Tag Archives: Humpback Whales

Whale Blitz teaches locals how to report entangled humpbacks in the area

By Louis Belcourt, CKTZ News, through an LJI grant from Canada-info.ca

= Cortes Island was included in the third annual Oceanwise Conservation Association’s 2024 Whale Blitz, which included events all over the Vancouver coast, educating people on whale information and how to spot whales and report on their sightings.

A booth hosted by the coordinator of the Oceanwise Conservation Association provided information on whales in our area and encouraged people to report their whale sightings to the Whale Report App.

Continue reading Whale Blitz teaches locals how to report entangled humpbacks in the area

No spill response can eliminate risk to marine life in the Strait of Juan de Fuca

By Sidney Coles, Capital Daily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Last week, Capital Daily reported that the new 74.5-metre (244-foot) Western Marine Response Corporation (WMRC) vessel named the K.J. Gardner will be docked in Beecher Bay early in the new year. The ship is purpose-built to patrol the BC coastline and respond in the event of an oil spill.

This additional response resource is being deployed in anticipation of the 34+ tankers per month (450 per year) that will soon come out of Burnaby’s Westridge Marine Terminal laden with oil from the TMX pipeline before making their way through the San Juan Islands and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Continue reading No spill response can eliminate risk to marine life in the Strait of Juan de Fuca

BBC’s Planet Earth does a deep dive on West Coast whale poo

Editor’s Note: Most of what follows is applicable to our waters, doubly so because MERS operates in our waters. Stay tuned to see if there are any scenes from Cortes or the surrounding islands in the BBC story.

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Whale researcher Jackie Hildering and her colleagues never imagined their work on humpbacks would capture the attention of the globe’s premier documentary series.  

Or that whale poo would be of such interest to Planet Earth — BBC’s famous nature show. 

Continue reading BBC’s Planet Earth does a deep dive on West Coast whale poo

It’s a new season of whale song on the West Coast

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Autumn is the season of whale song on the Pacific Northwest Coast, says longtime researcher Janie Wray. 

Male humpbacks off the B.C. coast are beginning to get vocal — practising and modifying a supernatural and intricate song that is transmitted and almost simultaneously adopted among themselves before and during their winter migration to warmer climes.

Continue reading It’s a new season of whale song on the West Coast

Entangled humpback whale reported off the coast of Tofino

Editor’s note: Another example of humans negatively impacting nature, the story of the humpback whale’s comeback and a glimpse into the history of First Nations whaling.

By Alexandra Mehl, Ha-Shilth-Sa, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Tofino, BC – On July 22 an entangled humpback whale was reported to be seen off the coast of Leonard Lighthouse, near Tofino. 

Since the initial sighting Fisheries and Oceans Canada, alongside Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society (SIMRS), have struggled to relocate the humpback and encourage community members to call the DFO marine mammal incident reporting hotline if seen, while remaining 200 meters away.

Continue reading Entangled humpback whale reported off the coast of Tofino