T063 Chainsaw breaching. Credit: Julia Adelsheim
If you've noticed more whales visiting local waters, you're not imagining it: Vancouver's gargantuan guests are here thanks to the season, great grub and conservation successes, researchers say.
A study in Marine Mammal Science has confirmed that transient killer whales are now seen in the Salish Sea for more than two-thirds of the year on average. And they are not alone. Humpback whales have rediscovered an ancestral feeding ground, while gray whales are stopping by on their migration north.
Dr. Andrew Trites, professor in UBC's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries (IOF); Taryn Scarff, who conducted the study as part of her zoology master's degree; and Julia Adelsheim, IOF alumna and whale biologist, discuss why we're seeing this increase and how to keep our vast visiting whales safe.
What whales are people likely to see?
