Pacific Northwest whales enjoy prolific 2015
2015 has proven to be a prolific year for orca whales around Vancouver Island and in the Pacific Northwest.According to the U.S.-based Center for Whale Research, a new baby killer whale has been born in the J Pod group of resident whales believed to be headed for the Strait of Georgia. This brings the number of new births since December 2014 to eight.
Researchers at the Center for Whale Research (who named the calf “J54”) reports that is the calf is the offspring of mother J28 and a sibling to a female calf born in 2009. The total population of known southern resident whales as of December 2015 is 84.
The Center for Whale Research say there hasn’t been this many baby resident whales born since 1977, when there were nine in one year, and that there is a high rate of calf mortality – usually attributed to years following poor salmon runs.
Meanwhile, off the shores of Tofino and Ucluelet, resident whales are proving to be quite active this December.
Long Beach Lodge Resort executive chef Ian Riddick got some great shots of a pod of five orcas in the Ucluelet Harbour on December 20.
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