Brightfish Charters: November 2016

Sunday, 20 November 2016

Linea, the whale calf

I contacted Jackie Hildering, " The Marine Detective ", and she was able to identify a couple of these Humpback Whales that came into Quathiaski Cove , from photos on my blog post Nov 17.

This is Linea, the calf, never far from her mother, Maude ( ID # BCY0027 ). Linea is probably only about ten months old.

Apparently there are five Humpbacks in the near neighbourhood. We are seeing Humpbacks all through the year now, but they are unlikely to be staying through the winter, instead, individuals leave and arrive at various times.

Take a look at Jackie's site / https://themarinedetective.com/ for terrific photos and content about all sorts of marine life. She is presently studying Humpback Whales and providing public education and outreach presentations.

rick@gobrightfish.com

250 830 8680

www.gobrightfish.com

Rainbow in Tyee Pool

What a sight this morning ! The end of the rainbow at the mouth of the Campbell River, the Tyee Pool.

rick@gobrightfish.com

250 830 8680

www.gobrightfish.com

Thursday, 17 November 2016

Three Humpback Whales in Q Cove

This morning three humpback whales came right into Q Cove. I heard the first blow from inside the house, as it blew right in front of my boat tied to the dock. That would have been the best picture.

I took these photos from the porch and then walked down to the dock. The top photo has the stern of the neighbours boat in the foreground.

You know you are only seeing a small part of these immense animals, less than the tip of an iceberg.

What at first looked like one whale turned out to be two very close together, a mother and calf. You can see that there are two, if you look closely in the next photo and the last one. So there were two together and another large one opposite in the bay, making three.

rick@gobrightfish.com

250 830 8680

www.gobrightfish.com

Tuesday, 15 November 2016

First snow on the mountains, and other photos from the porch today

The first snow is on the mountains, and you know what that means. The seasons are changing, and spring is coming , and then summer. We, you and I . need to plan ahead better to schedule our dates to get the accommodation of choice, and fit my schedule. That's not really a sales pitch so much as a fact to work with.

The following are several photos taken from the porch in Quathiaski Cove today. In the distance are the mountains of Vancouver Island , with the shore of the south end of the Tyee Pool of Campbell River lower on that opposite side, and in the near view the docks of some homes in Q Cove.

The birds are chasing herring into the shallows again this morning. I am interested in the birds, but my main interest is how they fit into the ecosystem with salmon, as shown by how they act on the herring. What showed again today is good news for the vitality of the ocean locally.

Today the cormorants came right into the shallows , whereas in other days they seemed to push the herring into shallow water but usually stayed themselves out in deeper water, while the mergansers chased the herring into merely inches of water. The mergansers make the most disciplined line , or at least the most obvious surface strategy, to push the herring ahead of them. The intense hunt lasts for about an hour and moves back and forth along this shoreline.

The boat at midday, the birds have dissipated, and then sunset over Vancouver Island.

rick@gobrightfish.com

250 830 8680

www.gobrightfish.com

Monday, 14 November 2016

Extreme flows

Today is break in a series of extreme rain storms. We had just learned that the count for the returning chinooks to the Campbell River was pretty darn good, but the high and fast flows could be trouble for those spawning salmon, and damaging to the fragile eggs of other species if the gravel is disturbed or worse, washed away. The coast changed from near drought conditions, to excessive rain when the season changed.
This photo is Elk Falls , which is most impressive to see from the suspension bridge. In Campbell River town , residents in the low areas have been sandbagging in anticipation of flooding.

rick@gobrightfish.com

250 830 8680

www.gobrightfish.com

November seabirds herd herring

The diving birds, cormorants, loons , but mostly mergansers, are regularly herding herring into the shallows of Q Cove , and when they get them cornered the gulls get a feast as well. This show looks like a good indicator of a healthy herring stock living locally, and hopefully a good local winter chinook population .

November is usually the slowest month for salmon fishing because the last of the mature salmon of the year, Chums, are arriving at their home rivers, and the next year crop of Chinook salmon is just about to get into the winter pattern.