A record number of transient killer whales were counted Thursday off the coast of British Columbia and Washington state.
According to the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWAA), whale watchers counted 10 separate groups of animals between the Campbell River and the Puget Sound for a new high daily high of over 70 whales.
“The number may sound incredible, but it’s not an April Fool’s joke,” PWWA Executive Director Erin Glaze said in a statement announcing the appearances.
Mark Malleson, a researcher for the Whale Research Center and longtime guide to the Prince of Whales in Victoria, BC, confirmed the number as a new Salish Sea record.
One of the whales found is known to researchers as the T63 or “chainsaw” because of its jagged dorsal fin. The chainsaw was born in 1978 and was spotted on Thursday with his mom near the US-Canada border. (Val Shore / Eagle Wing Tours / Pacific Whale Association)
According to Malleson, there have been days in the last decade where 50, maybe 60, Bigg’s have been identified, but he said in a statement that Thursday’s report was “amazing.”
The largest group found, the PWAA said, was near the northern San Juan Islands and had 18 whales.
Sam Murphy of Island Adventures Whale Watching in Anacortes, Wash., Was lucky to see it and said in a statement that, at first, four whales appeared and then, suddenly, “out of nowhere, another 14 were realized”.
“It was magical,” Murphy said.
Bigg killer whales are the cousin that eats mammals with the endangered killer whales of the South, which feed on endangered salmon stocks.
Unlike their struggling relatives, Bigg whales hunt marine mammals and thrive because of the abundance of seals and sea lions in the area, according to researchers.
Gless said the total was 72 and told CBC that this time of year is known as the “spring” for Bigg’s views because the Salish Sea is like a seal snack buffet right now.
“They have moved in. The dinner bell has rung. Information is circulating that this is the hottest new restaurant in town,” Gless said.
The abundance of whales in the water right now, he said, is important for yachts to keep in mind when going out to play.
“These whales are here, so when you’re out in the water, be careful,” Gless said.
He said it is important to slow down and be vigilant every time you see a whale watching boat, as there are very likely whales in the area.
