According to the qathet-based group Wild Ocean Whales Society (WOWs), as the weather becomes warm, cetaceans are returning to the Salish Sea. However, in February, it was reported that seven or more Biggs (transient) orca were spotted heading north a third of the way out from Myrtle Point in the Malaspina Strait.
Since then, there have been a few more transient orca sightings, one near Beach Gardens Marina heading south, and one heading north near Rebecca Rocks. In March, Pacific white-sided dolphins were seen hunting, heading south off of Seal Bay, Georgia Strait. They were observed to be moving between herring feeding frenzies.
Folks who spot a whale or dolphin are encouraged to document and report by emailing [email protected].
Grey whales are currently migrating north along the west side of Vancouver Island, according to the latest sighting report by Ivan Ng, from WOWs.
"However, a few Grey whales may travel through Georgia Strait and other inland waterways on their way to Alaska," Ng stated in the report.
In the spring, humpback whales return to BC waters, including the Salish Sea, and some females will have calves with them.
WOWs has a YouTube page with videos of recent whale and dolphin sightings, here: youtube.com/@WildOceanWhaleSociety/videos. To see an interactive map of recent whale and dolphin sightings, go to wildoceanwhale.org/SightingApps/SightingsMap/SightingsMap.html?mode=issue.
The Federal Government (DFO) issued the following statement about watching orca in the wild: "Vessels must stay 400 metres away and may not position a vessel in the path of killer whales in southern BC coastal waters between Campbell River and just north of Ucluelet, until May 31, 2025."
For all other areas of BC outside of the area indicated above, a minimum distance of 200 metres must be maintained when viewing orca or while viewing any cetaceans that are resting or with a calf. When viewing whales, dolphins and porpoises under other circumstances not described above, a minimum distance of 100 metres must be kept.
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