It was an exciting summer for our B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network; even though fall has arrived, the excitement isn’t over yet! As many of us return to work and school, it’s important to remember there is still ample opportunity to see cetaceans at this time of year. Two recent sightings near the Vancouver area have reminded […]

Recently, the B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network received some very exciting reports of whales, including large groups of killer whales in Active Pass, a breaching humpback whale in Howe Sound, and a wandering grey whale that found its way along the Sunshine Coast into English Bay. Each of these sightings provided B.C. residents and visitors  incredible […]

If you had the opportunity to relocate to a small, rainy, fishing town to work and learn from one of the most renowned research organizations in your field of interest, would you take it? A few months ago I asked myself the same thing, and before I knew it I had stuffed all my belongings […]

With the recent flux of summer killer whale sightings in B.C., I’ve often been asked, “Why do we always see killer whales travelling in groups? Are these breeding groups, families, or just random congregations of whales that happen to be at the same place at the same time?” After humans, killer whales have some of […]

Last week, a group of Bigg’s (transient) killer whales swam into Departure Bay off Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. Researchers from Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Cetacean Research Program took to the water to take photographs to identify each of the whales. It wasn’t the presence of Bigg’s killer whales in Departure Bay that got researchers […]

The timing couldn’t be more fortuitous with whales spotted in Burrard Inlet today as we announce the launch of WhaleReport, the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre’s latest app. Monitoring the distribution and occurrence of B.C.’s cetaceans and sea turtles helps scientists develop conservation measures to protect them, but with more than 25,000 kilometres of coastline […]

It’s a story the B.C. Cetacean Sightings Network team never gets tired of hearing: it’s a beautiful day, waters are calm, all is still against a serene marine backdrop when suddenly they appear. Whales, dolphins, porpoises! Quick, grab the binoculars and cameras! These moments are among the most exciting opportunities that arise from spending time […]

It’s official, spring is upon us! While the season brings a suite of familiar signs: crocuses, buds on trees, and bird song, if you turn your eyes to the water, you may also be lucky enough to witness the first wave of migratory whales – grey whales. Grey whales are large, measuring upwards of 14 […]