Tag Archives: Dolphins

Beautiful day on the water

Click to enlarge then click again
Click to enlarge then click again

It is only 9:00 and the whale watching trip is off to a good start with a pod of Pacific whitesided dolphins playing with the boats. These dolphins are often in the area and it is a treat when they become playful. A normal day will also include time spend with a pod of northern resident killer whales, Steller sealions basking in the sun and humpback whales feeding on herring. Along the way there will be bald eagles in the trees or feeding, harbour seals, dall porpoises and may be a black bear or two.

 

Guide Photos

flying dolphin
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Pacific white sided dolphins are frequently seen in the area of the lodge; whether on a grizzly bear tour, whale watching safari or the extra day trip to Trapper Rick’s wilderness river. The pods range in size from several hundred to over one thousand individuals. They are playful and like to ride the bow wave of our boats and will cross beneath the bow as if they are trying to see how close they can come without being fit. The prop wash is also popular and they will come within two meters (six feet) of the back of the boat. The unusual aspect of this picture is that there is only one dolphin.

 

White-side dolphin pod

leaping dolphins
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Great photo of a pod of pacific white-side dolphins which frequent the waters of British Columbia’s coast. The average pod size for pacific white-sided dolphins is 10-100, but they can be found gathered in pods of thousands of individuals. These dolphins commonly leap (breach) and somersault and may also ride the bow and stern waves created by boats. This photo shows the dolphins surging forward as a pod as they search for food (herring) along the shore.  While engaged in this activity they travel at about nine miles an hour but have clocked speeds of up to 25 miles per hour.

Pacific white-sided dolphins

Pod of white sides

Whether on a whale watching safari to Johnstone Strait, grizzly bear trip up Knight Inlet or on the way to Trapper Rick’s on the Kakweikan River there is a chance to play with dolphins.  Dolphins are spending their summers in our viewing area and at time in pods of several hundreds. They tend to be very active and to not shy away from boats in fact if you want to be left alone it is necessary to stop the boat and wait until they pass on to another area.

Safari Race?

boatdolphin

On the grizzly bear tours and whale watching safari, boats form the lodge often travel together.  This day Glen and I encountered a pod of white-sided dolphins who decided to play with the boats.  Glen managed a great photo of my guests not believing what they are seeing.

Whale Watching and Pacific White-side Dolphins

I cannot think of another photo that I have posted of white-sided dolphins, which tells a more complete story than this one from James O’Donoghue. On tour days we frequently travel with another boat from the lodge when we run to Johnstone Strait near Telegraph Cove to look for whales thus the picture of one of our boats in the back ground.  Notice the warm “floater” suits the guests wear while on the water.  Even though this is summer it is cool on the water in the morning.  Also it is easy to pick out the guide without the suit as we tend to be climatized to the weather. The most amazing aspect of the photo is the fact that it shows every stage of white sides’ “porpoise” (short term for the way dolphins come out of the water when traveling in a hurry). It shows them first breaking out of the water to clearing the water and then their returning dive. Also note the calm water surrounding the ripples indicating there are likely several hundred dolphins keeping the water churned up as they pass close to our boat. 

Pacific white-sided dolphins – Whale Watching

Pacific White-Sided Dolphins

Pacific white-sided dolphins are only one of the many mammals often viewed on the whale watching day.  Dolphins tend to travel in pods of several hundred the largest pod I have come across was between fifteen hundred and two thousand.  This was in the late fall and they appeared to be heading out of the area.  The pods we encounter in the summer are playful and come to our boats out of curiosity.  In this case we were stationary as the dolphins were following another of our boats.  At other times they will pass beneath our bow while we move along side a large pod.