@ORES Ursula Tscherter
https://oceanorg.blob.core.windows.net/oceanorg/2023/08/Ocean-Watch-Howe-Sound-Edition-2020.pdf
Their findings show that after a century of industrial carelessness "significant efforts in recent decades have improved the health of the fjord and allowed valued species to recover”. And although still vulnerable to the combined pressures of industry, development, shipping and fishing the outcomes are encouraging. While this recovery came in large part to expensive remediation efforts by industry and Government, the results are nonetheless exciting. These sentiments are echoed by research undertaken by the David Suzuki Foundation’s “Measuring the return on Howe Sound’s Ecosystem Assets.”
https://davidsuzuki.org/project/howe-sound/
This is of particular interest to me as a resident of Howe Sound, and who gets excited with every whale blow I hear and every fin or fluke I see. Whale sightings in the sound are still infrequent compared to sightings in waters offshore from other British Columbia waterways. In Tofino / Pacific Rim National Park the numbers of migrating Grey whales each March / April, are astonishing. Later in the summer, the Greys and other whale and dolphin species become frequent visitors to the waters off Haida Gwaii and in Queen Charlotte Strait.
Johnstone Strait
Another notable hotspot is Johnstone Strait, undoubtedly the best place in the world to be in the water among Orcas from mid-July through to mid-September. Johnstone Strait is a narrow passage that separates Vancouver Island from the mainland. The Strait is set amongst steep fjords, small islands, and lush rainforest, featuring old-growth red cedar and Sitka spruce of up to 1000 years old. Subsurface upwellings and penetrating ocean currents result in a rich marine environment. This area is best known as the world’s prime orca viewing region. During the day, you can search for resident and transient orca pods that come to feed in the summer months. Launching from either Port Hardy or Port McNeill 12 miles south, boats take visitors in groups of 4 to 40 onto the waters of the strait in search of sea birds, orca, minke and humpback whales, several species of dolphin, black bear, harbour seals and Northern sea lions. Active travellers can join a 3 or 6-day kayak adventure here.
Although whale tour locations like Vancouver, Victoria or Campbell River are easier to reach, this North Island region is one of my top recommendations for travellers planning a visit to Vancouver Island. In addition to the bountiful cetacean experiences, the region also boasts great Grizzly tours, the popular BC Ferries route between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert. and impactful connections with the area’s First Nations in places like Alert Bay.
Whale Research
My own love affair with whales began about 30 years ago after meeting New Lynas, a whale researcher in a 4’th year Zoology course at the University of Toronto. He had already been conducting studies on finback whales of the St. Lawrence River for two decades out of the small village of Bergeronnes on the shores of the river three and a half hours northeast of Quebec City. After graduation, we combined efforts to provide voluntourism programs that combined tourism with whale research for one-week periods in the summers. The local people population still under 700 persons, swells in the summer months to witness the return of the whales that gather in the St. Lawrence River to feed in the nutrient rich waters near the confluence with the Saquenay River. Belugas whales who are year-round residents, are joined by finbacks, minke, blue whales and the occasional pod of Orcas, lone sperm whale or small group of humpbacks. Some of my fondest whale memories were when I travelled to Bergeronnes to spend time among the whales with the other volunteers. Each day we would leave the dock on half-day sessions in zodiacs, small motor vessels and even a historic schooner. On the very first outing, after barely leaving the dock the first minke is often spotted. During one outing, a minke whale swam underneath the zodiac: its 25 foot-length seems much larger from this perspective. On most days, we were “whale waiting”, sitting or standing and waiting for various whales to surface between feeding intervals. After a time, we began to know when to expect the whale to reappear. It was during my third summer session that the most memorable event occurred. Eight blue whales, the largest animals alive, and maybe the largest that have ever lived on the planet, were feeding near the village. They are up to 110 feet long and can weigh nearly 200 tonnes. One surfaced just 40 meters away - the force of its blow resembling a large explosion. For half a day, we watched them take short dives and every so often fluke their tails as they began a deep dive. And then, silence as we waited another 20 or so minutes for a hopeful re-appearance. Ned has passed away, but for many years ORES and other whale feeding research has been undertaken by Ursula Tscherter.
Whale Research organizations
GREMM
https://gremm.org/en/
Centre for Whale Research
https://www.whaleresearch.com/
Hot Spots for whale waiting in Canadian Waters - East to North to West
- Strait of Belle Isle, NL
- Witless Bay / Trinity, NL
- St Ann’s Bank / Cape Breton, NS
- Bergeronnes / Tadoussac, QC
- Churchill, MB
- Lancaster Sound, NU
- Pacific Rim National Park / Tofino, BC
- Port Hardy / Port McNeill / Telegraph Cove / Johnstone Strait, BC
- Haida Gwaii, BC / Queen Charlotte Strait, BC