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BC WHALES | NORTH COAST CETACEAN SOCIETY

A non-profit whale-research organization dedicated to the research and protection of cetaceans along the northern coast of British Columbia.

All photographs, video and audio are the property of North Coast Cetacean Society (BC Whales)

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Back in July, humpback whale Smoke (BCX2183) was e

Back in July, humpback whale Smoke (BCX2183) was entangled near Texada Island. Thanks to tremendous efforts from the individual who reported the entanglement, DFO’s marine mammal rescue unit as well as @cetus_society Straitwatch Quadra, Smoke was successfully freed of over 50 meters of line and recreational prawn gear.

Smoke was born in 2020 to mother Flame (SEAK-1538), a well-known whale to south-east Alaskan waters. In the years since, Smoke has been seen in the Salish Sea.

On September 28th we saw Smoke for the first time in Gitga’at Territory, and were able to conduct a drone flight to contribute to our ongoing scar analysis project which investigates the presence of scarring on the bodies of humpback and fin whales from being entangled or struck by vessels. We were incredibly pleased to see Smoke with no evidence of any active entanglement gear.

Seeing Smoke up here over the past few days has been an incredible reminder of the connectedness of this coast, as well as the whales who inhabit it. Through powerful coast-wide collaborations like the CPHC (more info at bchumpbacks.com), we are able to non-invasively track the movements and habitat use of humpback whales along the entire BC coast to best understand who they are and the threats that they face.

Smoke’s positive outcome from the dangers of entanglement could have ended very differently if not for the immediate action taken by the passenger aboard the ferry who noticed Smoke’s entanglement and immediately called the DFO incident reporting hotline at 1-800-465-4336.

If you see a whale or marine mammal in distress, the most important thing to do is to report it right away by calling the hotline, or calling on VHF channel 16 to give each individual the best chance at survival.

Please also take note that this footage was collected with a specialized research permit, and that flying drones over any marine mammal without such a permit is illegal in Canada.

Today we stand with Indigenous communities and fam

Today we stand with Indigenous communities and families around the country as we continue to move towards Truth and Reconciliation from the atrocities of our country’s colonial past. We recognize all of those who were affected by the residential school system, and honour those who never made it home.

As traditional keepers of the land, the ancestral knowledge passed down through generations ensured a thriving ecosystem for many millennia. As we move forward it is vital that we listen to and amplify these voices to inform policy and best practices, ensuring a healthy ocean for all.

Our work at BC Whales would not be possible without the support and knowledge of the Gitga’at First Nation, in whose territory we have worked for over 20 years, as well as the Kitasoo/Xai’xais and Heiltsuk First Nation in the past decade.

Visit the Linktree page in our bio for a recent CB

Visit the Linktree page in our bio for a recent CBC article by Camille Vernet published September 20, 2024.

Camille visited the Fin Island Research Centre in June of 2024 to learn about the research being done to better understand the risks posed to whales when the LNG tankers from Kitamaat begin to transit the protected waterways of British Columbia's north coast in early 2025. BCWhales works in conjunction with the Gitga'at First Nation, WWF Canada and the partners of the BC Hydrophone Network.

It has been an incredibly windy and rainy week her

It has been an incredibly windy and rainy week here at the Fin Island station. But through it all, the whales continue to pass by our lab and keep our spirits high!

Creativity is sometimes necessary to protect our research equipment from the elements.
Here are Erin and Jenn keeping our cameras protected while making sure we get the vital photos of whale flukes and dorsal fins to further our understanding of their populations and social relationships, and of course of the breaches to share the wonder of these whales with you!

During the fall ecotourism season in the Greatbear

During the fall ecotourism season in the Greatbear Rainforest we are often presented with the opportunity to give talks to the guests about the work we are doing at the Fin Island Whale Research Station. Just as we were finishing our presentation while aboard the Maple Leaf Adventures boat Cascadia yesterday we were lucky to witness the social bonds and prey sharing between the transient orca family the T023C’s. The gulls, kittiwakes, and eagles were swarming overhead hoping to pick up a scrap from the hunt, while the orca shared their meal. As we were leaving the Cascadia we heard from the Gitga'at Guardians that the whales had turned and were heading south along the Fin Island shore, and back towards the Fin Island Station. The guardians were able to observe as this family continued into Lewis passage in the afternoon.

Just as we thought our day was winding down in the evening, this family again passed the station heading south, presumably having done a full circle of fin island.

All photos were taken in accordance with the marine mammal regulations from more than 400 meters away, all photos shown here were taken with telephoto lenses and cropped, and the last 3 photos were taken from the deck of the Fin Island Research Station.

#bcwhales #gitgaatterritory #mapleleafadvent

Join Dr. Ben Hendricks from Soundspace Analytics a

Join Dr. Ben Hendricks from Soundspace Analytics and the BC Hydrophone Network on Sunday, Sept 22, 2024 at 2pm at the Saturna Community Hall.

During this talk, we will listen to some of BC's diverse ocean soundscapes, to whales, vessels and more! This includes recordings from SIMRES hydrophones in Boundary Pass. Ben will introduce the fundamental concepts for analyzing ocean sound with automated computer algorithms and give an overview about acoustic monitoring projects with coastal partners.

https://gulfislandevents.com/event/simres-seatalk-listen-sea/

There is an interesting relationship between birds

There is an interesting relationship between birds and whales.

At this time of year especially, when we spend time observing groups of bubble net feeding humpback whales there are also often large flocks of gulls accompanying them and looking to benefit from the concentrated fish that the humpbacks so expertly corral.

Today we unknowingly captured this moment of multi-species wonder as this gull flew right between two actively feeding whales, inspecting the area below for the first opportunity to feed on any fish that were missed.

There are some days where we have to simply marvel

There are some days where we have to simply marvel at the beauty of the place where we are so fortunate to be able to work and learn from whales.

The very early morning of the 12th brought on one of those days as northern lights danced over the Fin Island Research Station long past our ability to keep our eyes open to watch them. Both above and below the water, this corner of Gitga’at Territory continuously reminds us of its beautiful diversity and importance.

Did you feel the Earthquake yesterday? Well, we he

Did you feel the Earthquake yesterday? Well, we heard it!

While monitoring ocean acoustics yesterday afternoon, Erin noticed a strange and unfamiliar noise coming through the speakers of all of our hydrophones in Squally Channel simultaneously, as well as noise bands filling the spectrograms. She immediately recognized something was different, and began recording a video.

What Erin heard and saw was the 6.4 magnitude earthquake near Haida Gwaii that was felt up and down the north coast of BC and lasted for about a minute. We didn’t feel the shaking here on Fin Island, but we could hear the sounds of the earth’s movements on our network of hydrophones.

If you turn your sound all the way up, you too can listen in to what earthquakes sound like in the depths of the ocean. Our whole team were mesmerized by this unique sound, and in awe at the wonder and power of this incredible technology which allows us to listen in to the world of whales, and better understand the Earth as a whole.

We are listening live to the first humpback whale

We are listening live to the first humpback whale song of the year from our network of hydrophones in Squally Channel! Sound up to hear it for yourself!

This time of year brings change in the acoustic world of whales as humpback whales develop the song that will be sung this year in their breeding grounds.

This could not have come at a better time as we welcomed Dr. Erin Wall back to the Fin Island station yesterday afternoon. Erin is working in collaboration with ourselves, @raincoastconservation and partners of the BC Hydrophone Network (more info at WhaleSound.ca) to better understand humpback whale song display, development, and the impacts of noise along the BC coast feeding grounds.

After months of waiting, they finally arrived.

A major part of our research is focused on bubble net feeding groups – a subset of the local population of humpback whales along the north and central coast who cooperatively work together to feed using specialized vocalizations and bubble blowing. Throughout the summer months, we often observe large groups of 10 or more whales right from the deck of our research station on Fin Island.

This year was different.

Only in the last two weeks have the large groups moved into this area to feed, and we have noticed less bubble net feeding generally these past months compared to past years from Fin Island. That is not to say that these whales are not around and have not been bubble net feeding, but simply that they have been relying on other areas of their habitat for this important feeding strategy.

It has been a true wonder and delight to finally see these groups again from land. There have been big smiles and full hearts aplenty since their return!

Could this be the best place in the world to do la

Could this be the best place in the world to do land-based whale research? We think it might be!

The deep fjordic waters that encompass Gitga’at Territory allow for incredible moments like this to occur on a daily basis. From land, we are able to observe, listen, and get true glimpses into the lives of whales. The beauty of land-based research is knowing that what we see would be happening with or without our human presence. Though we feel incredibly connected to the whales in these moments, they are unimpacted by us.

The Fin Island Research Station shown here is the center of our research in Gitga’at Territory. From May through October we are here, and we are documenting all whale presence, behaviours, and habitat usage. Just from land, we have already identified 165 individual humpback whales and have over 90 drone flights under our belts so far this season! With two months still to go, we can’t wait to see which whales will come around the corner next.

To learn more about our land-based research, visit our website at bcwhales.org

It is important to note that we fly our drones under a specialized research permit, and that flying drones over marine mammals without such a permit is illegal in Canada.

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