Canada's Oceans Now: Pacific Ecosystems, 2021 - Humpback whales recovering, Bigg's whales on the rise

An infographic with illustrated facts about humpback whales and Bigg's killer whales. Graphics of humpbacks are shown at left and graphics of killer whales are shown at right with accompanying text describing their population levels.

Humpback whales
Recovering from whaling
Returning to their former habitat

Humpbacks are moving into areas in the Salish Sea where they haven't been seen in recent history

• 2018 population estimate ~ 12,000
• ~8,500 Haida Gwaii and West Coast Vancouver Island
• ~3,300 Central Coast
• ~350 Salish Sea

More collisions and entanglements

• More humpback whales, more vessel traffic and human activity

Food web changes

• Humpback whales eat large amounts of zooplankton and forage fish
• Growing numbers of whales could have impacts on fish populations

Bigg's killer whales

• Population on the rise
• Healthy and thriving
• >500 ranging between California and southern Alaska

A subgroup of Bigg's killer whales has been regularly seen in the Salish Sea since 2012

• 349 Salish Sea
• Between 2012 and 2021 over 100 calves have been observed in the Salish Sea
  • The population grew 4.1% annually

Lots to eat

The harbour seal is a favourite prey of Bigg's killer whales

• 40,000 estimated harbour seal population in the Strait of Georgia