Twister is back again this morning! S/he's slowly heading north at the moment. Beautiful, calm morning here :)
Leah
11 Jun 2011 08:36:21 PDT
 
Twister has been foraging off Parson Island for over 2 hours now and at one point s/he could be heard trumpeting. S/he is slowly making her/his way south at the moment. The sun is shining and there is a light NW breeze.
Leah
11 Jun 2011 12:59:47 PDT

The dolphins are super chatty in Robson Bight this evening; calling and echolocating! Sometimes, you can even hear their bodies swooshing past the hydrophone.
Leah
10 Jun 2011 00:28:46 PDT
 
Twister is back this morning working the flood current along Parson Island shoreline, while slowly heading south.
Leah
10 Jun 2011 10:36:31 PDT

The dolphins continued to call and echolocate throughout most of the night. Quiet morning here on the cetacean front, but the eagles sure have a lot to say! Drizzly skies and calm, glassy water in Blackney this morning.

Leah
09 Jun 2011 09:18:41 PDT
 
No orcas present.
Just signed us up on Twitter as OrcaLab1 in the hope we can send out alerts when there are calls. It is an bit of an experiment and hopefully it will help everyone. So follow us on Twitter too!
Helena & Paul
09 Jun 2011 11:13:35 PDT
 
Twister arrived back in Blackney at 1800 this evening. S/he is making the regular rounds, between Parson and Harbledowne Island, working the flood current.
Leah
09 Jun 2011 20:03:47 PDT
 

The dolphins made it to Critical Point last night by 2000. They could also be heard, quite distantly, throughout the night. They are now very vocal, but distant on Flower Island. Happy Ocean's Day everyone!
Leah
08 Jun 2011 09:13:52 PDT
 
Twister is foraging in the Blackney current this morning under a very thin layer of fog. It is lovely that s/he is finding food and that it is all within the view from the lab :)
Leah
08 Jun 2011 12:11:28 PDT
 
There are a bunch of super chatty dolphins in Robson Bight rooting for the Canucks. Go Canucks Go!
Leah
08 Jun 2011 17:49:37 PDT

A humpback is foraging off Parson Island at the moment. S/he hasn't fluked yet, so I can't be sure who it is. Sunny, windy day here :)
Leah
07 Jun 2011 12:34:52 PDT
 
There are dolphins chatting on Flower Island. All of a sudden things are getting busy out there :) Here's hoping some orcas show up ;)
Leah
07 Jun 2011 12:44:12 PDT
 
The HB headed south into Johstone and Jim Borrowman was able to catch up with her/him on the Lukwa...it's Twister!
Leah
07 Jun 2011 15:04:06 PDT
 
100+ dolphins just headed south, loosely grouped and traveling fast, in Blackney. The wind has calmed and the sun setting to the west is casting a beautiful light on the islands across the pass.
Leah
07 Jun 2011 19:35:02 PDT

Dolphins were calling and echolocating in Johnstone Strait at 2237 last night. Then at some point in the wee hours of the morning, I could hear them alongside a cruise ship heading north in Blackney. This particular ship was not as loud as other cruise ships underwater, but was emitting a high pitch noise intermittently. It made the same sound as the last cruise ship that I heard the dolphins traveling with. Hmmm.
Leah
06 Jun 2011 09:52:17 PDT

Good news! With much perseverance the rubbing beaches hydrophone has been reinstalled and is up and running! I awoke to a strange dolphin like call, that came through loud and clear, and found that it was coming from the rubbing beaches hydrophone. The calls now sound like Pacific White-Sided dolphins, so perhaps the original calls were of them checking out the new hydrophone???
Leah
05 Jun 2011 01:16:11 PDT
 
Twister and Arial are still accompanying one another as they work the current between Blackney Pass and Johnstone Strait this afternoon. As Jackie of MERS was observing these two at CP a third HB was slapping its tail to the east in Robson Bight. Wonder if it was Canuck or another individual coming in to the area?
Leah
05 Jun 2011 17:12:27 PDT
 

Two humpbacks headed north in Blackney at 1400 this afternoon. One of them appears to be Twister, but will await confirmation from MERS. Dolphins have also been traveling in groups of 10-100 from QCS to JS. Beautiful, calm weather has made for a very picturesque scene today! Go Canucks Go!

Leah
04 Jun 2011 17:14:30 PDT
 
Twister and Arial, the two HB's from earlier today, are back in Blackney. Arial and Twister just fluked side by side, respectively in the last of the sunset shining on Harbledowne Hump. Thank goodness for them the tug with its log tow is heading east in Johnstone Strait around the corner. Thanks Jackie for the ID's :)

Leah
04 Jun 2011 21:05:03 PDT

There are dolphins chatting and echolocating in Johnstone Strait this morning. They were also on Critical Point at 2222 last night. It seems as though they are starting to make their way out of Knight Inlet, according to Lindsay of Tide Rip Tours.
Leah
02 Jun 2011 02:34:22 PDT
 
Twister the humpback is making his/her regular circuit in Blackney today. There is no wind to speak of, so you can here her/his blows clearly across the Pass. Ahhhh!
Leah
02 Jun 2011 13:57:12 PDT
 
Just an update...the humpback that was traveling south in Blackney on May 31st was Twister. Thanks to Christie McMillan of MERS for the confirmation.
Leah
02 Jun 2011 14:22:55 PDT
 
Canuck, the new humpback to the area, was spotted at the Stephensons this afternoon. S/he was first spotted in Blackney Pass on May 24th, just before the Canucks won game 5 against the Sharks. Also, Twister is still making his/her regular rounds between Johnstone Strait and Blackfish Sound. It is so wonderful to have these guys stick around in the area!
Leah
02 Jun 2011 20:13:24 PDT

40-50 dolphins chatted away as they porpoised south in Blackney at 1130 this morning. They were spread out across the entire pass and could just be seen at the surface of the glassy waters beneath the thick fog.


Leah

01 Jun 2011 21:13:30 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby




Today has been a day filled with cetaceans!!!! At 0800 40-50 Pacific White-Sided dolphins were milling, foraging and generally enjoying themselves in Blackney Pass for half an hour before they grouped up and quickly porpoised to the north. 2 hours later 4 Transient Orca were spread in two groups across the Pass as they quietly headed north. They were later identified by Jared Towers as the T19s. Then at 1315 a humpback traveled south through the Pass into Johnstone Strait. S/he was then spotted again facing south in Blackney at 1600. Then 'Dusty' the Grey whale was spotted in Johnstone heading west by Christie McMillan and Jared T. near Bauza Islets. Dusty is the rare Grey whale that stuck around in this area for the entire summer of 2010. Unbelievable! All the while the sun shone and the sea was like glass! What an incredible day!
Leah, Nicole and Marie :)
31 May 2011 19:38:37 PDT

No orcas present.
We haven't had any transients vocally for a while now but there has been lots of activity in the area! The T002C's and the T023's went West in Cormorant Channel on May 27th, then the T101's, T036's and T124's did the same yesterday! Thanks to Jared Towers for the report. Then today the T010's were spotted by the Sophia islands heading West.
Marie & Leah
29 May 2011 18:18:06 PDT

L pod in Johnstone Strait

Distant calls audible.
Were hearing some very interesting calls this morning!! At first they were on Parson, CP and Critical point and now they can only be heard distantly on Critical.
Marie & Leah
28 May 2011 01:59:52 PDT
 
Superb sounds!!
We are listening to some lovely clear calls and echolocation in Robson Bight!!
Marie & Leah
28 May 2011 03:05:17 PDT
 
Distant calls audible.
The calls have become very distant now. It sounds as though they went east past critical point.
Marie & Leah
28 May 2011 03:59:35 PDT
 
No orcas present.
The orca that passed through here early this morning was L-pod!!! Thanks to John Ford of DFO Pacific Biological Station for the confirmation. The presence of the Southern Residents in Johnstone Strait seems to be a fairly common occurrence in late May before they return to their summer range down south. The last sighting of L-pod was near San Francisco a few months ago!
Marie & Leah
28 May 2011 14:24:30 PDT
 
There were 12 Orca heading south through Campbell River around 5pm today. They looked to be resident Orca. Most likely they were some or all of the L-pod Orca that we had in JS early this morning. Thanks to Laura and Garry from Aboriginal Journey's for the report.
Leah and Marie
28 May 2011 20:08:23 PDT

No orcas present.
I forgot to mention to leah and Marie that yesterday we briefly heard calls (no ID) and (no location) on the system just before 2pm. So something, someone is out there. Although I don't think it was resident orcas, nevertheless, you can just feel the summer season edging closer! CetaceaLab reported seeing the A36 brothers the other day!
Helena
27 May 2011 10:42:33 PDT

It sounded as though a number of Pacific White-Sided dolphins were traveling alongside a large cruise ship in the wee hours this morning. As the boat moved north into Blackfish Sound so did the dolphin chatter. Then at 1700hrs, 5-6 PWD's slowly traveled south in Blackney on this calm and rainy evening.


Leah

25 May 2011 19:57:00 PDT

Distant calls audible.

Not orca but dolphins! We had a group of 40-50 Pacific White-sided dolphins travel South in Blackney @0740 this morning. We're now listening to them chat on CP hydrophone!
Marie & Leah
24 May 2011 07:58:42 PDT


No orcas present.

We have an update on the ID's from the huge group of transients from May 16th! The groups present were: T018/T019's, T020, T036's, T046's, T100's, T101's, T122, T123's, T124's, T124A's and the T137's. A total of 37 orca, WOW!!! Thanks to Jared Towers of DFO Pacific Biological Station for the ID's.
Marie & Leah :)
24 May 2011 08:40:53 PDT



The dolphins have become quite chatty in Robson Bight. There is echolocation too! Beautiful, flat, calm and sunny morning here :)
Leah and Marie
24 May 2011 08:47:29 PDT


Wooohooo Canucks!!! An new humpback to the area headed south past the lab at 1600 today. Thanks to Christie of MERS for the ID.
A very happy OL Crew!
24 May 2011 22:00:16 PDT

There was some late night chatter in Johnstone Strait last night. The Pacific White-Sided dolphins were calling and echolocating on Critical Point Hydrophone around midnight.
Leah
23 May 2011 08:07:12 PDT

We've been hearing Pacific White-sided dolphin calls and echolocation, intermittently, on crititcal point hydrophone since 0900 on this calm cool morning!
Marie
21 May 2011 10:35:50 PDT

The 30+ Orca were spotted in Seymour Narrows heading south at 1130 yesterday. They sure didn't stay up here for very long!! Thanks to M/V 'Wildlife Adventurers' for the report.
Leah and Marie
18 May 2011 06:39:59 PDT

Jackie Hildering, of MERS, has confirmed that the Humpback from May 15th is Pultney! This is the 6th year in a row that s/he has returned to this area and was not a calf when s/he was first seen.
Leah
17 May 2011 10:54:13 PDT



Some of the transients present in yesterdays large group were the T018/T019's, T020, T021, T036's, T086A's, T100's, T123's, T137's and possibly some of the T124's. There were definitely more than these groups present so more ID's to come...
Marie & Leah
17 May 2011 16:47:32 PDT

Distant calls audible.

There are some very chatty Transients in Johnstone Strait on this calm and glorious morning. These could be the same Orca from the sighted Transient Superpods at Chatham Point yesterday. It sounds as though there are a lot of them and their calls are echoing in Robson Bight. We are also hearing echolocation!
Leah and Marie :)
16 May 2011 08:46:57 PDT


Superb sounds!!

Wow! These guys are having a good time in Robson Bight! Calls, clicks, whistles...the whole kit and kaboodle! What a treat!!!!
A very thankful OL crew!
16 May 2011 09:00:29 PDT

Boat noise

Sorry about the boat noise, but the boat is on the same hydrophone as the Orca! Hopefully, the boat will pass quickly.
Leah and Marie
16 May 2011 09:17:06 PDT
Superb sounds!!

The transients continue to be very vocal, we're hearing them on CP and Parson island now so they must be moving West in Johnstone Strait.
Marie & Leah
16 May 2011 10:37:59 PDT

No orcas present.

It turns out that there were around 30 Transients in Johnstone Strait...a Superpod indeed! They were spread out in groups of 2-10 and were very social. Then all at once they grouped up in two huge groups and headed west at a speed of 10-15kts! Donna Mackay just reported that by 1414 they were still heading west, fast, off of Sointula.
Leah and Marie
16 May 2011 14:49:56 PDT


No calls but orcas nearby

Donna, from Mackay Whale Wathcing, just reported that the Orca are now heading east in Broughton Strait towards Alert Bay. It sounds like they are still traveling quite fast!
Leah and Marie
16 May 2011 15:00:38 PDT


We heard a few distant calls at 1845 but it has been quiet since so we were unable to ascertain where they were. We are hoping once the boat noise is gone they will pipe up again!
Marie & Leah
16 May 2011 19:38:42 PDT

There has been a humpback foraging in Blackney Pass for about an hour on this calm rainy Sunday afternoon.
Marie & Leah
15 May 2011 16:52:47 PDT

A Humpback just headed north into Blackfish Sound! The sound of its blows were a treat to hear on this calm and beautiful evening. Happy Friday!
Leah and Marie!
13 May 2011 18:32:08 PDT

There are 20-25 Pacific White Sided Dolphins foraging across the Pass in Parson Bay at the moment! Nice to see a large group of them again :)
Leah
11 May 2011 11:14:52 PDT

No orcas present.

GREAT news from CetaceaLab! Springer (A73) went by this morning with her Granny's group, the A24s. Thanks Hermann and Janie for this wonderful news. 
Helena & Paul
09 May 2011 13:34:36 PDT

T10s and T26s

Distant calls audible.

There are very distant calls coming through in Johnstone Strait. The calls are far and few in between.
Leah
08 May 2011 11:58:31 PDT


No calls but orcas nearby

The T10s and T26s just headed North in Blackney Pass! The were rolling, tail slapping, doing head stands and rubbing each other as they quietly traveled by. They must have been chomping down on some prey as the seagulls hovered above them during their entire time through the Pass.
Leah
08 May 2011 12:41:28 PDT


Superb sounds!!

They have become quite vocal on Flower with lots of whistles!
Leah
08 May 2011 12:51:20 PDT


The Transient calls continued, intermittently, until 1404. They were last spotted in the middle of Blackfish Sound heading towards Stubbs Island at approximately 1324. 
Leah
08 May 2011 18:55:00 PDT

The Elephant Seal has been surfacing in pretty much the same spot after, an average of 20 minute dives, for 5 hours now! So neat to have his presence in Blackney Pass. Beautiful, sunny, calm evening here.
Leah
07 May 2011 17:35:42 PDT

The elephant seal popped up again mid pass off the lab, just under an hour ago. He had his mouth open and there was a seagull overhead, but by the time I got to the scope his snack was on its way down his throat. I haven't seen him surface since, but they are famous for their long dive intervals!
Leah
06 May 2011 13:47:55 PDT

Boat noise

I awoke to what I thought were calls amidst the boat noise, but can't be sure. A tug and a cruise ship! have just passed the lab heading North and there is a boat in JS as well!
Leah
05 May 2011 04:58:37 PDT


ust an update on yesterdays Orca in Fife. Based on photos of a few of the whales and the groups size it appears to be the T10s and T26s. These two groups were traveling together back on March 16th in front of the lab. 
Leah
05 May 2011 05:19:29 PDT


An elephant seal just arrived on the far side of the Pass and is making deep dives in a northerly direction against the maximum flood current! This is the second sighting this spring...wonder if it is the same one?
Leah
05 May 2011 16:01:21 PDT

Boat noise

Things have been pretty quiet here on the cetacean front, but there is plenty of boat traffic. It looks as though a number of private boaters are beginning their voyage to the North. Luckily, there are a pluthera of chatty songbirds to soothe the ears, especially at dusk :)
Leah and Solo
04 May 2011 12:35:31 PDT


No orcas present.

Spotted two dolphins heading North in Blackfish Sound half an hour ago. A cetacean wise woman once told me, 'where there are dolphins, there are whales'...so here's hoping :)
Leah
04 May 2011 16:44:08 PDT


No calls but orcas nearby

The crew out at Salmon Coast field station spotted 5 Transient Orca in Fife Sound today! So, I guess where there are dolphins there are whales! Still hoping for them to come a little closer to the lab though ;)
Leah
04 May 2011 17:02:31 PDT

Distant calls audible.

I awoke to very distant calls at 0158, but cannot seem to locate them behind the boat noise in Johnstone Strait.
Leah
01 May 2011 02:18:39 PDT


No calls but orcas nearby

Just received a report from Jared that T142 and T143 are heading west past Pt. McNeill. Simultaneously a HB surfaced across the Pass heading south and has now gone out of sight! This isn't the first HB in the area, in fact Christie and Jared photo ID'd a HB in front of Alert Bay on the 27th. However, this is the first HB we have seen from the lab this year. Yeah!!! 
Leah 
01 May 2011 11:02:53 PDT

Distant calls audible.

We heard a few calls in Johnstone Strait about 15 minutes ago, but haven't managed to hear anything behind the boat noise since then.
Leah
27 Apr 2011 09:29:11 PDT


No calls but orcas nearby

Sounds like the A5s have arrived from the East!!!! They have gone quiet for the moment but we're hoping they take a turn up Blackney Pass. In the meantime a HB was spotted in front of Alert Bay...busy day :) Thanks Jared and Christie for the report.
Leah and Family!
27 Apr 2011 10:16:11 PDT


Boat noise

Jared and Christie are with the A8s at Blinkhorn slowly traveling west. They haven't spotted the A23s or A25s as of yet, but have just arrived on scene!
Leah 
27 Apr 2011 10:50:59 PDT


No orcas present.

All of the A5s headed north through Weynton and into Cormorant Channel towards Sointula before they made a turn back towards Mitchell Bay. At that point they began traveling very close to shore towards Donegal Head where they continued heading west. Thanks to Jared Towers of DFO for the update! Looks like we missed seeing them, but it was wonderful to hear them!
Leah
27 Apr 2011 17:23:39 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby

Just after 11am we spotted orca heading south mid channel. It was just a fleeting glimpse (the tops of their fins) so at this point no clue who they are or even how many.
Helena
21 Apr 2011 11:27:07 PDT


No orcas present.

Marie was out in the boat on her way to Alert Bay when the transients went by at 11am. She was able to have a brief look, long enough to ID them as the T23s. Making another Blackney Pass go through. The sea lions didn't seem to notice. The whales kept going into Johnstone Strait. Thanks Marie - have a great time in town!
Helena
21 Apr 2011 14:30:38 PDT

Distant calls audible.
Wow more transient excitement this morning! The T023's came back heading North in Blackney. They attacked a sealion about 100m off the lab and were very vocal throughout!!! They have now left view still headed North. They did not kill the sea lion and he seems ok as I am watching him now about 30 m off the lab. There have still been a few intermittent calls.
Marie
20 Apr 2011 08:29:45 PDT

Distant calls audible.
Heard 3 calls about 15 minutes ago but it has been quiet since so I could not figure out where they were located.
Marie
19 Apr 2011 07:18:33 PDT
 
Boat noise
Heard a few more calls and was able to determine they're on Critical Point but lots of boat noise now...sounded like transients.
Marie
19 Apr 2011 07:37:35 PDT
 
No calls but orcas nearby
Exciting morning here at Orcalab...the T023's have been in front of the lab for an hour and a half now!!! They started out by going North in Blackney Pass @0822 then turned @0829 in Parson Bay. They milled mid-channel abeam Parson light for over an hour facing South but not going anywhere, well actually being pushed backwards a little by the max. ebb @0831 @ -6.1! They are now at the top end of Blackney in a very tight group still facing South. And they have been quiet this entire time!
Marie
19 Apr 2011 10:00:59 PDT
 
No calls but orcas nearby
The T023's ended up heading back South in Blackney Pass. They were quiet, in a tight group and moving very slow...looked like they were resting. They are now out of view headed towards Johnstone Strait. Stayed tuned though they may become vocal when they wake up from their snooze!
Marie
19 Apr 2011 11:19:21 PDT

No orcas present.

It has been quiet over the past few days on the cetacean front but there have been hundreds of juvenile salmon around, pink, chum & even some chinook!!
Marie
18 Apr 2011 17:53:45 PDT

No orcas present.

We just received a report that there were six orca entering Havannah Channel yesterday (Friday) at 16:00. There was one male in the group. Thanks to Donna & Bill Mackay for the report!
Marie16 Apr 2011 11:34:59 PDTN

No orcas present.

We haven't heard any cetaceans for a few days but we did hear a California sealion barking on the hydrophone last night!!
Marie
14 Apr 2011 14:52:58 PDT

No orcas present.

The 2 orca seen yesterday turned out to be T142 and T143.
Marie & Leah
10 Apr 2011 16:14:13 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby

Rob Williams & Erin Ashe reported 2 orca, 1 male & 1 female, in Blackfish Sound quietly heading West towards Cormorant Channel. 
Marie & Leah
09 Apr 2011 12:36:48 PDT

No orcas present.
The transients from April 6th were IDed as: T018's, T137, T137A, T137B, and likely T036A. Thank you to Graeme Ellis from DFO Pacific Biological Station for assistance with the ID's.
Marie & Leah
08 Apr 2011 11:55:28 PDT
 
No calls but orcas nearby
We got a report of a lone male orca between Stubbs and Malcolm Island heading West at 10:35 this morning.
Marie
08 Apr 2011 12:20:13 PDT

No orcas present.
We spotted a juvenile male elephant seal mid-strait off the lab this morning! He surfaced twice with a 20 minute dive in between. Maybe he's on the hunt for octopus or squid??
Marie
06 Apr 2011 12:35:12 PDT
 
Distant calls audible.
We heard a few distant calls in Johnstone Strait about 20 minutes ago.
Marie & Leah
06 Apr 2011 16:01:35 PDT
 
Distant calls audible.
We are hearing distant calls again in Johnstone Strait!
Leah and Marie
06 Apr 2011 18:32:20 PDT
 
Boat noise
I think I can hear distant calls in behind all of the boat noise, but there are boats on every single hydrophone at the moment! Oh, to be a whale in this noisy ocean:(
Leah and Marie
06 Apr 2011 19:33:04 PDT
 
Distant calls audible.
The Transient's were last seen at Bauza Cove, SLOWLY heading west, at 1916. The current has turned to ebb, since then, but we are still hearing distant chatter on CP hydrophone.
Leah and Marie
06 Apr 2011 20:46:43 PDT

No orcas present.
Yea, the humpbacks are starting to show up! We had 2 reports of humpbacks in the area yesterday. One was seen near Echo Bay, thanks to Scott Rogers and Billy Proctor for the report. The second was a very white fluked humpback near Freshwater Bay around 1300.
Marie
05 Apr 2011 13:12:05 PDT

No orcas present.
It has been pretty quiet here since the Offshore's left. However, Spring is definitely in the air and flowers are popping up everywhere making the bumble bees very excited!
Leah
04 Apr 2011 15:09:33 PDT
 
No calls but orcas nearby
Declan spotted 1 male Orca heading East out front of Alert Bay at 1930 this evening...wonder who it is?
Leah
04 Apr 2011 22:40:02 PDT

No orcas present.
We've got dolphins chatting and echolocating in Robson Bight this morning.

Leah
01 Apr 2011 03:59:18 PST

No orcas present.

The transients that went by the lab yesterday were T023, T023C, T023D T023C3, T068, T068A, T123, T123A, T123B. Thanks to DFO Pacific Biological Station for the ID's.
Marie & Leah
01 Apr 2011 18:42:50 PST

No orcas present.

There have been some very different sounds coming through in Robson Bight this morning. We think that we are also hearing dolphins. Wonder what today will bring???
Leah and Marie
31 Mar 2011 06:41:57 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

Wow, the offshores are still in the area! We just got a report that they are near the Sophia's foraging and slowly heading West. We haven't heard any calls yet, although there have been some very interesting sounds this morning.
Marie & Leah
31 Mar 2011 09:20:19 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

Oops guess that wasn't the offshores after all...we just had a group of transients quietly head North in Blackney Pass!
Marie & Leah
31 Mar 2011 10:35:09 PST

Distant calls audible.

We have heard a few distant calls on critical point this morning...maybe the offshores are back again??
Marie & Leah
30 Mar 2011 07:26:56 PST

Distant calls audible.

Very distant calls are still coming through in Johnstone Strait and hopefully the tug will be out of Orcas range very soon!
Leah and Marie
30 Mar 2011 08:11:08 PST

Orcas near mics.

We are still hearing offshore calls on Cracroft point. They don't seem to be going anywhere in a hurry!
Marie & Leah
30 Mar 2011 11:54:10 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

We haven't heard any calls since possibly a distant call @1618. But we got a wonderful report that the offshores are in Port McNeill Bay milling, sleeping and lots of spyhopping :)
Marie & Leah
30 Mar 2011 17:16:43 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

We received one more update that the offshores were at Haddington Island @1900 and they had turned back to the East!
Marie & Leah
30 Mar 2011 19:29:07 PST

Distant calls audible.

It sounds as though the offshores are making there way back into our hydrophone range as we have heard a few distant calls.
Marie & Leah
30 Mar 2011 22:36:20 PST

Orcas near mics.

They're back!!! We've got Offshore's and a boat in Johnstone Strait this windy and rainy evening. It is so exciting that these guys have stuck around!
Leah and Marie
29 Mar 2011 22:15:48 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

There haven't been any calls since the last calls at 2320 on Critical Point. But the night is still young???
Leah and Marie
29 Mar 2011 23:04:48 PST

No orcas present.

It appears as though the 6 Orca we spotted heading South out of Baronet were the T19s and T55s We can also conclusively say that the calls heard late last night were in fact Transient calls and the calls earlier in the evening were Offshores. So, this means that it was a day filled with 2 Orca ecotypes in the area. Wow!
Leah and Marie
28 Mar 2011 13:36:12 PST

Superb sounds!!

We're hearing calls again on the Critical Point hydrophone. Sounds like the offshore orcas we were hearing yesterday are back in Robson Bight.
Marie & Leah
27 Mar 2011 06:34:34 PST

Distant calls audible.

We are hearing distant calls on CP now. Windy, choppy and boat busy day out there. Luckily, Jackie and the Orcalab crew managed to get some ID photos between the waves ;) There were approximately 13 Offshore Orca spread in two groups in JS, slowly heading west. :)!
Leah and Marie
27 Mar 2011 10:27:09 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

Wow, there are orca everywhere right now! The last report of the offshores was by Blinkhorn still Westing at 1315, thanks to the Naiad for the report. And just now Lindsay & Howard from Tide Rip Tours reported 6 orca, 2 males, most likely transients due to their behaviour, by Lagoon Cove heading West down Clio channel.
Marie & Leah
27 Mar 2011 13:06:06 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

We just spotted 6 transients, 2 males, they came out of Baronet Pass traveling quietly West towards CP. It is most likely the same ones as the report earlier from Lagoon cove.
Marie & Leah
27 Mar 2011 16:54:03 PST

Distant calls audible.

The day just keeps on going! We have midrange calls in Johnstone Strait amidst the boat noise! Maybe it's the Transients that passed through 2 hours ago??? Also, Jackie and Angela managed to get out to the lone Orca spotted off Pultney Point. He looks like a juvenile Transient, but his ID has not yet been confirmed.
Leah and Marie
27 Mar 2011 18:35:19 PST

Orcas near mics.

Maybe those Transients we saw in the distance, weren't Transients at all??? These calls sure sound like Offshores!!! Maybe we have both ecotypes in the area? Either way, there are Orca everywhere!
Leah and Marie
27 Mar 2011 19:25:18 PST

Boat noise

The calls got louder on Critical Point and then abruptly stopped around 2030. We are still in awe that the Offshores are still gracing our waters!
Leah and Marie :)
27 Mar 2011 20:05:16 PST

Orcas near mics.

There were 4 brief calls on Critical Point about half an hour ago. These ones actually sounded like Transient calls, but it feels premature to say for SURE! Unfortunately, a log tow is heading East in Johnstone Strait and we are hearing it on 3 of our hydrophones at the moment.
Leah and Marie
27 Mar 2011 22:19:00 PST

Offshores

Superb sounds!!

The Offshores are still quiet vocal in the Bight!! They are making some very neat calls :) It doesn't seem like they are in a hurry as they've been in Johnstone strait for 6 hours now!!!
Marie & Leah
26 Mar 2011 00:43:18 PST

No orcas present.

The last calls where around 4am and unfortunately it was hard to decipher which way they went as there was very loud boat noise.
Marie
26 Mar 2011 05:25:36 PST

Offshores

Distant calls audible.

We're hearing distant calls on critical point and CP hydrophones on this beautiful calm evening!
Marie
25 Mar 2011 19:02:38 PST

Superb sounds!!

Wow...it sounds like we are listening to offshores in Robson Bight!!!! Very nice to listen to right now, no boats and very chatty :)
Marie & Leah
25 Mar 2011 22:17:43 PST

No orcas present.

There were a few sightings of a humpback in the area this afternoon, around Haddington island and Pultney Point! Thanks to Jackie for the report.
Marie
24 Mar 2011 17:32:29 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

Helena & Paul have spotted 2 orca, 1 male & 1 female, heading West by Alert Bay right now!
Marie
22 Mar 2011 12:35:14 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

Talked with the Mackays in Port McNeill. They are seeing the same transients nearing McNeill Bay. They see 3 which is the same count Declan got as they passed Alert bay heading wet. Bill and Donna think they may have just done a kill judging by all the birds around.
Helena & Paul
22 Mar 2011 13:58:57 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

Jackie and Angela have spotted the transients, it is the T010's and T026's! They are now off Ledge Point heading West.
Marie & Leah
22 Mar 2011 14:50:48 PST

No orcas present.

It seems as though the transients from yesterday may have been the T019's. They were spotted on March 16th in Spieden Channel, Spieden Island, Washington which is approx. 500 km away from Hanson island...a long way to travel in just over 3 days!!!
Marie & Leah
21 Mar 2011 21:07:41 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

Yea! We just had 4 transients, 1 male & 3 small fins, go quietly North through Blackney Pass!! Hopefully they speak up on Flower island hydrophone!
Marie & Leah
20 Mar 2011 09:49:50 PST

Distant calls audible.

We heard one call at 1443, but were unable to ascertain where it was coming from. One thing that we can say for certain is that a family of 5 Trumpeter Swan's flew north in Blackney Pass! There were 3 juveniles in the group! What an amazing, sunny calm day:)
Leah and Marie:)
20 Mar 2011 14:29:33 PST

No orcas present.

It appears that the 2 females with the T010's yesterday were T026 and T026A.
Marie
17 Mar 2011 19:10:26 PST

Distant calls audible.

Wow, what a great morning! We got a report of 5 transients headed East by Alert Bay at 0900 this morning. Then we spotted 5 transients, 1 male, 1 sprouter & 3 smaller fins, (most likely the same ones) heading South in Blackney. They went deep into Parson Bay, maybe having some lunch, when all of a sudden another group of 4 transients, 1male & 3 small fins, showed up mid-channel in Balckney also heading South!!! They are all out of view now still Southbound in a lose group. We have only heard one vocal so stay tuned there may be more?!!?
Marie & Leah
16 Mar 2011 10:58:58 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

The T010's were definitely in the mix in the first group, stay tuned for other ID's...
Marie
16 Mar 2011 11:36:56 PST

No orcas present.

The second group was the T55s! They had a brief meeting with a few individuals from the first group before they all headed east in Johnstone Strait, in their original groupings. They were last spotted from CP around 1220 abeam Robson Bight.
Leah
16 Mar 2011 14:56:00 PST

No orcas present.

The transients stopped vocalizing @2012 last night, they were very distant on Critical Point. It has been quiet since. Stormy, windy and rainy day here on Hanson!
Marie & Leah
13 Mar 2011 12:17:28 PST

Distant calls audible.

We've heard a few calls amidst the boat noise and have just managed to determine that they are on Critical Point! Here's hoping that the boat moves quickly out of hydrophone range!
Leah and Marie
12 Mar 2011 19:10:22 PST

No orcas present.

A Tsunami alert has been issued for Coastal British Columbia. We probably won't see much here on the inside passage, and the Advisory is for the North/Central and West Coast. We will keep you posted.
Leah and Marie
11 Mar 2011 07:32:11 PST

Performing maintenance

Sorry everyone, we lost live audio again last night. If the weather allows, we will try to have it fixed by the end of the day. Thank you for your patience!
Marie
06 Mar 2011 08:16:31 PST

No orcas present.

Jared hooked up with the T019s and T055s from yesterday and observed the T057s in the mix as well!
Leah
06 Mar 2011 09:06:39 PST

Performing maintenance

Beautiful sunny, calm day here so we got out to do some maintenance and audio should be back up and running. Yea!
Marie & Leah
06 Mar 2011 14:25:56 PST

Performing maintenance

Sorry, we will re-establish audio as soon as possible, hopefully sometime this afternoon. After the huge storms that have battered the coast, we are enjoying a lovely calm and even sunny day! Yea!
Leah & Marie
05 Mar 2011 10:21:01 PST

Distant calls audible.

While doing maintenance at CP (we now have live audio again!) Leah spotted transients mid-strait heading West. We have been hearing calls since 1512 on Parson and Critical Point!!
Marie
05 Mar 2011 15:35:06 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

The transients have gone quiet but Leah IDed the transients as T019's and T055's. As they headed West in Johnstone they seemed to be quite excited about something as they were breaching and tail slapping!!!
Marie
05 Mar 2011 16:31:03 PST

Distant calls audible.

We are hearing distant transient calls on CP, maybe the T019's and T055's have turned around??
Marie & Leah
05 Mar 2011 18:35:56 PST

No orcas present.

Well the storm has subsided and the birds are breathing a sigh of relief:) The winds blew between 40-50 kts at the height of the storm and large amounts of spray whipped North up Blackney Pass. Absolutely invigorating!
Leah and Marie
02 Mar 2011 15:54:27 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

We spotted 2 orca, 1 male & 1 female, just as they quietly rounded the corner at Burnt Point, heading North in Blackney. There may have been more in the lead??
Marie and Leah
02 Mar 2011 17:35:37 PST

T019s and T055s calling

Happy March 1st! It has still been quiet, whale wise, over the past few days. Sunny and snowy here today...almost feels like spring is in the air!
Marie
01 Mar 2011 09:57:18 PST

Orcas near mics.

Guess it's not so quiet after all:) We've got beautiful, clear Transient calls on Flower Island!
Leah and Marie
01 Mar 2011 13:09:09 PST

No orcas present.

The Transient calls lasted for about 15 minutes before they abruptly stopped calling on Flower Island. Wonder who they were?
Leah and Marie
01 Mar 2011 16:27:43 PST

No orcas present.

Jared & Christie spotted the T019's and T055's by Donegal Head this afternoon, they headed South in Weynton. This may have been who we were listening to earlier today!?!
Marie & Leah
01 Mar 2011 19:16:46 PST

No orcas present.

There is a hurricane force wind warning in effect!! Winds are supposed to pick up to 65kts, SE by tomorrow afternoon. The wind has already begun to gust and we are very excited to see and hear the peak of the storm.
Leah and Marie
01 Mar 2011 22:19:02 PST

No orcas present.

We had some chatty dolphins at 0430 this morning, but couldn't pull ourselves out of our cozy beds to check on their whereabouts:) Lots of snow here!
Leah
26 Feb 2011 18:22:41 PST

No orcas present.

It has been quiet here in terms of any cetacean movement. However, the local Thrushes, Northern Flicker's, Wren's, Red Crossbill's, Eagles and Heron's are keeping us very busy on these cold, sunny and snowy days.
Leah
24 Feb 2011 09:06:32 PST

Distant calls audible.

More transients!!! They made a few calls on Flower Island but have gone quiet since...maybe they will come this way? We'll keep you posted!
Marie
19 Feb 2011 13:43:15 PST

No orcas present.

The transients didn't come past the lab or make any more calls so we're not sure where they went.
Marie
19 Feb 2011 16:41:13 PST

Orcas nearby

Exciting morning here @ Orcalab! At 0933 I spotted 3 transients, 1 male & 2 females, heading South in Blackney Pass. When they were out of sight another female came around Burnt Point and made some very nice loud & clear calls on Local Left as she was heading South very fast to catch up with the others!!! They have now gone quiet.
Marie
18 Feb 2011 10:33:37 PST

Beautiful day here on Hanson! The ground is covered in snow and it's still coming down!
Marie
17 Feb 2011 11:02:03 PST


Performing maintenance

We seem to have lost our internet connection to Alert Bay and therefore have no live audio. Hopefully the problem will be resolved soon!
Marie
17 Feb 2011 16:17:12 PST

Performing maintenance

Problem solved! Audio should be steaming live again.
Marie
17 Feb 2011 17:07:42 PST

Superb sounds!!

Transients are vocalizing in Johnstone Strait on this calm night!
Marie
16 Feb 2011 02:51:05 PST



Superb sounds!!

The transients continue to be very chatty on Critical Point and CP :)
Marie
16 Feb 2011 04:43:23 PST


Distant calls audible.

The transients have made it to Flower island...maybe they went North through Blackney Pass?
Marie
16 Feb 2011 06:08:05 PST


Performing maintenance

Sorry about all the beeping and static we're just preforming some maintenance.
Marie
16 Feb 2011 17:30:16 PST

Happy Valentine's Day from a windy, rainy and beautiful Hanson Island!!!
Marie
14 Feb 2011 09:10:16 PST

The transients that came South by the lab on January 23rd were T071's, T086A's, T087, T088, T090's, T124's. Thanks to Jared & Jim for the update!
Marie
13 Feb 2011 10:13:59 PST

Distant calls audible.

The dolphins near critical point are saying' Happy Birthday Paul' ;-) Hope you had a wonderful day!!!
Marie
13 Feb 2011 19:23:53 PST

Distant calls audible.

There were a few Transient calls just now on Flower! Wonder who they are...stay tuned...
Leah and Marie
10 Feb 2011 13:02:47 PST

No orcas present.

We can hear dolphins in Johnstone Strait on this windy and cold evening.
Leah
10 Feb 2011 22:08:10 PST

Performing maintenance

Woohoo, we are streaming live audio again!!! We haven't heard any calls since yesterday morning so we don't know where the transients ended up.
Marie & Leah
09 Feb 2011 14:33:20 PST

Orcas near mics.

Another brief Transient wake up call at 0530 has left us wondering where they could be... What a beautiful time to wake up as the sky is littered with stars.
Leah and Marie
08 Feb 2011 05:53:54 PST

Orcas near mics.

We were awoken to a few Transient calls at 0344 this morning! Once again they are proving to be acoustically elusive:) The wind is blowing NW as the rain continues to fall.
Leah and Marie
07 Feb 2011 04:48:09 PST

Distant calls audible.

At 0530 we started hearing distant transient calls on Critical Point.
Marie & Leah
07 Feb 2011 05:59:47 PST

No orcas present.

The 11 transients in QCS on Feb.5th were the T11's, T19's and T55's, they were around Foster island @1400 heading East, thanks to Christie & Jared for the update!
Marie & Leah
07 Feb 2011 06:17:19 PST

Performing maintenance

We had one calm day yesterday, so we were able to get out to assess the internet problem. Dead batteries are the culprit, so it will take a few more days to sort things out. Thanks for your patience...we'll keep you posted.
Leah
06 Feb 2011 11:34:50 PST

Distant calls audible.

We are hearing Pacific White-sided dolphins in Johnstone Strait on this calm, wet evening!
Marie
06 Feb 2011 18:56:51 PST

Orcas near mics.

We had a few Transient calls this evening! However, they were so few and far in between that we couldn't get to the lab fast enough to figure out where they were calling. Christie and Jared reported that there were 11 transients in QCS earlier today! There was also a juvenile humpback heading west in Johnstone Strait...the first one we know of in this area in February!
Leah & Marie
05 Feb 2011 21:43:03 PST

Performing maintenance

Sorry we haven't been able to get the live audio up and running yet, we've had a lot of winter winds. But we did get a report today that two orca were spotted @1130 by the Wastell islands in Johnstone Strait but we have not heard any vocals.
Marie
04 Feb 2011 20:56:15 PST

No orcas present.

There was some brief dolphin chatter in Johnstone Strait this evening. The wind has been persistent today and it looks as though it is here to stay for a couple of more days.
Leah
01 Feb 2011 20:06:06 PST

Performing maintenance

We have lost our live audio :( We are going to investigate and try to solve the problem as quickly as possible. Thanks for your patience!
Marie
31 Jan 2011 08:16:08 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

We got a report from Jared & Christie that they heard G-clan orca in Queen Charlotte Strait from 1430 till 1645! We have not heard anything on our hydrophones...yet...
Marie & Leah
29 Jan 2011 20:31:14 PST

I13 spotted with a new baby

No calls but orcas nearby

The I11's were very cooperative today as they waited until daylight to begin vocalizing in Johnstone Strait before they quickly headed west towards the lab. They were all grouped together with I13 and her new baby tight to her side!!!! They began to spread out as they headed north out of our view. The last call we heard was on Flower at 1052.
A very excited Leah and Marie:)
27 Jan 2011 11:57:41 PST

Superb sounds!!

Yeah! We started hearing G-clan calls in Blackfish Sound @ 1505. The I11's just headed South in Blackney Pass very spread out. We can now hear calls on Critical Point.
Marie & Leah
26 Jan 2011 16:44:07 PST

Superb sounds!!

They went silent for a while but we are now hearing the I11's on Critical Point again! Maybe they have turned back to the West?
Marie & Leah
26 Jan 2011 18:23:25 PST

Performing maintenance

Good News!!!! We have audio streaming again! Here's hoping it lasts longer this time.
Leah, Marie and Declan
25 Jan 2011 09:50:33 PST

Superb sounds!!

We awoke to Transient's in the distance, but now their calls are clear and close on Flower. Hopefully, the wind will allow is to get out for some maintenance today. Sorry about this...we will keep you posted.
Leah and Marie
23 Jan 2011 06:31:28 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

WOW, what a great morning!!! The transients were vocal on Flower for 3 hours! Then they headed South in Blackney Passage past the lab. They were moving pretty fast but our count was at least 17 orca! They went into Johnstone Strait and headed East and we heard a few faint calls. They are now at Boat Bay island still continuing East, thanks to Jim Borrowman for the update.
Marie & Leah
23 Jan 2011 11:06:04 PST

Performing maintenance

Our internet connection problems are preventing us from streaming lie audio at the moment. We hope to be live again soon. Thanks for your patience.
Paul & Helena
21 Jan 2011 17:30:44 PST

No orcas present.

We were awoken to dolphins on Critical Point and distant on Flower Island. The waters are flat calm this morning as we approach our big, 'almost' full moon tides.
Leah
18 Jan 2011 08:44:51 PST


No calls but orcas nearby

There were 5 orca at Donegal Head this morning @ 1030 heading South, 1 male & 4 small fins. Thanks to Donna & Bill Mackay for the report.
Marie
18 Jan 2011 15:51:37 PST

Performing maintenance

Woooohoooo, good news!!! Audio is back up and running. It seems as though our A-clan whales continued east in Johnstone Strait last night and we haven't heard or seen them since.
Leah and Marie
16 Jan 2011 12:58:57 PST

Superb sounds!!

We started hearing residents just before 7pm!!! First they were on Parson Island now they are on CP.
Marie & Leah
15 Jan 2011 19:16:00 PST

Performing maintenance

Its winter time! We are still trying to solve the audio problem but haven't got it yet...we are getting closer. Thank you for being so patient!
Marie
14 Jan 2011 12:18:14 PST

No orcas present.

The night is calm, there are no boats to speak of and dolphins are chatting on Critical Point. It's a beautiful evening!
Leah
13 Jan 2011 19:15:12 PST

Performing maintenance

Very high winds has not allowed us to head out on the water to do some maintenance. All has been fairly quiet outside of short dolphin chats the last two late evenings. Thanks for your patience.
Leah
12 Jan 2011 09:22:22 PST

No orcas present.

This afternoon 2 Graywhales passed through Johnstone Strait and into Weynton Passage. The Borrowmans in Telegraph saw them first and then Jared and Christie followed up the report and had a chance to observe them from their boat. The weather is improving! Lovely report about Corky lori, Thanks!
Helena
12 Jan 2011 19:41:46 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

Windy day here in Blackney therefore we are unable to head on the water to perform some maintenance. However, we did manage to spot transients's quietly heading north into Blackfish Sound. We saw two whales, but may have missed some in the whitecaps.
Leah and Marie
10 Jan 2011 14:35:26 PST

Superb sounds!!

We heard transients calls from 1450 to 1515 on Flower island. It has been quiet since.
Marie
10 Jan 2011 17:26:26 PST

No orcas present.

News from CetaceaLab! "Hi All, Happy New Year! Just wanted to keep you updated as to what is happening around here. Had A4s and A5s yesterday early afternoon traveling south in Whale Channel in gailforce outflow winds. Had a quick chance to go out and see who was there. The whales were spread out and from the individuals I saw I came to the conclusion that there were: A24s ( saw A71), A35s (sawA35 and A73), A51s (saw A51 and her young calf) and A43s (saw A60). There were more whales of course but it got too cold to be out on the water in an open boat. The whales continued south into Campania Sound aiming for Rennison Island. They had quiet a long foraging stop just south of Ashdown Island. Cheers, Hermann"
Helena & Paul in Alert Bay
10 Jan 2011 18:52:14 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

T14 quietly passed by the lab heading North, mid-channel around 10AM. Surprise! Here he is again heading South off the lab. Then he turned North again and went out of sight @1130AM under a beautiful rainbow!
Leah & Marie
08 Jan 2011 11:40:14 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

T14 is back!!! He just went quietly South about 150m in front of the lab and is now out of our view...maybe he will be back??
Marie & Leah
08 Jan 2011 14:10:47 PST

Orcas near mics.

We started hearing transient calls in Johnstone Strait as of 3:52pm on the Critical Point hydrophone! Maybe T14 is obliging?
Helena in Alert Bay
08 Jan 2011 15:59:33 PST

Orcas near mics.

We heard a few great transient calls on critical point, maybe T14? We are not streaming right now but we're working on it...
Marie & Leah
08 Jan 2011 17:56:25 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

We heard one call around 8pm but couldn't figure out where as it has been silent since...excluding boat noise.
Marie & Leah
08 Jan 2011 20:44:13 PST

Distant calls audible.

More transient calls! We heard them @ 23:00 but couldn't figure out where they came from due to loud boat noise.
Marie
08 Jan 2011 23:23:52 PST

Performing maintenance

The audio is not working right now but we will try to solve the problem tomorrow if the weather allows.
Marie
08 Jan 2011 23:25:12 PST

Boat noise

Bill and Donna Mackay reported a group of Transient's heading west around 2pm today in front of Pt. McNeill.
Leah and Marie
07 Jan 2011 18:07:12 PST

Distant calls audible.

We've got Transient's in Blackfish Sound on this calm, dark morning!
Marie and Leah
06 Jan 2011 06:50:01 PST

Distant calls audible.

We heard one orca call but nothing since so we are waiting...
Marie
06 Jan 2011 18:23:22 PST

Distant calls audible.

We are hearing dolphins in Blackfish Sound on this chilly evening.
Marie
03 Jan 2011 19:24:16 PST

No orcas present.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! 2011 is bright, clear and calm here on Hanson. The computer was busy updating early this morning and had to restart at some point throughout the night. There were dolphins in Johnstone Strait and a lot of tug traffic. Have a wonderful day everyone!
Leah
01 Jan 2011 08:45:53 PST

Orcas near mics.

Sounds as though our Gclan whales are back from the east! There were a few really close calls and echolocation on Critical Point, but have since gone quiet.
Leah
01 Jan 2011 12:43:17 PST

Distant calls audible.

A group of 7 Gclan orca in a resting line headed north through Weynton, thanks to a report from Angela. I then heard them in the distance on Flower.
Leah
01 Jan 2011 16:56:55 PST