Humpback Sighting Contributions
Photo: BCX1063 (Ripple) and BCX1602 (Lorax)
Help provide Humpback Whale sightings
Keep your distance
If on a boat, maintain a distance of at least 200 m from the whale.
Visit www.SeeABlowGoSlow.org to ensure you know the laws and best practices for vessel operation around marine mammals.
Photographs
Photograph the underside of the tail (fluke) and/or dorsal fin.
The ideal is to document both fluke and dorsal fin but often Humpback Whales do not lift their tails.
When you send photos to the CPHC, please retain original photo size and file name i.e. do not crop or rename the photos.
Submit sightings to the CPHC
On the map, click the zone where the sighting(s) took place.
This will direct you to a form or generate an email to the CPHC collaborator(s) processing Humpback Whale data for that area.
In the email that will be generated, in addition to sending your photos, please also include the following information:
– Photos of the tail and/or dorsal fin*
– Photographer name
– Date and time of the sighting
– Location (ideally with GPS coordinates)
*Photo credit is retained in the CPHC database.
Report violations and marine mammals in distress
In British Columbia, call the DFO Incident Line at 1-800-465-4336.
If you do not have cell service, use VHF Channel 16 (Coast Guard).
Inform large vessels
Ensure large vessels in the area are aware of the animal by reporting its location via WhaleReport in real time.
This report will generate an alert for large commercial vessels (e.g. ferries, shipping vessels, tugs etc) within 10nm, allowing mariners to increase vigilance and take avoidance measures.
We are fortunate to be able to learn in
the unceded Territories of coastal First Nations.