyone.

April 17th Report:
The Transient orca "superpod" is still swimming around the Strait of Georgia and the San Juan Islands- we have several reports of them from the past several days, including Graeme Ellis' accounting of the ~31 Transients that were in Sansum Narrows and Ladysmith Harbor on  the 15th.
Also a report of Offshore orcas off the California coast, Pacific White Sided dolphins in BC, and Gray whales around Whidbey Island.

 From: Susan Berta and Howard Garrett, Orca Network

April 16 - Just heard of a report -We had transients at Oyster Bay - 3 pm and then Salmon Point - 5 pm on Saturday. This is between Campbell River and Black Creek on the Vancouver Island side of Georgia Strait.

April 16 - Just hear of another report of 6 Orca entering in Havannah Channel around 4 pm near the top end of Johnstone Strait from Bill and Donna MacKay who operate MacKay Whale Watching out of Port McNeill on Vancouver Island

Dolphin Sighting - Orca - Grays - Humpback Update to April 16

There is a slight change to the email updates which are now going out very late at night so that I can include any evening reports of the day and it will be in your email InBox first thing in the morning before heading out on the water.

April 16 - I swear I saw a couple of large blows and backs a number of times during the day, but could not confirm what it was that I saw. The last few times spotted was between 6 pm and 6:30 pm working from the South end Rebecca Rocks in front of Powell River towards Vivian Island. Maybe towards Mittlenatch Island? The only thing for sure, is that this was not Orca, and based on one very large blow, I would hazard an educated guess that it was from a Humpback. No tail fluke sighting, so ..... keep your eyes open and let me know.

April 15 - Around 5 pm I spotted between 10 to 12 Pacific White Sided Dolphins moving with great purpose. They headed Northwest from the Powell River side of Rebecca Rocks out towards Vivian Island and into Georgia Strait.

I had received two calls during April 15th of possible sightings of dolphins or porpoises, but could not get any confirmation.
The Transient (meat eating) Orca that we had in front of Powell River appear to have headed down around Salt Spring Island and joined up with others. Great report below.

April 15th:

From Salt Spring Island:

This was the most stupendous day in my life at Bold Bluff! My neighbour across the (Sansum) Narrows phoned to say the whales were coming past my home shortly before 10AM, so I grabbed my camera and life jacket and dashed out in the whaler with Daisy, my dog. I followed two orcas for an hour. One had a tall wobbly dorsal fin and the other a small one - probably a male and female. Often they dove and rose together, as if in a ballet. I followed them for an hour, all the way to Cherry Point at Cowichan Bay and left them there, heading south.

On my way back up Sansum Narrows right at Burial Island to my amazement I saw gigantic splashes and action - wow! A big gathering of more orcas where the seals haul out. There were whales everywhere: spy-hopping, jumping, slapping their tails and flippers, dashing here and there crossing over each other and having a grand time. It seemed like there were a lot of babies! I had not a clue whom I was watching, (but I knew I could find out later by phoning you!) My memory card ran out just when I reached the scene of action, so I zoomed home to fetch another card, and my two pruners who were working in the orchard. It didn't take much to convince them to join me in my big boat.

Wow! Is all we could say. The whales were super active, and it FELT as if they were chasing food but we never witnessed their surfacing with a big morsel in their mouths. Altogether I stayed out with the whales for 3 and a half hours. Once they surrounded my boat, circling around me (I had taken my pruners back to work!) and I got nervous. Were they asking me to leave? Were they curious? Was there a poor seal hiding out beneath my boat? Two Steller Sea Lions looked very scared. They were heading towards shore with their heads high out of the ocean, looking back towards the whales.

Brr! I was COLD! So back at home with a cup of hot tea, I phoned you to ask if anyone had reported the whales and knew who they were. Thank you for getting to Ken Balcomb and John Ford! Graeme Ellis and John came down from Nanaimo, and Simon Pidcock came out from Cowichan Bay. Graeme indentified them as Transients, and I am sure he will send you a report of exactly who was playing in the Narrows for so long. Simon stopped by this evening and said he saw a huge carcass on the surface - a sea lion, so they WERE dining! I got some superb photos, too! What a blessing to be living at Bold Bluff, with a good neighbour who phones to let me know the whales are here. I was just heading out the back door to clean the Garden Cottage with a bucket of rags when she phoned. I would have missed the entire show if Joan hadn't called at the precise time she did.

Tamar Griggs, Bold Bluff, Salt Spring Island, BC

Report from Susan Berta and Howard Garrett of Orca Network on Whidby Island, WA

April 15 from Steve:

I thought I saw something in the water this morning but I guess it was current lines and a small standing wave.  Guess I'm looking too hard.  I did see a flock of about 200 snow geese passing overhead and honking away.  Flying north so they must know some decent weather is coming. 

 

From Jack:

I'm getting anxious to get into my boat and go searching for dolphins.

Maybe soon -Thanks for the reports

Dolphins - Orca - Humpback - Minke Updates to April 13

Report in from an Anonymous follower:

April 13 - My fiance saw about 100-150 dolphins just outside of Gibsons BC yesterday April 13/2011. Unfortunately I did not receive any information on direction of travel or time of day.

April 13 - No other reports from around the Powell River area and no idea where those Transient Orca got to.

From the US Based Orca Network:
Again, an astounding variety of species reported in the past two days! Several Transient orca reports in WA and BC, including a large pod in the San Juans, another sighting of the Humpback whale in Puget Sound, a Minke at Hein Bank, Porpoise and sea lions in Saratoga Passage.

And thanks to Cascadia Research and the Central Puget Sound Marine Mammal Stranding Network for working with us the past several days to respond to a dead Gray whale that was discovered on a remote beach on Whidbey Island Saturday evening.  We typically have several strandings of emaciated Gray whales in Puget Sound each year - those that are just too thin and weak to make the full migration back north, that  don't seem to be aware of the feeding areas frequented by our "local" North Puget Sound whales that come back to feed for several months each year in Saratoga Passage and Possession Sound.

Susan Berta and Howard Garrett, Orca Network

Orca Sightings April 12

Apr. 12 - 4 to 6 Killer Whales, probably from the same group of Transients the other day, were spotted between Rebecca Rocks closer to Harwood Island and heading out towards Vivian Island around 5:30pm. Their breaching and splashing gave their position away. From John and Joan

From Steve, about his April 11 photo of the Transients posted on this Blog yesterday: 
I did look carefully at the High res version that looks like it is eating a sea lion and I think part of a front flipper/thumb is also visible.

As many of you know, my time on the water with whales tends to be in our upper coastal regions, so if any Whale Watching Tour operators close to the Vancouver or Victoria, BC area would like me to forward their link information, please email me with it. I will happily pass it on. Read below:

From Leyla in Europe:
A friend of mine here at the office is maybe going to Vancouver for 10 days in July and was wondering about whale watching. First, I'm not sure whether July is a good month, but second, is there any place they could get to from Vancouver in not too much time, since their entire stay is 10 days? I think they could probably travel for a day, stay watching whales for a day, then come back... but I thought you might be able to advise best!

My reply:
For your friend, there are a number of whale watching tours run out of Victoria. July is a great month to watch whales - Orca (Killer Whales) at least. Mostly the Humpback and Gray Whales have moved to their main feeding grounds farther up the coast. Occasionally, some stay down around there, if the feed is good.

Transient Orcas April 11 Grays Update

April 11 - After the report of 5 to 6 Orca coming in my direction yesterday around 12:30 pm, I quickly got a few things organized and headed out to find them with a neighbour. We spotted them rounding Grief Point and were surprised to see so many blows. There were around 16 of them spread out from Texada Island to the mainland.

With them being so spread out, it was quite difficult to figure out who they were other than Transient Orca. Dropped the hydrophone in and not a peep. At least at the start. Later on they became quite vocal - a typical Transient Orca trait. Paced one group, at a safe distance - all boats are required to keep their distance - close to Harwood Island in front of Powell River. The other group with one or two males continued up towards Atrevida Reef area.

The group we were with had two calves, one of which was having a great time porpoising clear out of the water. They continued to breach, roll around, tail lob and spy hop. Lots of missed photos - if only they'd be more co-operative. Having stopped the skiff and drifting, it was wonderful that they came over to investigate even surprising us by surfacing right beside the boat.

Although we didn't see them actually take any porpoises or sea lions, one photo looks like there is something in one whale's mouth.

These three photos are courtesy Steven Grover
who wrote:
"Lots of fun yesterday!  Most of my shots were near misses but I got a few."

After having such a dry spell with no whales or dolphins, this was a wonderful day! The wind and water picked up a bit and the sun went behind a large cloud, so left them around 4:45 pm.

For updates on the Gray Whales, which are working their way up the coast, check out the update reports that come through the US based Orca Network The Grays are along the West Coast of Vancouver Island as well, but I don't have information on those ones yet, other than they are around.

April 11 Orca and Dolphins or Porpoises

April 11 - Just in...at 12:30 pm 5 to 6 Killer Whales spotted just South of Powell River close to Myrtle Rocks headed Northward.

April 11 - 9 am 4 Dolphins or Porpoises spotted by Myrtle Rocks slowly headed in a Northbound direction towards Powell River.

Hello Susan;
I thought I'd take this opportunity to tell you how much I enjoy your blog and that I really appreciate receiving it, even though it has been so quiet out there this last month.

This morning four dolphins went by Armour Rd.  and at about 9:00am would be at or around Myrtle Rocks.  Is this the type of information that you are interested in hearing? 

Am I able to tell which species of dolphins they would be by the numbers and their behaviour, as they were moving very slowly compared to others that we have seen?
Bill

Hello Bill,
Thanks for the input. Yes, this is the type of information needed, and it would be great if you could give direction of travel....it's a big coast and they travel all of it. Also, since not everyone would know where Armour Road is without looking up on a map, including me I'm afraid, the identifiers of Black Point, Myrtle Rocks or Point, Grief Point, etc. and if they were closer to Texada or the mainland side would be the best. This ties in with the marine charts and makes in clearer to those who travel the coast and from other locations. I have people from as far away as Europe following the blog. When in doubt, any information is better than none.

If you're in doubt about the species, my main website Whales and Dolphins BC has information on species with descriptions and photos to help identify the animals. Pacific White Sided Dolphins are grey and white and have curved dorsal fins whereas porpoises' are triangular shaped dark brown to black and for Dalls porpoises they may have white on the dorsal. All of these animals can move slowly, taking their time. As for their behaviour, yes, sometimes it is from the behaviour that it becomes obvious which species, but other times it can be difficult without seeing some detail, please read up on the web site.
Susan MacKay

Killer Whales and Sea Lions April 8

April 8 - "After I talked to you on Friday evening, we spotted a pod of whales harassing a sea lion, just off the government dock on Savary. We stayed with them from 7 pm until dark, and they spent the whole time circling, bumping and smacking a single sea lion. The sea lion was still alive when we left. There were four orcas - two appeared to be smaller. I have lots more pictures and a video if they're of any use to you."

Sean Percy

Sales Manager/Associate Publisher

Powell River Living Magazine

 

Three Transient (meat eating) Orca photos below courtesy Sean Percy:

 

April 8 - A late report of Orca was called in by Sean: There were a total of 6 Orca seen as two groups of 4 and two, by Vivian Island just off of Powell River travelling towards the Vancouver Island side of Savary around 5pm. There was at least one large dorsal and one had an "L" shaped notch on the trailing edge of its dorsal about 5 inches down. Hopefully a photo is to follow to possibly ID the whale.

And Earlier:
April 8 - 4 to 5 Killer Whales (Orca) milling about by Baker Passage between Hernando and Cortez Islands around 1pm.

The report came from a tug boater who passed it on to one of the Campbell River Whale Watching guides who gave me a call on the marine radio - thanks! This passing of information gives a great sense of where these animals go.


The first tour of the season for the Campbell River guides was April 7th. They spotted lots of Steller Sea Lions on Jimmy Judd Island in the Yuculta Rapids area. On their nature trips, they normally look for the first Spring bears and their cubs to show up at this time of year, but the late snowfalls and cold weather have delayed some of the grassy areas from sprouting much in the way of tender shoots near the shore.

I know there are some bears out and about since there have been some reports of bears in the Mowat Bay (Powell Lake) area of Powell River. No reports of any bears on the ocean side yet.

A reminder to those who still don't get these updates in their email. There are no catches to subscribing, and there's no cost. It's absolutely free. You can use any email address and you only need to reply to the verification email to allow the feed to arrive in your inbox.

This site is not funded and I do not get paid to do these updates. It is strictly volunteer work to record, update and share this information. All whale, dolphin and porpoise sightings are logged and reported to the Cetacean Sightings Network at the Vancouver Aquarium for their biologist run central data bank.

Hummingbirds: The Rufous are coming back in droves, and I seldom see an Anna's at the feeder any more. Time to get more sugar!

Orca, Porpoise, Dolphin and Sea Lion Update to April 6

These two sightings updates below just came in this evening - things are definitely heating up in the sightings department:

For a third Killer Whale update comment that is attached to the bottom of yesterday's post, click here.

"Good Day.
While flying from Port Hardy to Campbell River today (6 April 2011), 1:20pm,  I spotting a pod of approximately half dozen Orca transiting northwestbound along Johnson Strait, 5 miles east of Robson Bight, along the south shoreline.  At least 4-5 were swimming 'line-abreast', and the remainder was/were approx 100metres off to their right and slightly behind.

Also, abeam Chatham Lightstation, approx 1:45pm, we spotted 3 Orca transiting westbound. It appeared to be two larger and one smaller,, but I can't confirm that..

Thank You
Randy Meszaros
Coast Guard Helicopters
Victoria, BC"


This report came in from AJ who's been getting out on the water recently:

"I saw about Dalls 6 Porpoise on April 5 around Church House and the entrance to Bute Inlet (Johnstone Bluff)  around 12pm. Then on my way out around 1345 I saw about 6 Pacific White Sided Dolphins! They were just behind Clipper Pt.

Then the really exciting news, I saw 3 fins today in Hole In The Wall around 10 this morning. My second Orca encounter for the year! They were headed west with the tide (max ebb at 941 -7.2kts) I would imagine they would head north through Upper Rapids in Okisollo Channel, then on to Westing in Johnstone Straight, but who really knows! I only saw them for 1 surfacing, 3 animals for sure. 1 smaller fin and 2 larger ones, hard to say if they were males or large females... Didn't get photo's either... I was lucky enough to be able to wait 10 mins but they were probably long gone with the tide ripping.

About a dozen Stellers on North Bluff still in Seymour Narrows and I even saw one today up Ramsay Inlet near Quatam River estuary.

Hurricane Jack is out on the first trip of the year tomorrow. So he'll be on the radio I'm sure.

I'll let you know if I find anything else!"

Sounds like we're finally getting some activity with the first nature / whale tour of the Campbell River season.

Orca Sightings Finally Apr 5

This is the first sighting of Killer Whales or Orca in the area since January. It's been a long time for them to have stayed away. We can only hope that this sighting report is start of more frequent sightings again. The report came in last night, so I couldn't even try to find them with binoculars.

Dee Reported from Savary Island:
"We had company this evening and one looked out and asked if there was a float out front.  From 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., we watched some orcas traveling and circling in front of our cabin.  Steve saw a large male way out from the others.  The most I saw at one time was four...looked like females or maybe young males.....We don’t know that much.  They were traveling over Stradioditti Reef from east to west.  This is the first time we have ever seen them traveling in that direction.  We just got to the island this Sunday." 

Stradiotti Reef extends out towards Harwood Island off the South side of Savary Island.

Based on what looked like a "float out in front", it would suggest that the whales were in what's called a Resting Line. This is when they lie still on the surface, usually grouped in somewhat of a line, to sleep or rest. Since whales have to consciously think about breathing, they seem to take short "naps" on the surface.

I'm making a bold assumption that these whales are possibly the Transients that were last seen in the inside passages by Minstrel Island off Johnstone Strait. It's unknown where these Orca got to, so it may very well be them in our neighbourhood. Keep your eyes peeled and binoculars handy.

Sightings Mar 29 to Apr 3 Plus Whale Updates

I was so excited! Finally I spotted some activity in front of Powell River. Reaching for the binoculars to get a better look, I found myself looking at a couple of sea lions with a few birds.

Although they are great animals to watch, my heart sank a bit since there still have not been any whales or dolphins sighted in or around this area. There have been rumours of possibly a few Pacific White Sided Dolphins wake riding with the Comox to Powell River ferry, but even those sightings reports were not certain.

On the other hand, there have been some Transient (meat eating) Orca, a few Gray Whales, and even a Minke sighted down by the Washington State / Canada border to the South.

And to the North, the Offshore Orca were last reported in the upper Johnstone Strait area March 31st.

Spring is definitely coming, albeit a bit late, by the fact that my Hummingbird count is up to three regular Rufous Hummingbirds at the feeder, two males and one female. There are still a couple of Anna's too, but they are less frequent now.

Dalls Porpoises and Orca Report to Mar 28

Mar 28 - This morning I received a report of a couple of Dalls Porpoises just above Desolation Sound around Raza Island. Sounds like they were just foraging for food.

The past two days, there are reports of two types of Orca / Killer Whales in the upper Johnstone Strait area. Transient (meat eating) Orca were seen around Lagoon Cove, close to Minstrel Island. There was a report of around 5 whales.

Offshore Orca, which are seldom seen in the inside waters below Cape Scott were confirmed to be in the Robson Bight Area on the 26th and 27th. These whales spend most of their time farther afield, and as their name implies, offshore and closer to open waters. Their vocalizations are haunting sounds that are very different to those of Resident and even Transient Orca.

Gray Whale sightings are becoming more frequent in the Victoria to Washington State areas, and the possible Humpback Whale sightings have stopped for now, but keep your eyes open for the big blows and tail flukes.

For those of you following my Hummingbird count, I'm seeing a few more Rufous Hummingbirds at the feeder, but mostly they are passing through. The Anna's count is down to three birds now with one male still around.

Dolphins - Sightings to Mar 25

I can finally say we have some Pacific White Sided Dolphins returning to the area! Although it was a second hand report and received only last evening, Some ( I didn't get any numbers) Pacific White Sided Dolphins joined up with the Comox ferry on one of it's afternoon runs to Powell River to wake ride for a short time on either Monday the 21st or Tuesday the 22nd of March. They never made it as far as Powell River and there was no direction passed on to me.

With sightings of the dolphins in the Howe Sound area around Vancouver, I can assume that these ones were headed towards one of their favorite spots around Cortez and Marina Islands below Campbell River.

Unfortunately, in this area, there have been no other sightings, but this is a promising sign that these cetaceans are making their way back into our waters.

Update on other sightings from "down south": Reports of a couple of Humpback Whales showing up around Victoria, Southern Resident (fish eating) and Transient (meat eating) Orca in the San Juans, and Gray Whales in the Port Townsend area of Washington State. There are also reports of Dolphins continuing to appear on and off in the Howe Sound area of Vancouver and Gibsons.

Questions on identification of what is seen pop up regularly. The main Whales and Dolphins BC site has information on how to identify the species most often seen in our area. Click on the Species Page and follow the highlighted links to check on the individual species or use the links on the side of the landing page. To help understand the language frequently used when talking about whales and dolphins, there is a Glossary of Whale terminology in plain English on the site.

Identification is sometimes tricky. One of the most commonly mistaken for Orca - Killer Whales, are Sealions. They frequently lie on their side with a flipper up which can look very much like a Killer Whale dorsal fin. Sea lions also tend to snort out excess build up of salts and water in their nostrils when they surface for air, which can sometimes look like a blow from a whale or dolphin. It requires a bit of watching sometimes to be sure of what it is. Happy Watching!

Sunshine Coast Sightings Report to Mar 17

Sightings anyone?
There is a distinct lack of activity all along the Sunshine Coast. Even to the point of lack of birds. This Non-Reporting is incredibly unusual for this area and time of year. All I can say is that I hope it will change soon.

Our weather has been rather poor, making sightings difficult, but Spring is on the way. If anyone out there has seen any whale, dolphin or porpoise activity, I'd love to hear about it.

I did however, find the Sealions that had disappeared so quickly a while ago. Once the seas settled, the log booms resumed being towed southward and the Sealions were hitching a ride March 16 and 17. Each raft of logs held hundreds of them. On one boom alone, I counted approximately 300 Sealions. The majority of them looked like California Sealions, but there were also some Stellers in the mix.

The Pacific White Sided Dolphins have been around the Vancouver, Howe Sound area intermittently over the past couple of weeks, and I heard a rumour of a possible Gray Whale sighting near Nanaimo, but there's been no confirmation.

The areas around the bottom end of Vancouver Island have just recently seen some activity with Southern Resident Orca, a few Transient Orca and Gray Whales slowly moving up from Baja, stopping in Washington State.

Sightings to Mar 9 - Dolphins and Gray Whales Update

Again it has been very slow around this area, but I wanted to share a wonderful Pacific White Sided Dolphin sighting report and experience from one enthusiast. This encounter happened on March 6th around 2:30pm by Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver:

DB wrote:

"I was scuba diving and about a pod of 7 came to check me and my dive buddy out....I have been diving for over 3 years and this was the height of my diving experience to see Dolphins up close and personal." 

And additionally:

"I wouldn’t say they did anything out of the ordinary. I felt they were just curious about what we where. I am not sure if some of my scuba gear was making an odd sound that got their attention. I know when they came up to us they were directly in line with me. I would say about maybe 10 feet away.  When they took off they head straight out into Howe Sound. The pod seems to consist of 1 main Dolphin who was in the lead. The other dophins seem to hang back from her. Two were right under her fins. The other looked larger and hung back more. I am sure if I had a camera I might have been too excited to even use it."

Wow, what a truly great experience. Perhaps the mother was showing her young theses odd looking contraptions on the divers' back. They are such intelligent animals. 

Dolphins have become more frequent in the Howe Sound and Sunshine Coast areas over the past number of years. I believe a lot has to do with the clean up and recovery of our waterways which, in turn, has meant a recovery of their food sources.  The last Howe Sound sighting prior to this, that I recall hearing about, was late this past autumn. Perhaps this March sighting is a sign that they'll head back up the Sunshine Coast soon. Last year we had almost daily sightings around Powell River all fall and winter. This year, all whale, dolphin or porpoise sightings have been few and far between.

Update on Gray Whale movement from even farther South: There are two Gray Whales in the North Puget Sound area of Washington. They will continue to slowly return to their Northern feeding areas over the next few months usually via the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Southern Resident (fish eating) Orca were also spotted in the Haro Strait area.

As for my usual sightings report: Still nothing to report to March 9th. which really must change soon - I hope!

Feb 27 to Mar 2 Sightings - Orca!

Even with the snow we had, we did have at least one Orca sighting! See the photo below (you might have to click on the the "Display Images" note in your web browser).

 

This photo originally came to me from the Orca Network, the sightings network recording sightings south of this one. They mostly deal with the south end of Vancouver Island and into the upper US. We keep each other informed in attempts to track the movements of all Whales and Dolphins.

The photo is one from Whidbey artist Rob Schouten  who made a Snow Orca (or Snorca)! on Whidbey Island, WA February 25, 2011

Photo courtesy of and thanks to the inventiveness of
Rob and Victory Lee Schouten

As for the movements of animals: There have been no sightings in the Sunshine Coast of BC unless there is someone who still hasn't passed on the information, but a Gray Whale was seen in the Seattle area on Mar. 1st, so they are on their way onto the BC coast. This month should be the month they arrive, based on historical timeframes, so keep your eyes peeled. They do normally travel along the outer coast of Vancouver Island, but sometimes come into these inside waterways.


As for my regular posting, which is far too regular lately: 
Feb 27 to Mar 2 (Actual, Live, and more Local) Sightings, I have nothing to report, I'm afraid.

Anyone else up to submitting a Snow Whale????

Feb 18 to Feb 26 Lack of Sightings

I appear to be going through whale and dolphin sightings withdrawal. I have seen, or thought I did, a couple of blows a few days ago, but did not see any backs or dorsals of any sort to be able to confirm. It is possible it's just wishful thinking. The weather has not cooperated in the ability to easily spot them either.

This lack of sightings is unusual around here since there's usually porpoises, if nothing else. Even monitoring the marine radio, from where I occasionally hear about sightings, has provided no results. It's hard to imagine that it could be to do with noise from the Powell River Harbour construction only. So where are they all?

I do hear that the herring are running late and not in the quantities expected. This even to the point of hearing that there are some Bald Eagles dying due to malnutrition on Vancouver Island. I know the ones around here are frequently after birds, which they do even when there are fish around.

There is even a distinct lack of sea lions, although I can confirm sightings of a few of them swimming towards the top of Harwood Island.

Feb 18 to Feb 26: No whale, dolphin or porpoise sightings to report.

And, for those of you following my Hummingbird sightings: I appear to be down by one male Anna's. Perhaps gone to start looking for the perfect nesting site to protect for its' prospective mate. I'd rather think that, than it succumbed to the freezing cold temperatures we've had lately. Still can confirm three females and one male coming numerous times daily to the feeder.

And last, there has been a bear sighted around the Mowat Bay area of Powell River. This is a bit early, so it's probably quite cranky.

Feb 10 to Feb 17 Report

Through all the wind pushing up the seas, the heavy rains, and even the snow, of which there's still a bit left on the ground, it has been dismal for whale and dolphin spotting.

The only animals I've seen have been the numerous birds at the feeders. Yes, my Hummingbirds are still around and feeding frequently. They hid while it snowed. I've been hoping to get a photo of them in the snow, but it's not working. Although these Hummers are Anna's Hummingbirds, there was one tiny - and they do look so much smaller than Anna's - Rufous that passed through stopping for a quick drink. Guess some are getting ready to stake claim to their breeding areas along the coast.

Whale, Dolphin or Porpoise Sightings:

Feb 10 to 17th - None to report, unfortunately.

Feb 5 to Feb 9 Sightings

Although the weather has been up and down, sightings around Powell River have only been of some Sea Lions. Even they seem to be farther away.

Work on the Powell River Harbour continues and it seems that the sounds, which carry farther underwater, might just be part of the cause for the lack of local sightings. The last Pacific White Sided Dolphins I was out with turned away from Powell River when they dumped some rocks to build up the extended breakwater. Coincidence? There are a few studies underway right now to see just how sound might affect cetaceans.

The good news is that I did receive a report of Transient, meat eating, Killer Whales or Orca in Okisollo Channel, above the rapdis and just where Johnstone Strait starts. Looks like they were heading up Johnstone Strait, but you never know. I've copied the relevant parts of the email I received below. Thanks AJ.

Feb 9th 10am:
"I was out today and saw 6-8 Transients in Okisollo Channel, more specifically Bjerre Rock near, Venture Pt near the North West end of the channel. They were heading west at about 10am....
 As far as an ID... I didn't have my camera on me.... (as per usual) but I noticed 1 larger male, about 4-5 sub adults or females and one young calf (2ish yrs old). From behind, the larger male had a definite curve on the top of his dorsal with some notches. I thought MAYBE T 20 but not sure."

Feb 6 to 8 - No sightings to report

Feb 5 - Spent some time out on the water - Lots of bait fish and Sea Lions out around Rebecca Rocks and the West end of Harwood Island.

Jan 31 to Feb 4 2011 Sightings

It has been very slow for sightings. Only splashes and a few dorsal fins of probably Pacific White Sided Dolphins have been spotted right through from Jan 31 to Feb 4 th. with the last sighting on Feb 4th around 1pm near Willingdon Beach area in Powell River.

The only other bit of information of interest I received is the fact that there are Cutthroat Trout appearing in some of our local Powell River ditches.

This is quite significant since these ditches once were the creeks and streams of Powell River. They were culverted  to allow for roads and housing many, many years ago. It was thought that without re-stocking with fish, not to mention extensive refurbishing of the creek beds, there would be no runs of any sort. I had heard of the occasional Sea Run Trout, which would be Cutthroat, being caught off the Sliammon reserve over the last two years, but thought that it was a very random event.

When it comes to Resident (fish eating) Orca, Killer Whales, we know they eat salmon and halibut, so can we assume they also eat trout? After all trout is from the salmonoid family of fish.

At this point, I do not want to specify the exact location of these Cutthroat Trout so as to protect the fry. This also raises the point of how to improve and maintain these mini ecosystems. I will keep you all posted when I hear more.

If you are interested in helping to preserve these local areas, please drop me a note by clicking here.

Jan 28 to Jan 30 Sightings

Jan 30 - 6 to 10 Splashes that were not Sea Lions. Due to the sunshine glare, I could not tell for sure if they were Dalls Porpoises or Pacific White Sided Dolphins, but the most likely would be dolphins. Last sighted close to the Northwest sandbar off Harwood Island and heading towards the Powell River Mill.

Jan 29 - Not as much time to scan waters, but I did manage to see the Comox ferry taking an unusual angle. Then I could see some dark animals surfacing. It took till later on the confirm that I was seeing some Killer Whales. I could only see around 5 or 6 of them near the top of Texada Island and between Texada and Rebecca Rocks. They were headed in a southerly direction on the Vancouver Island side of Texada.

Jan 28 - No sightings to report

Sightings Jan 26 and Jan 27

Jan 27 - The morning started with 5 Killer Whales reported off the Iron Mines close to Lund at 10:30 am. They were southbound, so I headed out on the skiff to find them.

16 to 20 Transient Killer Whales appeared by Atrevida Reef, on the mainland side across from Hernando Island. They were moving very slowly spread out into smaller groups in typical Transient Orca fashion. There were two younger calves travelling with a large male, the only male spotted in the group. Another older calf was with a couple of females in a separate group.

The hydrophone was dropped into the water a number of times, but they were silent, even though they did not seem to be on the hunt. A couple of them came right up beside the skiff, and one stopped right underneath for a moment or two. Stopping, as if to rest, like that directly under a boat is something I had never seen or heard of before. They did frequently form resting lines on the surface, as Orca tend to do.

A few continued in the direction of the Powell River Mill, but they all turned and regrouped to head northwest between Harwood and Savary Islands. They continued with noses pointed towards Mittlenatch Island around 3:30 pm.

Only Steller Sea Lions were seen on Vivian Island, so don't know where all those California Sea Lions got to. There were between 50 to 75 of them.

Jan 27 - On returning from the Orca, I had a message on the answering machine that around 1pm there was a large group of Pacific White Sided Dolphins southbound between Grief Point and the Beach Gardens, Powell River close in to shore.

I spoke with the Vancouver Aquarium Cetacean Sightings Network, since I record and report all sightings. Apparently, there are a few large groups of Dolphins travelling in the Georgia Strait. Sightings have also been reported in Nanaimo and they have returned to Howe Sound again. I haven't heard if there are any still in the Sechelt Inlet, so maybe someone could let me know.

Jan 26 - No sightings to report

Jan 24 and Jan 25 Sightings

Jan 25 - No sightings to report

Jan 24 - 5 Killer Whales, or Orca, were reported just south of Myrtle Rocks, south of Powell River with breaches and splashing around noon. They appeared to slowly be continuing southward.

There were numerous Sea Lions which all seemed to rush close in and onto shore, so I assume these were Transient Orcas on the hunt. There were no large male dorsals spotted, but there was quite a bit of rain and fog to look through. It's hard to say whether they entered that part of the strait from the top end of Texada, in front of Powell River, or came up from the bottom end and were turning back south. I didn't spot them from my vantage point, but work has kept me from scanning the water more frequently.

Jan 21 to Jan 23 Dolphins and Sea Lions

I had been wondering where the Pacific White Sided Dolphins got to. Normally, at least the past few years, they have been in and around the areas from Sechelt to Cortez Island in the winter months. Last year there were daily sightings of 80 to 100 at a time.

I was extremely happy to spot a group of between 100 to 150 together with a few sea lions in the mix, in front of Powell River yesterday. They foraged for food and travelled between Grief Point and Rebecca Rocks. Looking like they were moving Nothwest with purpose I thought that by the time I would get out there, they'd be gone. So I went back to work in my office. I was so surprised to find they stayed around still back and forth, so I headed out on the water with them.

Of course they were frolicking amongst themselves and with the sea lions, as they tend to do, in between feeding. But feeding was their main purpose. I left them close to the Texada shoreline headed towards VanAnda.

Jan 23 - 11am till 3pm 100 to 150 Pacific White Sided Dolphins with som sea lions foraging between Grief Point, Westview Ferry Terminal and Rebecca Rocks towards VanAnda on Texada Island

Jan 21 and Jan 22 - No sightings to report

Jan 13 to Jan 20 Plus late Orca Report

Last evening I received information about Killer Whale (Orca) sightings from the Comox to Powell River Ferry on Jan 11 th. There were a fair number of them, possibly 12, Orca on both sides of the ferry. They were spread out and just slowly milling about mid-strait between Comox and Rebecca Rocks out in front of Powell River.

Just a reminder to please let me know about these sightings earlier. I know many of you think that I already heard about it, but with everyone thinking I already heard, I'm actually not hearing about it till late. It's also easier to log the information when it's fresh in your mind as to species, number of animals, time of day, location and direction of travel.

Unfortunately there have been no other sightings to report covering Jan 13 to Jan 20 other than the many sea lions that were in the area making quite a racket on the breakwater by the Powell River Mill. The majority were California sea lions. Their barks could be heard all over town at times. They suddenly have all departed with some reports of them southbound and by Stillwater. Steller Sea Lions around 100 of them, have been reported back on the rocks of Vivian Island just West of Harwood.

My next presentation about Whales and Dolphins and Porpoises in our area is Saturday, January 22nd 10am till noon. Since this is for the Malaspina Young Naturalists Club of Powell River any child and parent is welcome. Admission is through donation. Location: the Trinity Hall, United Church located at the corner of Michigan and Duncan Avenues in Powell River.

Look forward to seeing you there.

Jan 9 to Jan 12 Sightings

Jan 10 to 12 - Been looking for those Orca, but I'm afraid there's no reported sightings for this period. There are numerous sea lions around with a fair number of them California Sea Lions. The hummingbirds are happy that the snow is gone and it's a bit warmer now. I was surprised to see how much they could puff themselves up in the cold.

Jan 9 - While doing the monthly shore bird species and their numbers count, our group noticed eight blows which looked like Orca just North of VanAnda on Texada Island around 2pm. They traveled tight to the Texada shoreline up to Blubber Bay, where the ferry goes in. Lost sight of them around 4pm.

Sightings Jan 3 to Jan 8

Good news this morning (Jan 8)! There are around 20 Pacific White Sided Dolphins out in front of Powell River. I last saw them at 9am heading towards Willingdon Beach on the North side of the ferry terminal.


With limited time to watch for any animals and no other reports about sightings, things have been pretty slow. Many sea lions have been spotted cavorting and playing in the area. Guess they're happy the Transient Orca have gone for now.

I did receive a late report on the 4th of around 20 Dolphins that were seen out in front of Powell River Townsite area northbound on Jan 2nd at around noon. These numbers added to the other sightings of Jan 2nd would indicate that the group that was in the Sechelt Inlet area have moved back up this way.

Unfortunately no other sightings to report of whales, dolphins or porpoises for Jan 4 to Jan 7th. If you see anything, I would love to hear from you: Email to Susan

New Year Dolphins - Sighting Jan 1 and 2

Welcome to 2011

Bringing in the New Year with calm sunny days is a real bonus. Although cold outside, the sunshine bolsters spirits. By the way, for those interested, I still have 5 Hummingbirds feeding regularly at the feeder.

Jan 2: I received information about 40 to 50 Pacific White Sided Dolphins headed towards Desolation Sound from right in front of Bliss Landing, just above Lund, at around 8:30am  Another 10 Dolphins were spotted on the other side of Thulin Passage about 5 minutes later, also heading in the same direction.

Jan 1: Once yesterday's Transient (meat eating) Orca left the area, the sea lions felt safe enough to return and play in the waters. No whales or dolphins sighted today.

Sunshine and Whales Last Report of 2010

What a marvelous way to end 2010. The sun was out, the seas were calm and we had whales in front of Powell River!


Over the past few days I had seen some blows and even spotted a couple of dark backs, but with whale sightings, timing is everything, and I could not confirm the type of whales I saw. I did believe them to be Humpbacks due to the size of the blows and not seeing dorsal fins. With the rougher seas, I was not able to call it. But, today was another story....

After some minor repairs to my steering, I made it out on the water with 7 and possibly 8 Transient Orca just out in front of Powell River. There were many, many, seagulls picking up the scraps as these Transients fed on sea lions. I'm sure from underneath, the fish were also able to have some snacks. Photos are of Orca with sea lion flipper and a large male, both looking towards Texada Island. Actual sightings list is below.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Dec 31: 7 to possibly 8 Transient Orca close to the Powell River Ferry terminal and harbour. From 11:15am till 3:15pm - I left them heading towards Sentry Shoal and Mitlenatch Island out past Harwood Island, blows visible for miles in the sun.

Dec 30: Not much time to look, but quick scans revealed nothing and no reports coming in.

Dec 29: Two to Four large blows and some dark backs between Texada and Rebecca Rocks - again couldn't confirm since it was from 4pm till it was too dark to see.

Dec 24, Dec 26: Two (possibly more) large blows between Texada and Harwood Islands a couple of times during the day. Did get a call about numerous sea lions in front of Powell River southbound and playing on Dec 26th.

Merry Christmas

Dec 4, 2010 Orca from J Pod

Wishing you and yours

All the Best of the Holidays

and the New Year !

Dec 19 to 23 - There have been no sightings forwarded or seen over the past few days. I must admit, scanning time has also been minimal due to the rush of the season. Hope yours is a Merry one.

Sightings Dec 11 to Dec 18

Dec 18 - Lots of birds out just past Rebecca Rocks. Looked as if there were some splashes and even thought I saw a couple of low blows, but nothing confirmed, I'm afraid.

It's been a slow few days for any sightings. My scanning of the water has also been reduced and intermittent due to the push to complete things prior to the holidays.

Although it's a late report, there have been many Pacific White Sided Dolphins in the Porpoise Bay area in Sechelt Inlet on Dec. 6th. Some kayakers were lucky enough to spend some time with them as well as get some photographs. The photos can be viewed through Sechelt's The Local Weekly newspaper in their Archived Dec.9th issue.

Whale / Dolphin Sightings Dec 7 to Dec 10

Although I have been scanning the waters occasionally during the days, I'm afraid I have no whale, dolphin or porpoise sightings to report for these three days. There were also no reports submitted to me from anyone.

Dec 10 There were hundreds of birds just out past Rebecca Rocks, between Harwood and Texada Islands. There were what looked like splashes, but could easily have been the way the light bounced off the birds.

Regarding the Dec. 6th Orca whale sightings off of Grief Point, from the photos passed on to me, they were, in fact "J" pod. I managed to confirm that J26 was in the mix.

Of interest, as far as Hummingbirds go, I believe the number I now have coming to the feeder is 5. Three females and two males.

Orca / Killer Whale Sightings Dec 5 and 6

Although I had been checking out the window regularly, I missed them, but reports are in:

Dec 5 - Approx. 20 - 30 Orca / Killer Whales were spotted by Black Point, just south of Powell River heading in a Northerly direction at around 12pm.

Dec 6 - 13 Orca / Killer Whales were spotted off of Grief Point, Powell River heading in a Northerly direction around 11am.

Dec 6 - Approx. 4-6 Dalls porpoises or Pacific White Sided Dolphins were wake riding with a fishing boat then left towards Atrevida Reef, north of Powell River at 9:15 am.

As I mentioned in my comment to the last posting, the Dec 4th Orcas were from the Southern Residents "J" Pod with confirmed J16, J17, J28 and possibly J36.

The question arises: Are these the same whales traveling around Texada Island, or do they sneak back down the Powell River side at night?

Thanks for the calls and emails with the reports. As always, they are logged and reported to the Cetacean Sightings Network for posting to their central data bank so that the movements of these whales, dolphins and porpoises can be tracked.

Killer Whales / Orca Sightings and Dolphin Update

Dec 4 - Exciting day! Around 10:30am Orca were spotted around Black Point, just south of Powell River. By 12pm they were rounding Grief Point and in front of Powell River. By 2:30 they picked up the pace and headed West, out towards Vancouver Island. Campbell River people should keep their eyes open.

The weather had smartened up and not only did we have calm seas and sunshine, there was a large number of Orca / Killer Whales to get out with. I made it out there, joined by a neighbour to get some identification photos. They were very spread out from Texada to Harwood Islands as well as closer to the Powell River shore so a definitive count was impossible. We did manage to determine that there were definitely over 20 animals, so more than one pod. We spotted at least 4 large males and 1 pretty young calf with it's mother. I don't think I have every seen so many Orca breaches (at least 12 full out of water leaps) during one short sighting.

I will post a comment to this update once I've figured out which pods these were from, but from the water it certainly looked like the A12s were in the mix. There's a fair bit of underwater noise with the construction of the North Harbour, mill, tug boats and ferries, so could not pick up any good vocals to help with pod confirmation. What I did hear though, was not the typical A clan calls.

There were also some either dolphins or porpoises with them, but no-one could confirm which species since there were no large leaps which would usually indicate Pacific White Sided Dolphins. Seeing Dolphins or Porpoises traveling with Orca in itself would confirm that these were Resident (fish eating) Orca, since Transients are meat eaters. Out on the water, I only spotted some smaller splashes which seemed to disappear.

Dec 1 to 3: There were no sightings that I'm aware of, but the weather was not conducive to easily spot anything.

I also received a late report that there were Pacific White Sided Dolphins that were spotted from the ferry around 3:30 pm between Comox and Rebecca Rocks on Nov 30th. These were probably some of the Nov 28th group I had spotted off the top of Texada.

The ferry Queen of Chilliwack is still on the Comox-Powell River run and the dolphins are not as fond of bow riding with this ferry as they are with the Queen of Burnaby, so they don't travel with it for longer periods of time.

Thanks for the calls reporting the sightings - rest assured they get logged and reported.

PS I'm back to having at least 3 different Hummingbirds at the feeder - guess they didn't leave the area when it was so cold. Still no idea where the Humpback whales got to.

Sightings Nov 26 to Nov 30

It's been a slow period as far as whale, dolphin or porpoise sightings go. Scanning the waters in front of Powell River in between work has produced only one real sighting - see below. The wind generated waves make it very difficult to spot these animals, and I have heard of no other reports of sightings.

Nov 28 - Around 50 (plus of minus) Pacific White Sided Dolphins were headed southward around 4pm from Rebecca Rocks towards the west side of Texada Island. The only way I was able to confirm what I saw, other than just splashes, was that a few of them did leap out of the water.

Not sure what happened to the Humpbacks that had been seen, but since our snow and cold snap, I have only seen one hummingbird coming back to the feeder.

Humpback Hummingbirds & Snow Nov 21 to Nov 25 Sightings

With the snow, it's been difficult to see the water and most people spent most of the time just trying to stay warm. It was bitter cold, yet there are three hummingbirds at the feeder! These little guys are Anna's hummingbirds and there are a few of them that stay in the Powell River area all winter. All I know is that I'm amazed that both the hummers and the humpbacks haven't left for warmer climates. I assume the one from the previous days is still the one known as Crescent, but there's no confirmation. The hummers aren't named.

Nov 23 - 25 Scanned between snow and bits of fog, but nothing confirmed. Not sure if I only saw some spray from winds or if there was a Humpback blow.

Nov 22 - 1 Humpback was seen around the Powell River Mill by the "hulks" breakwater.

Nov 21 - 1 Humpback was reported to have spent most of the day between Lund and Savary Island at least till close to 5pm.

Humpback Whale Sightings Nov 17 to Nov 20

Nov 20 - Confirmed sighting of 2 humpback whales heading towards Lund from the bottom of Savary Island at around 4pm. No idea if these are different animals or not.
At around 9pm 3 distinct blows were heard tight in to shore by Sevilla Island off of Lund. Humpbacks will find a safe place to rest, and were probably between the rock just of the island and Sevilla Island itself since they were not on the move.

Nov 20 - Morning scans of the water. I could have sworn I saw two distinct blows, but never saw the type of whale. This was between Rebecca Rocks and Harwood Island heading towards Vivian Island just on the west end of Harwood - all just off of Powell River.

Nov 19 - Unfortunately, no sightings. There were a lot of birds around Atrevida Reef as well as around Rebecca Rocks to Harwood Island.

Nov 18 - Only saw one blow and back briefly. Again, I assume it's still the same humpback whale. Guess timing was off from scanning the waters to spotting whales.

Nov 17 - Looks like Crescent the humpback is still around - thought I saw a second blow?? A later report said they were watching and had a lovely breach - great shore sighting!

Crescent the Humpback Whale Nov 14 to 16

Nov 14 right through to this morning of Nov 16 - BCX1258, the Humpback whale known as Crescent is still feeding in and around the area from Texada Island, Harwood Island to Sliammon First Nations and Powell River on the mainland.

The Sliammon First Nations operate a fish hatchery and the creek would certainly attract many small fish to feed on the carcasses of spawned out salmon making a great feeding area for this Humpback whale.

Thanks to those calling me right away with the information on where she's travelling. It allows me to actually get some work done rather than staring out the window looking for her. Please keep those calls coming so we can keep an eye on her and her travels.

Nov 14 - 2 Harbour porpoises at around 1:45 pm spotted by Grief Point foraging in the tide lines - nice to finally see some around again. The porpoise sightings are being overshadowed by the excitement of having a Humpback staying in our area.

Humpback Whale Crescent Sightings Nov 13 & 14

Nov 12 (the rest of the day from my prior post) did manage to produce one view of the Humpback whale known as Crescent BCX1258

Nov 13 and 14th (it's early on the 14th) Crescent the Humpback whale is still cruising around the area from Texada, Harwood, and Powell River. Doing long dives, it's a bit of patience to spot her, then she comes up for a few breaths before another long dive. At 10am this morning she was angled towards the hulks in front of the Powell River mill.

I'd love to hear if anyone else is spotting her - where and when.

Humpback Whale Sightings Nov 11 to Nov 12

Nov 12 - Although we're not done with the day yet, the Humpback whale appeared again just out from shore in front of Powell River this morning. It was headed towards Willingdon beach doing long dives then coming up for three or four breaths and another long dive. Hopefully it's getting some good feed.
This whale is nicknamed Crescent and it's officially known as BCX1258 and is definitely the same one as on Nov 10th - thanks to Jackie Hildering and Christie McMillen for the assistance in the identification.

Nov 11  - with the winds and rough sea state, I had no reports and did not spot anything myself

Humpback Whales Sightings Nov 10

Nov 10 - Just as I finished posting yesterday's lack of whale sightings at 9am, I looked up from the computer to see a Humpback whale surfacing just out from the Powell River shore. After logging off the computer and grabbing camera gear, I went to see if I could get some identification photos.

The first very large whale I spotted quickly slipped past me and since it was so calm, it's huge blow could be seen from quite a distance as it made it's way Southward past Grief Point. Since it was doing long dives, I was going to head back to the harbour, but spotted another Humpback right in front of me. In the almost 4 hours I was with it, this humpback didn't fluke (show it's tail), but I managed to get a couple of hump photos by Harwood Island that show some unique markings. See the photos below. I need help with the identification, it's not one that I've seen before. Please let me know if you can figure it out. I left it around 2pm heading southwest between Texada Island and Rebecca Rocks.

It was so calm and sunny out there. No sightings so far today Nov 11th.

Information and Sightings Nov 4 to Nov 9

It's been a slow few days. I may have been wishful thinking Nov 7 when I saw what looked like 5 to 6 blows travelling in an Orca-like pattern. Grabbing binoculars I stayed scanning the area for a while, but never saw another blow, so I'd have to say it was a non-report.

The bird activity between Sentry Shoal and Rebecca Rocks just out from Powell River has been huge, with thousands of birds grouped up. Not having enough time to take a run out there on the skiff, I was unable to tell if there were any marine mammals pushing the feed to the surface, or if it was only some diving birds.

I have been asked to explain about the subscription to this blog and how it works. You can subscribe by typing in your email address in the box to the right. It can be any email address where you'd like these updates to be sent. You will receive a verification email requesting a reply to confirm that you actually would like this information sent to your inbox. Once you've authorized the receipt of these emails, you will start to receive them as an email sent directly to you. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me susan@whalesanddolphinsbc.com  

Whale and Dolphin Sightings Nov 1 to Nov 3

Nov 3 - 1 Humpback around 10am by Northeast Point off of Texada Island. It was facing Northward, but since the general direction gathered from the earlier reports puts it making it's way slowly in a Southerly direction, it may not be coming back to this area. Anyone with photos of it's hump and / or tail flukes, please drop a note - let's see if we can identify this whale

Nov 3 - 1 Harbour Porpoise was feeding between Harwood Island and Mystery Reef, just South of Savary Island

Nov 3 - 100+ Pacific White Sided Dolphins were first spotted around 8am close to the Texada Ferry and Powell River Ferry Terminal. They stayed relatively close to shore and continued towards Grief Point, which they rounded by 9:30am With the calm weather, I received comments about hearing all their amazing blows as they past the South Harbour.

Nov 2 - The Humpback whale was spotted sometime during the day close to Dinner Rock just South of the Iron Mines and North of Atrevida Reef. - between Powell River and Lund. 

Nov 2 - 4 Pacific White Sided Dolphins on the 9am Lund Water Taxi run between Lund and Savary. They bow rode for a short period of time then headed NW.

Nov 1 - 1 Humpback spent most of the day feeding back and forth around the Iron Mines just South of Lund. There were some dolphins around it also. Rumour mill has it as having been in the area for a few days....people, please let me know.

Sightings Oct 31 to Nov 1

Nov 1 - With hopes of spotting the dolphins again, I scanned the waters when I could, but spotted nothing. I'm told by the Cetacean Sightings Network team that there had been no sightings reports from this area other than mine. I can't watch the ocean all day and would love to hear of any sightings from you

Oct 31 - 30 plus Pacific White Sided Dolphins were chasing feed in their high speed chase patterns then stopping to feed. They were spotted off the Willingdon Beach around 12pm and worked their way towards Grief Point in front of Powell River. They were moving pretty quickly with stops to feed in between.

Oct 31 - Not a large group of Pacific White Sided Dolphins were spotted around 11:20 am close to the Texada shore just above VanAnda. Due to the distance, I couldn't get a number or direction on them. The only reason I knew they were dolphins was by the leaps.

Oct 31 - 6 either Dalls or Harbour porpoises were foraging closer to Harwood Island at around 9 am and then later were spotted close to Powell River's South Harbour breakwater. Lots of bird activity now, so the feed must be in.

No Whale Sghtings Oct 25 to Oct 30

Well, the past few days have been very quiet in this area for any sightings. Although a few of us are keeping our eyes open for any activity, there seems to be a distinct lack of whales, dolphins, porpoises and even sea lion activity.

I did hear some commercial chatter on the radio of "a couple of (too scratchy to catch what) heading towards the boat."  They were just outside of Merry Island by Secret Cove.


Always keeping our eyes open and scanning! Happy Halloween to all.

Killer Whale / Orca Sightings Oct 23 to Oct 24

Oct 24 - 2 and possibly more Killer Whales / Orca at 5:45 pm between the top of Texada Island and Rebecca Rocks out from Powell River. The seas were up from the winds making anything difficult to spot. I thought I'd take a quick scan with the binoculars and was surprised to catch an Orca breaching. I did see at least two dorsals, but couldn't tell if I saw more than that in the waves. They appeared to be heading in a NW direction.

Oct 23 - Saw some splashes, but can't guarantee they were from any type of cetacean. May have been some of the dolphins that were around Nanaimo a few days ago, or could have just been some sealions.

Sightings Orca and Dolphins Oct 21 to 22

NOTE:
Since it's pretty quiet out there for whale watching boaters right now, reports are getting slimmer. If you are interested in joining this network of whale sighting reporters, please contact me at susan@whalesanddolphinsbc.com or by posting a comment below to help with sightings from land or the water. No sighting report is ignored, and all information is passed on to researchers for tracking. Winter is a crucial time specifically because there are fewer people on the water. Let's help figure out where these cetaceans travel.

Oct 22 - At least the fog lifted! But there have been no reports passed on to me, nor have I spotted anything today other than a fair bit of white caps on the water.

Oct 21 - 200 Pacific White Sided Dolphins first spotted around 9:30 am around Ripple Point at the lower end of Johnstone Strait and continued southward into Discovery Passage. Unfortunately I was in peas soup fog all day for the second day, and could not tell if they made it down into Georgia Strait.

Oct 21 - 3 Transient (meat eating) Orca were spotted - a bit out of the range from here, but since I received the report, I'm including it - they were at the top of Johnstone Strait very early in the morning and were continuing West into Queen Charlotte Strait.

Oct 4 to Oct 20 Whales and Dolphin Sightings

Oct 20 - 150 to 200 PLUS another 300 Pacific White Sided Dolphins. 12:45 just South of Kanish Bay in Discovery Pass above Campbell River they were spread out to mid-strait. Just after 1pm sounds like the same group were headed North by Mills Bay. A short while later, there were an additional approximately 300 by Helmken Island, just below Kelsey Bay in Johnstone Strait. These ones were headed in a SEast direction as if to meet up with the first group.

Oct 20 - Unknown number of Killer Whales / Orca just west of Kelsey Bay. No direction of travel. This information was passed through a few people to me, and the people I spoke with never did catch up to these whales, but it was a reliable originating source.

Oct 19 - 200 approx. Pacific White Sided Dolphins around Brown's Bay, Discovery Pass "pop corning" (it looks like they pop out of the water as they chase feed) everywhere! Later in the afternoon, they were mid Discovery Pass across from Copper Bluffs (off Campbell River) headed South West.

Oct 18 (Help me fill in these blanks....leave a comment)

Oct 17 - 3 to 6 Either Pacific White Sided Dolphins or Dalls Porpoises 10:45 am seen from a distance, which, unless they leap clear out of the water, makes it difficult to identify, on the West side of Rebecca Rocks out from Powell River and between Texada and Harwood Islands.

Oct 11 to 16 

Oct 10 - 300 to 500 Pacific White Sided Dolphins 11am till 1pm at the top of Discovery Pass and the netrance to Okisollo Channel. They were spread out, leaping and doing dolphin stuff.

Oct 7 to 9 Again, very quiet.


Oct 6 -  1 Minke whale 12:45 pm out from Powell River viewpoint pointed towards Texada Island's Blubber Bay. Saw it surface three times and then it disappeared. I was scanning in search of the Resident Orca, but later heard they made their way up to the upper Johnstone Strait.

Oct 4 & 5 Very quiet days - no sighting from here or reported to me about any whales or dolphins in the area.

Sept 21 to Oct 3 Whale, Dolphin and Porpoise Sightings

Oct. 3 - 30 to 50 Killer Whales / Orca WOW These were Resident (fish eating) Orca seen from 1pm till 5:45pm - first seen by Mitlenatch Island spread out towards Cape Mudge, Quadra Island and continued through Seymour Narrows up Discovery Channel to Deep Water Bay above Campbell River. They included A12s, A30s, A36s, A34s I11s, G17s and more pods!


Oct 3 - 2 Harbour Porpoises 10:45am in front of Powell River, Westview foraging towards Harwood Island.

Oct 2 - 4 Killer Whales / Orca at 10am in Calm Channel by Church House. These were Transient (meat Eating) Orca and only 4 females were spotted. Later in the day these 4 were spotted again around 4pm still heading West in Cordero Channel.

Oct 1 - 5 or 6 Killer Whales /Orca 3:45 to 5pm between Harwod and Vivian Island then around Grant's Reef at the bottom of Savary Island. They were doing long dives, but looked like Transient Orca. There was 1 or possibly 2 large males, but the seas had started to pick up so I lost sight of them.

Sept 30 - 5 or 6 Pacific White Side Dolphins 4pm headed in a Westerly direction from Blubber Bay, Texada Island.

Sept 30 - ?? total number Killer Whales/Orca between 12:20 and 5:30 pm at Bear Point, Johnstone Strait at 12:20 pm, Ripple Point at 3:30 pm and headed east to Nodales Channel at 5:30 pm. These were Resident (fish eating) Orca including A12, A36s, A34s.

Sept 23 - 1 Killer Whale /Orca was spotted between Whaletown, Cortez Island and Heriot Bay, Quadra Island - no time - no direction.

Sept 22 - 1 Killer Whale / Orca shortly after spotting the Dolphins below, which would explain the rush they were in. Headed towards Savary Island. I assume it was T14 a large male Orca and well known Transient (meat eater) Orca who frequently travels alone.

Sept 22 - approx. 10 Pacific White Sided Dolphins around 5:45 pm Spotted by the Hulks off the Powell River Mill headed towards Grief Point in a hurry...odd.

Sept 21 - 2 Harbour Porpoises around 1;30 pm just off of Powell River between Texada and Harwood Islands headed west towards Rebecca Rocks.

Sept 21 - 2 Humpbacks 8:30 am till 4pm First saw them around Blubber Bay, Texada Island and picked them up again mid strait between Vancouver Island and Texada headed southward towards Denman and Hornby Islands. They were doing long dives so it was tough to keep up with where they popped up again. Gave up when the seas picked up a bit more than comfortable.

Sept 12 to 20 Whale and Porpoise Sightings

Sept 20 - 2 Humpback whales around 6pm from Atrevida Reef to the hulks off the Powell River Mill slowly moving southeast.

Sept 20 - 8 Killer whales / Orca same Transients (meat eaters) as had been around for a while. around 11am till 2pm southward movement from Mitlenatch Isl to Sentry Shoal but a bit closer to Vancouver Island side of the strait.

Sept 18 - 12 (+or-) Killer whales / Orca 12pm-6pm Rebecca Spit, Quadra Isl. along shore then to Marina Isl. and down past Cortez Reef just off Baker Passage between Hernando and Cortez Isl.

Sept 17 - 6 Killer whales / Orca Transients at same time 7pm close to the Powell River shoreline slowly working their way north west up towards Mystery Reef, Savary Isl. Watched both groups (see below) till it got too dark to see them.

Sept 17 - 8 Killer Whales / Orca Transients 7pm in one of the nicest sunsets past Blubber Bay, Texada Isl. westbound towards Sentry Shoal.

Sept 16 - 2 Harbour porpoises around 5pm heading southward towards Grief Point between the E side of Texada Isl. and Powell River.

Sept 16 - 20 Killer whales / Orca Transients (meat eaters) received a phone call around noon that there were 4 Orca by Savary Island heading down the Strait. I found 16 of them by Grant's Reef off Savary Isl.and had another 4 join up later on around 1:30 pm till 5:30 pm as they worked their way southward towards the west side of Texada Island. Again, great day with lots of breaching, tail slaps and great vocals and lots of photos.

Sept 14 - 3 or more Killer whales / Orca around 2:40 pm between Rebecca Rocks and Harwood Island off Powell River heading NW towards Vivian Island - assumed to be Transient (meat eaters) still in the area.

Sept 14 - 2 Dalls porpoises 1:35 pm right at the Mystery Reef marker off Savary Island

Sept 14 - 5 Harbour porpoises 1pm - 1:35 pm travelling along from Mace Point, Savary Island to Mystery Reef foraging.

Sept 13 - 26 to 28 Killer whales / Orca Transients (meat eaters) including the ones from yesterday from 11:30 am till 5pm What a great day! From Sentry Shoal just south of Savary Island travelling up to Mitlenatch Island then Whilby Shoals, Quadra Island. They grouped up then spread out as they breached, tail slapped and interacted with one another and their food (seals and sealions). Great vocals too - I will be posting some to the website soon.

Sept 12 - 4 Killer whales / Orca Transients including T65B and female whose number I don't remember with scoliosis damage to her dorsal from 2 pm till 5 pm from Stag Bay, Hernando Island along the shoreline to Savary Island - I left them close to the Savary Island dock.

Sept 12 - 1 Harbour porpoise 12:30 pm between Marina and Cortez Islands closer to Mansons Landing

Sept 8 to 11 Whale, Dolphin and Porpoise Sightings

Sept. 11 - 2 Harbour porpoises at 4:30 pm by Smelt Bay, Cortez Island foraging.

Sept 11 - 12 Orca / Killer whales - possibly same Transients - 10am to 12pm spotted just outside Whaletown, Cortez Island and along Marina Island to Cortez Reef. They grouped up from different areas then headed N to Breton Islands.

Sept 10 - 2 Humpbacks 10am first spotted at Separation Head in Discovery Passage then 4pm down by Cape Mudge on Quadra Island.

Sept. 10 - 12 Orca / Killer whales (these were Transient Orca) from 9:25 am to 4pm by Cortez Island, Whaletown to Heriot Bay then Cape Mudge on Quadra Island. Lots of zig zagging they were pretty spread out. Last seen heading NW towards Campbell River.

Sept. 9 - 2 Dalls porpoise at 4:30 pm by Thurston Bay working the tide line.

Sept. 9 - 9 Dalls porpoises around 4pm in Nodales Channel below Sonora Pt. foraging close to shore in a northward direction.

Sept. 9 - 1 Pacific White Sided dolphin 3:30 pm top of Nodales Channel just above Sonora Pt. Unusual to see a lone dolphin, especially one that looked like a juvenile. It may have been separated from its group by Transient Orca.

Sept. 9 - 2 Dalls porpoise 2:30 pm - 3pm Cordero Island below Greene Point Rapids feeding in rips and then riding the bow of my boat SaltWash.

Sept. 9 - 2 Harbour porpoises around 10:30 am at the very top of Loughborough Inlet, McBride Bay were chasing fish. I had gone to look for the dolphins again, but didn't find them.

Sept. 8 - 4 Dalls porpoises around 5pm by Cordero Island just below Greene Point Rapids and the top of Maine Passage were foraging in the tide rips.

Sept. 8 - Around 500+ Pacific White Sided dolphins 2:30 pm till 4:00 pm were spread out and leaping, chasing feed, and generally being active part way up and to the mouth of Loughborough Inlet. I left them going west to Chancellor Inlet.

Sept. 8 - 4 Dalls porpoises around 12:45 pm at the bottom of Johnstone Strait, top of Discovery Passage by Walkem Islands were working the tide rips feeding.

Whale sightings

The listing of whale sightings, dates and species will be posted to this blog starting the next few days and will continue every few days. The sightings list will start from mid-September whale sightings and I hope that you will join in by posting any sightings or comments you might have.

Apart from being away, which delayed postings, on my return I prepared and gave a talk in Powell River about the whales, dolphins and porpoises in and around the area. It was a bonus to be able to show photos and play short clips of the great vocals I recorded from some of the September 2010 whales that were around Texada, Harwood, Savary and Mitlenatch Islands.

My Home site has another species added: Harbour (or Harbor if you prefer) Porpoise.

Farewell to a Friend

Derk Schaupmeyer 1945 – 2010

Losing a long time dear and close friend is never easy. Saying our final goodbyes at “the center of the universe” as Derk called Stubbs Island, with family and a few friends was special and peaceful.

My boat, SaltWash was out of commission, so our trip from Telegraph Cove took place on the Stubbs Island Whale Watching vessel Gikumi, thanks to Jim and Mary Borrowman. An evening that had rain forecast was calm and dry.

Just as we entered Weynton Pass, a few Dalls porpoises took the lead by zipping back and forth at our bow as our escort. This was significant, for Derk had enjoyed Dalls porpoises bow riding so much in years before. Just as we came to mid passage, there was a blow from a Humpback whale locally nicknamed Freckles. Wouldn't you know it, Freckles was nicknamed the year Derk was visiting the area, and I believe is the one he managed to photograph. We stopped for a moment to watch.

Continuing towards Stubbs Island a Minke whale was spotted feeding in the tide rips. Then came the Sealions on and around “the center of the universe”. Considering how short of a distance we had covered, it was impressive to have this varied and number of animal sightings. We all felt Derk's presence.

With the tide and current just right, the engine was turned off and we drifted. Even the raucous Sealions became quiet as we said our goodbyes and raised a glass in a toast to Derk.

As we drove out of Telegraph Cove back to Port McNeill, we had the opportunity to view a couple of coastal black bears feeding on berries. There were still a few other animals we could have seen, but these were certainly significant in Derk's life.

Goodbye dear friend, may you rest in peace.