News from Observation Post #15 Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada News from the 2010 Season Kati of Remote Passages Marine Excursions reports gray whales along the open west coast of Vancouver Island, just minutes outside Tofino harbour. April 16: Remote Passages guide Don Travers reported our first local Gray Whale mom / calf pair on April 16th. He spotted the two spouts, one much smaller than the other, just off off the lighthouse at Lennard Island. Then the two whales surfaced several times, and Don was able to confirm them as a mother with her young calf. Based on sighting reports from ACS/LA (Post #6), we expected to see our first mom/calf pairs about a little earlier than last year (2009), when our first sighting was on April 26th. (We usually see our first migrators about three weeks after they pass ACS/LA.) We did not see our next confirmed mom/calf pair this year until April 26th, a littler further north on the coast in Cow Bay (off Flores Island, a typical summer feeding bay for Gray Whales locally). Sea conditions may have had something to do with this, however, and we have had alot of westerly winds for this time of year. April 12: It was surprising to see the March 17th cow/calf pair at Edmonds, WA, and the other March sighting at Whidbey Island. We were expecting to see mom / calf pairs about now, based on the ACS/LA reports from Palos Verde, but so far we've heard nothing yet from our fleet. In sad news, a dead juvenile Gray Whale washed in on the south end of Vancouver Island last week. Fisheries and Oceans reported that the whale had died of starvation Feb. 21: Remote Passages' guide Rich Chiovitti and his guests confirmed a single Gray Whale traveling steadily northward today! Their observation was made just a few kilometers offshore of Tofino. The whale was low profile when it surfaced, and did not sound or show its tail fluke as it travelled. On the same day, we heard a report on the VHF of four northbound Gray Whales seen the previous Wednesday, February 17th, off Sea Otter Rocks. Clear skies and great sea conditions last week made it possible to spot any traveling whales along the coastline near Tofino! Feb. 17: We usually see the first migrators about 3 weeks after ACS-LA. Will keep my eyes open! Vancouver Island, British Columbia (49.15N, -129.67W)