Defining and defending marine mammal habitat

Killer Whales

Marine Mammal Team

Biologist and Project Coordinator – Kathy Heise
Biologist and GIS technician – Des Kawai
Biologist and PhD student, Duke University – Ben Best
Principal Investigator, Duke University – Dr. Patrick Halpin

Why Marine Mammals?

The coastal waters of British Columbia are home to over 20 species of marine mammals, including baleen and toothed whales, dolphins, porpoises sea lions, seals and sea otters. Most of these animals are long-lived and reproduce slowly, often with just one offspring at a time.

Until a few decades ago, commercial whaling severely depleted many of the blue whales, fin whales, humpbacks and minkes that inhabited our waters. Today, our image of whales has changed, and the global moratorium on whaling has given many of these species an opportunity to recover.

Our anecdotal observations suggest that more humpbacks and fin whales are returning to BC coastal waters.  Even blue whales, the worlds largest mammal hunted to near extinction, were documented in 2007 off the coast of BC. Scientific results of our surveys will be completed in 2009 and we can speak more accurately to local observations. Today, the greatest threat to marine mammals is still humans, but largely through our impacts on their habitat and food supply. In the coastal waters of the Great Bear Rainforest, such threats to cetaceans and pinnipeds include:

  • dwindling food supplyBrian
  • toxins and pollution
  • underwater noise, sonar and seismic tests
  • ship strikes
  • entanglement in fishing nets and garbage
  • oil spills from proposed tanker traffic

What is Raincoast doing about Marine Mammals?

Des' wsd Systematic Marine Surveys

Over 14,000 km of ocean trackline have been surveyed.  Read more

spyhop2

Legal action to protect killer whale habitat

Ecojustice, on behalf of Raincoast and others, filed a lawsuit to protect Canada’s resident killer whales. Read More


sound-waves

Stopping Underwater Seismic Testing

BATHOLICS marine component stopped, but other are scheduled.  Read more.

What can you do?

Learn about the proposed plan to bring oil tankers to British Coumbia’s inside passage and the use of seismic tests in BC waters.  Express your views in letters to the editor, web forums, and to elected officials.

Scientific Papers:

Williams, R., and L. Thomas. 2007. Distribution and abundance of marine mammals in the coastal waters of British Columbia, Canada Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. 9:15-28

Thomas, L., R. Williams, and D. Sandilands. 2007. Designing line transect surveys for complex survey regions Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. 9:1-13