One of our core objectives is to develop long-term partnerships with coastal First Nation communities and NGOs to support collaborative initiatives for the development of whale monitoring projects, educational programs, and stewardship activities. United as partners, we strive to strengthen and expand capacity for crucial efforts aimed at documenting whale populations along our coast. Janie Wray, BC Whales’ lead researcher and CEO, provides invaluable guidance and training to communities and NGOs interested in conducting monitoring surveys or becoming otherwise involved in whale research. Through these collaborative endeavors, we extend support to broader initiatives dedicated to stewardship and the protection of marine environments. By bringing research communities together, these collaborations will deepen our understanding of whale habitat use and the interconnectedness of whales and communities along BC’s coast.
GITGA’AT NATION
Hartley Bay is the home of the Gitga’at Nation.
Located on British Columbia’s remote northwest coast, the present-day home community of the Gitga’at Nation is Hartley Bay. The Gitga’at have been stewards of their land and its resources since time immemorial, and their surroundings are deeply tied to their customs, daily life, and cultural identity.
KITASOO XAI’XAIS NATION
Klemtu is the home to the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation.
The Kitasoo Xai’xais community and its leadership, ensure that Kitasoo Xai’xais laws, customs, traditions, policies and practices are included in resource planning and management decisions, and advocate for the recognition of Kitasoo Xai’xais Aboriginal title and rights.
HEILTSUK NATION
Bella Bella, BC, is home of the Heiltsuk Nation.
Gvi’ilas has been described as the ethos of our people: “Gvi’ilas not only governed our relationship and responsibilities to land and resources, but also social relationships and obligations with respect to lands and resources. For example, take a little and leave a lot; dispersed and varied resource harvesting obligations to share and support family and community; obligations to care for the resource; seeing all aspects of harvesting, from the taking of the resources to the methods used, as a gift of the Creator.”
‘NAMGIS FIRST NATION
Alert Bay, BC, is home of the ‘Namgis First Nation
‘Na̱mǥis Territory encompasses the entire Nimpkish and Kokish River Watersheds on northern Vancouver Island, along with the waters and several adjacent islands in the vicinity of Johnstone Strait and Queen Charlotte Straits.
Historically, ʼNa̱mǥis resided throughout the territory, but currently are concentrated in ‘Yalis (Alert Bay, Cormorant Island) There are over 1800 ʼNa̱mǥis members currently living in over 100 communities in North America, as well as members in Europe, and the Middle East.
QENTOL, YEN / W̱SÁNEĆ Marine Guardians
SONGHEES NATION
Victoria, BC, is home of the Songhees Nation
The lək̓ʷəŋən People have hunted and gathered here for thousands of years. This area, with its temperate climate, natural harbours, and rich resources, was a trading centre for a diversity of First Peoples. When Captain James Douglas anchored off of Clover Point in 1842, he saw the result of the lək̓ʷəŋən People’s careful land management, such as controlled burning and food cultivation. These practices were part of the land and part of Lək̓ʷəŋən culture.
COWICHAN TRIBES
The Cowichan Valley, BC, is home of the Cowichan Tribes
Cowichan Tribes is a group of Coast Salish people, consisting of seven traditional villages: Kw’amutsun, Qwum’yiqun’, Hwulqwselu, S’amuna’, L’uml’umuluts, Hinupsum, Tl’ulpalus who today live in the Cowichan Valley region on Vancouver Island. With over 3,800 registered members, it is the single largest First Nations band in British Columbia whos traditional territory included the southern Gulf Islands and the south shore of Lulu Island, now in the city of Richmond, as well as the south arm of the Fraser River.
A Peters Lane Park hydrophone was installed as part of a Cowichan Tribes initiative to monitor the Sansum Narrows area in 2024. This was the first of three hydrophones planned for this region with the goal to localize. The second install will soon occur at Mount Maxwell.
MALAHAT NATION
Southern Vancouver Island, BC, is home of the Malahat Nation
MÁLEXEŁ (Malahat) Nation is a Coast Salish community, situated on the southern end of Vancouver Island, and has a rich history rooted in its ancestral lands, which have been integral to its cultural and economic identity. The name “Malahat” derives from the SENĆOŦEN (MÁLEXEŁ) and Hul̓ q̓ umí n̓ um̓ (Ma’le-’h’xe’l’) words meaning “caterpillars,” reflecting the deep connection to the land and its resources, used for hunting, fishing, gathering, and ceremonial activities.
Malahat Nation has installed hydrophones at two sites within the marine territory, including Pender Island Oak Bluffs and Malahat Beach South. These installations have been a collaborative initiative with Sea to Shore Systems and the BC Hydrophone Network.
WORLD WILDLIFE FUND
Over time, our work has evolved from protecting particular wildlife species and habitats to protecting life on Earth – including our own. Today, our work is about life, because everything we do is about securing the future of healthy, thriving ecosystems. And living, because the choices we make will decide that future—for us and for all species.
Everything World Wildlife Fund does is grounded in science. We use the best available data and sophisticated modelling tools to understand ecological connections, identify pressing issues and develop effective conservation strategies.
ORCALAB
The work of OrcaLab is based on the philosophy that it is possible to study the wild without interfering with lives or habitat. A network of hydrophones, positioned around the orcas’ “core habitat” helps us monitor their movements all year round. Supplementing the acoustic data are visual sightings of orcas as they pass OrcaLab, and reports from land observation sites during the summer “season” as well as reports from other researchers and whale watchers who share observations and information.
SIMRES
SIMRES (Saturna Island Marine Research & Education Society) was founded as a community-based non-profit society in 2013, and has been operating hydrophones in Boundary Pass south of Saturna Island since 2014, with four currently in operation, and one or two more being planned. SIMRES academic collaborators are based at the University of Victoria, at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver and in Washington State, USA. SIMRES also has extensive operational collaboration with the Marine Mammal Reporting Desk (Canadian Coast Guard) in Sidney, DFO local staff and DFO Enforcement staff, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve staff, Port of Vancouver, the ECHO (Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation) program, Ocean Wise, and JASCO.
SOUNDSPACE ANALYTICS
SoundSpace Analytics specializes in fully automated analysis of underwater soundscapes that translate acoustic data into instant and intuitive ocean intelligence. SoundSpace customized software provides fast, replicable, and objective data to support ambitious acoustic monitoring projects with a mission to achieve balanced marine ecosystems.
THE CANADIAN PACIFIC HUMPBACK COLLABORATION
The Canadian Pacific Humpback Collaboration (CPHC) catalogues Humpback Whales off the coast of British Columbia. The CPHC’s centralized catalogue and database of individual Humpback Whales enable understanding of the whales’ habitat use, behaviours, population size and structure, life histories, and the impacts of threats like vessel strike and entanglement. The efforts of the CPHC have informed research beyond British Columbia, including the reassessment of North Pacific Humpbacks by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and publications related to the collaborative effort to study Humpbacks across the North Pacific via Happywhale.
Marine Education & Research Society
Our work with MERS revolves around three key pillars: research, education, and response. With a research focus on whales, we are driven to understand and reduce anthropogenic impacts on marine species. Our research directly influences our educational efforts to motivate behavioural change to reduce threats and inspire stewardship. We are primary responders for dead, distressed, and injured marine mammals (as tasked by DFO) and assist with training of response volunteers. Our research and education efforts inform communications around marine mammal rescue and response.
Raincoast Conservation Foundation
Raincoast is a team of scientists and conservationists empowered by our research to safeguard the land, waters, and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. We investigate to understand coastal species and processes. we inform by bringing science to decision-makers and communities and inspire action to protect wildlife and wildlife habitats.
Ocean Wise Conservation Association
Ocean Wise has well-established environmental stewardship and education programs, including the Ocean Wise Education and Ocean Bridge Pathways programs. Ocean Wise Education works with audiences of all backgrounds and sizes, ranging from schools, youth-serving agencies, and community groups to individuals and families. Every educational program is specially adapted for targeted ages and developmental stages, covering young ocean enthusiasts from toddlers to late teens. The unifying Principles of Ocean Literacy are woven throughout our programs, providing a common thread and a shared language to work with the other ocean conservation leaders.
Sea to Shore Systems
Sea to Shore Systems’ (StSS) core expertise is in underwater acoustic systems for monitoring coastal environments. The data provides a window into the primarily acoustic world of marine animals which is critical to understanding the impacts of anthropogenic endeavours on marine ecosystems. StSS’ products and services are used for environmental conservation, environmental monitoring in support of marine biology research, territorial stewardship, and coastal engineering.
OCEAN NETWORKS CANADA
The University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada monitors the west and east coasts of Canada and the Arctic to continuously deliver data in real-time for scientific research that helps communities, governments and industry make informed decisions about our future. Using cabled observatories, remote control systems and interactive sensors, and big data management ONC enables evidence-based decision-making on ocean management, disaster mitigation, and environmental protection.
INTERNS & RESEARCH ASSISTANTS
We work with interns and research assistants from all over the world. They are our eyes and ears in collecting valuable data on the frequency, movements and behaviours of whales in our research area.