Tag Archives: Telegraph Cove

Purse seining

Sein Fishing 1Sein Fishing 2

A whale-watching safari does not only include wildlife it means stopping to watch and explain all things of interest. From log booms towed by tugs to seine fishing. Seine fishing is a method of fishing that employs a seine or dragnet net. A seine is a fishing net that hangs vertically in the water with its bottom edge held down by weights and its top edge buoyed by floats.  Once there are sufficient salmon in the net both ends are pulled together at the back of the boat and the bottom of the net held down by the weights is closed by pulling a draw string the same way one would close the top of a purse. Thus the name purse seining. The salmon are then bailed into the boat using a long handled net on ropes and a hydraulic wench. The nets are set and left open for about an hour but we try to watch the more interesting part of bailing the salmon this is not difficult to do as there are normally several dozen vessels fishing in the area at any one time.  The time frame of this picture it was a “food fish” for the local native people of Alert Bay.

 

 

Whale Watching while seagulls feed

Seagulls feeding

A herring “ball” results when a school of herring is chased to the surface by a predatory fish, ducks or other diving birds. Often the herring balls can be spotted by a large flock of seagulls noisily feeding on the surface. Spotting the gulls feeding is a joy for your guide as the unenviable fate of the herring is to be dinner for a larger mammal meaning humpback whales.  As a guide once the herring ball is located the intent is to stop the boat in proximity of the gulls and wait.  “Keep your eye on the gulls and as they lift into the air get ready for a picture of a whale lunge feeding”(see tomorrow’s blog) is the directions given to the guests while we wait.  James O’Donoghue’s photo captured the mass of the gulls but not the noise they produce.  The area for the lodge’s whale watching safari day is Blackfish Sound not far from Vancouver Island’s Telegraph Cove.  It is an area known for the abundance of herring and thus popular for salmon fishing which also means orca that feed on the salmon. 

Sealions – Coastal Vancouver Island

The stellar sealions pass through the area, between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia, to and from Alaska in the spring and fall. They gather on the rocky shore in the area of Telegraph Cove by the hundreds to sun themselves and rest after feeding in our area before continuing their trip. This area of BC’s coast is so rich in food for these marine mammals that several dozen in the past three years have started to stay all summer and not make the journey north.

 

Vancouver Island – Telegraph Cove Area (3 of 3)

Many herring balls form off Bold Head which is a land mass not far from Telegraph Cove a tourist destination on Vancouver Island north of Campbell River. The ideal photo will be one like the one taken byGary Wilson, it is what you hope to have in your picture, a humpback lunge feeding. The plan is to sit near a herring ball and wait until the gulls shoot into the air and be ready.

Vancouver Island – Telegraph Cove Area (2 of 3)

The herring in the waters along the shores of Vancouver Island are at the bottom of the food chain (just above plankton and krill). You know your position in the food chain when your main defense is getting in a tight ball and revolving from inside to outside so you can breath. The many ducks and diving birds in the area force the herring into balls, which try to escape by moving up to the surface. This attracts gulls and attracts whale watching guides and guests.

 

Vancouver Island – Telegraph Cove Area 1 of 3

On your whale watching day most of the time is spent is the waters off the east shore of Vancouver Island. This water is rich in wildlife and it is not uncommon to see seagulls congregating in one area, in fact, that is a good thing. Whether you are sports fishing or looking for humpback whales you want to see flocks of gulls to have a “good” day. These photos were taken in Johnstone Strait, which is a body of water between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia, the pictures are from different days.