Whenever a dorsal fin or whale tail emerges from the water within eyeshot of the Sunshine Coast, Coast Reporter's phone lines light up. But one group hopes you will share the news of your find with them for the purpose of science.
The B.C. Cetacean Sight-ings Network (BCCSN) is asking Coast residents to call, e-mail or fill in an on-line form every time they spot a whale, dolphin, porpoise or sea turtle in local waters.
"This project relies on citizens and mariners who are already watching the water to fill us in on what they're seeing so we can learn more about where these animals are, which habitats they're using and a little bit about relative abundance as well," said Caitlin Birdsall, BCCSN co-ordinator. "One of the areas where it definitely seems like more activity is starting to happen, and we really want to focus on, is the entire Sunshine Coast. As most people on the Sunshine Coast probably know, there has been a lot of activity over the last year with the grey whale that was there this summer, lots of sightings of Pacific white-sided dolphins and some sightings of killer whales."
Birdsall said data collected through the BCCSN, which is run by the Vancouver Aquarium, is then shared with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, universities and scientists researching everything from migration patterns to effects of humans on marine habitat.
Over the last 10 years, the BCCSN has fielded about 55,000 reports across B.C.'s coastal areas, but Birdsall said data from the Sunshine Coast is becoming of particular interest since various types of large sea mammals are starting to inhabit the area where they did not before -especially dolphins, which used to be thought of as open-sea dwelling creatures.
"Really, over the last decade or so, we've started to see them move down into the Strait of Georgia. Now all of a sudden there is a group that spends time, we think, between Nanaimo, Powell River and down into the lower Sunshine Coast. We even had them at Howe Sound this year, which is the first time the species had ever, ever been spotted in Howe Sound and they were there quite regularly for several months," she said. "So this is a neat time that we're seeing changes in the distribution of these animals, especially towards the Sunshine Coast."
As for what is causing the migration of cetaceans into local waters, Birdsall said she could only speculate, but it seems the dolphins and whales are finding a reliable food source in the Strait.
She said the ocean floor off Davis Bay is likely in ideal spot for feeding for grey whales.
Birdsall said with more reports coming in year-round from Coast residents, marine scientists will be able to better increase human understanding of the much-loved creatures.
To report a cetacean swimming around your ankles, you can fill out an on-line form at www.wildwhales.org, call 1-866-ISAWONE (742-9663) or e-mail [email protected].
