SEATTLE, WA & VICTORIA, BC — The Pacific Whale Watch Association said new data shows 2021 was one of the best years for whale sightings in the Salish Sea.
The exception was for the endangered Southern Resident killer whales, which were encountered least often.
PWWA said Bigg’s killer whales were the most frequently seen whales in the region last year, followed by humpback whales, gray whales, and minke whales.
Like the Southern Resident killer whales, Bigg’s killer whales are also orca whales. The difference is the endangered Southern Residents almost exclusively eat salmon, while the Bigg’s orcas are transient and eat a variety of prey, including seals, sea lions minke whales and gray whale calves, according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation.
The declining presence of the Southern Resident orcas in the Salish Sea has been tied to a decrease in Fraser River Chinook, according to PWWA naturalists.
“Based on reports from professional whale watchers, regional sightings groups, and shore-based observers, Bigg’s killer whales were documented in the Salish Sea during 1,067 unique sightings across 329 days. The previous record, set in 2019, was 747 unique sightings. In contrast, salmon-eating Southern Resident killer whales were documented on just 103 days, or 28% of the year,” PWWA said in a news release.
The previous record, set in 2019, was 747 unique sightings. The salmon-eating Southern Resident killer whales were documented on just 103 days, or 28% of the year.
Humpback whales and Bigg’s orcas also experienced a baby boom.
Eleven new Bigg’s calves were born in 2021 and a record 21 humpback whale calves accompanied their mothers to the Salish Sea last year, nearly doubling 2020′s count of 11, PWWA reported.
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