Kakawin of Clayoquot Sound: Stories & Insights

photo by Andrew McCurdy. You can find Andrew's photography (available for purchase) on his Instagram: @lonelyspruce.

You can also win this print by entering our raffel at The ucluelet brewery or surf sisters! Tickets are 5$ and PROCEEDS go towards supporting our work in marine mammal research, education and rescue.

February 11, 2021. Dive Log. Aline Carrier. 

“We look and there’s the surge channel that goes on the other side, the open pacific side. And we are like, oh the tide is high enough that there is some water so we can swim through that surge channel. And it's flat, flat, flat. So we're like lets go see, I’ve never been there. 

So we went over, and on the other side it's one of the biggest sea urchin barrens I have ever seen. It’s just sea urchins. It looks like a big dessert. And because I love sea urchins one of the first things I did was swim down to take some sea urchins. I was having a lot of fun. I was putting them on my hands and then you know, when you swim back up and you flip your hands over they stick. So I was kind of joking like this and showing Andrew, ‘Oh look at this Andrew’ and laughing. Andrew was like, ‘No, Aline Orcas, Orcas!’ and I was like, ‘No, Sea Urchins!’. Then Andrew was like ‘No ORCAS!’, and I just remember thinking No. I realized what he was saying and I was just refusing, because this is my biggest nightmare actually to see some orcas while swimming. So I’m just thinking No and then he’s looking BEHIND me, and I’m like No, No No. Then as I turn, I see that dorsal fin coming up at the surface of the water fully out and it’s like four, five meters high and it’s so huge and then it comes down, coming towards me. 

In my head I’m like, ok that’s it, if I’m about to get munched on by an Orca at least I wanna see it. So I put my head in the water. I don’t even know if I had my snorkel. I don’t even know if I took the time to breathe before. I just know that I put my head in the water, and then I saw them. And somehow I knew there were four, and they passed right in front of me. They just swam and I was expecting it to be kind of loud and painful, because I was expecting them to eat me. I was expecting some form of impact but it was totally the opposite. It went super quiet, super calm, even if it was fast it seemed like it was slowing down and everything was holding up in time and it was just there. And then they swam away and disappeared, as fast as it happened they disappeared.”

This story is one of many wondrous orca encounters shared in our new eBook, highlighting our community's connection with these awe inspiring animals.

Photos by (left to right) W. C. Barnes, Danny O'Farrell, Sydney Dixon & Jeremy Mathieu

The book, “Kakawin of Clayoquot Sound”, is meant as a collection of stories and insights that bring a sense of wonder and passion for our orca kin and give a glimpse into the day-to-day lives of Kakawin in Clayoquot Sound. We hope that by sharing these encounters you feel empowered to be better stewards for these animals and their aquatic home. Afterall, conservation is not possible first without connection! 

A Killer Whale of A Day

Photo by Ross Reid

There is nothing quite as thrilling as watching a black dorsal fin slice through the surface of the water, rising up to six feet. Ripples and the powerful sound of blows echo through the silence left in their wake, as you realize that all of the other animals around you are hiding from this awesome predator (if they’re lucky, that is). It’s enough to raise strong emotions in even the most seasoned of sea-farers. Orca!

As the undisputed rulers of the sea, these apex predators are at the top of the food chain, meaning they have no predators. They prey on a wide variety of species, ranging from small schooling fish like salmon and halibut, to larger marine mammals like seals and sea lions, and even adult baleen whales. Although their diet depends to some extent on where they live, it is mostly determined by culture (in other words their learned behaviour). Orcas live and hunt together in cooperative pods, or family groups, and their hunting strategies vary from region to region depending on their chosen prey, passed down through multiple generations.

In our waters off the Pacific Northwest coast, there are three main orca ecotypes: Resident, Transient or Bigg’s, and Offshore. Residents exclusively eat fish, mainly salmon, Transients primarily eat marine mammals and squid, and Offshores eat sharks. Orcas have a diverse range of hunting tactics, specialized for their chosen prey, including ramming and tail slamming for pinnipeds (seal and sea lion), prolonged high speed chases for porpoises and drowning after ramming and biting for baleen whales. The ‘Wave Wash’, the ‘Karate Chop’, The ‘Carousel’, The ‘Pod Pin’, The ‘Blowhole Block’, The ‘D-day’ (a.k.a. ‘Storming the Beach’), their incredibly theatrical hunts have earned them the name Killer Whales.

For those that are being hunted, fleeing to shallow waters is sometimes the only means of evading the attack. Unfortunately, this tactic also holds the not uncommon risk of becoming beached on shore during the escape. This is what likely happened on Friday, November 4th, when a live stranded Pacific White-sided dolphin was reported in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

Our team arrived on scene, equipment in hand, to meet Parks Canada wildlife officers doing initial assessments. The animal looked to be in fairly rough shape and in high distress, however was still thrashing about and actively breathing. Severe scarring left by teeth, also known as rake marks, from a killer whale were evident on the dolphins body, indicating a recent attack.

A collaborative decision was made, by Parks Canada and DFO officials, to attempt a re-floation rescue. It was our hope that we could get this animal back in the water in time to give it a second chance at surviving. We were lucky to have been trained for this exact scenario earlier this year, and had the equipment ready. Moving efficiently and safely, we put the dolphin in a sling and waded out into the water in our drysuits. It can take some time for animals to adjust to being back in the ocean, but we could tell the dolphin’s state was rapidly declining. After about 30 minutes of supporting the animal in the sling, it was clear it wasn’t going to make it. With heavy hearts, we brought the deceased animal back onto the beach where it could be left for nature to take its course.

These events, although not very frequent, are natural occurrences that sometimes result in not so happy endings. Despite the tragedy, we are very proud of the successful response effort and collaborative teamwork displayed by our West Coast Vancouver Island Marine Mammal Response Network. Through years of collaboration, training, and resource building as part of this network we were able to initiate a fast, efficient, and safe response guided by knowledgeable professionals.

Our thanks to the team at Pacific Rim National Park Reserve for coordinating and leading the response plan, and for Fisheries and Oceans Canada for their guidance and insight. Thanks also to SIMRS volunteer Ross Reid for calling it in to us and lending us a much needed extra hand in the response effort!

If you see a marine mammal incident anywhere in BC please immediately call the Marine Mammal Incident Hotline at 1-800-465-4336.

For incidents that occur within Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, you can also call the Park Emergency Dispatch at 1-877-852-3100.

SIMRS can be reached at 1-250-266-9090.

Written by Sophie Vanderbanck and Karyssa Arnett, Sophie is the Programs Coordinator and Operations Assistant and Karyssa is the Executive Director (the SIMRS team of two!).

Learn more about our Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Work

We will be sharing more stories like this from our community and insights into these incredible animals in a new online eBook!

If you have a story or photo of your own orca encounter that you would like to submit, please send them to sophie.vanderbanck@simrstofino.org.

Heatwaves, a Hot Topic

Photo by Kyler Vos, ‘Follow The Light’.

As summer comes to an end, I’ll be packing my swimming trunks away and pulling out my skis -breathing a sigh of relief as the temperatures begin to gradually drop. Holding my breath, I wait for the typical fall rain to come and our seasons to turn... I almost feel guilty for enjoying this unusually warm sunny weather because I know it is at the expense of so many other animals like the salmon unable to migrate up dry riverbeds and return to their spawning sites, or the bears waiting to haul them out of the rivers upstream. Unfortunately, climate change has increased the frequency of these meteorological occurrences and this will have lasting consequences on our environment.

The extent of damage caused by these heat waves are still being examined by scientists, but there are still many unknown ramifications to the ecosystems that exist off our coast. While these ecosystems have shown some resilience in bouncing back given a long enough period between heat waves, as they begin to occur more frequently their recovery time is inhibited. Dr. Christopher Harley, a professor of zoology at the University of British Columbia, explains that some species are able to quickly adapt to the changing temperatures because of their homeothermic nature. This means that they are able to maintain their internal body temperature despite a changing environment. Much like we might have been sweating to cool down these past few weeks in the heat. Unfortunately, many species are unable to do this and escape the heat. Factors, such as low tide occurring during the hottest time of the day, coupled with unusually high temperatures can result in death for these animals. Something that happened summer when we experienced billions of deaths in our intertidal zones across BC. You read that right...billions.

What’s even crazier is that the number of deaths might be grossly underestimated as it may take many years of data collection to truly measure the impact of these heat waves. Having more long-term data is essential to understanding how these animals respond to heat waves. Without this understanding, it’s difficult to implement any protection plans. This is why long-term monitoring projects, like the Sea Star Stewardship Program done by Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society (SIMRS), are so important. Collecting data such as population, size, species, and severity has helped to identify trends that can help alleviate the issues that are caused by the disease. We are only just beginning to unravel the patterns behind warming ocean temperatures and Sea Star Wasting Syndrome. On a larger scale, when scientists are able to employ similar long-term data collection techniques they may notice a trend that could save the billions of ocean lives that are at risk.

BC’s Environment Ministry is even adding a section on data collection in the new Climate Preparedness and Adaptation Strategy. Although the numbers are currently looking quite grim, the collection of data could be a new avenue forward to formulating more solid plans in protecting all forms of ocean life in the coming years. You can take action as well by having your say in climate policy, participating in citizen-science projects like SIMRS’ Sea Star Stewardship Program and supporting researchers that are dedicated to long-term monitoring.

Learn more about our Sea Star Stewardship Program

Check out our StoryMap: Star Citizens Saving Sea Stars

Written by Adam Wang and Sophie Vanderbanck, Adam is a new Science Communication Volunteer at SIMRS and Sophie is the Programs Coordinator and Operations Assistant.

Large Losses…The Unusual Gray Whale Mortality Event

The day was July 11th, 2020, when our Executive Director Karyssa Arnett walked onto a sad and smelly scene. A 45 foot long Gray whale lay dead, washed up on the rocky shore near Ucluelet, British Columbia. Our team at Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society is part of the British Columbia Marine Mammal Response Network (BCMMRN), with authorization from the DFO, we respond to marine mammal incidences like entanglements, vessel strikes, and necropsies along our coastline. On this day, Karyssa, with a team of other experts, conducted one of the largest necropsies of her life. Collecting information about how this magnificent animal may have died and its body condition before it did. You can read more about  their impressive undertaking in our Scuttlebutt blog “Elbow Deep in a Gray Whale”.  

It turns out that this gray whale stranding she attended was just one of 172 strandings that had happened that year along the coasts of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico (NOAA). A number six times higher than the 18 year average (of 29 strandings per year). The phenomenon of increased gray whale strandings was first put on researchers' radars in 2019. A year that saw more than 216 gray whale strandings from Alaska to Mexico (NOAA).

Now, what exactly is a “stranding”? It’s when a whale is discovered deceased, often washing up on the shore. These numbers reflect the whales that were found, but there potentially could be many more that sank to the bottom of the sea floor or were scavenged by other animals. 

So, how bad was it?

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service deemed it an Unusual Mortality Event (UME), under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. A name given when strandings are unexpected, involve a significant amount of die-off in a marine mammal population, and demand an immediate response (NOAA). This UME designation helps with the urgency of understanding and investigating the situation, since mass die-offs can often be an indicator of larger issues at hand in regards to ocean health and environmental factors. 

You’re probably wondering, “Why were they dying? There must be an explanation…”. Well, like most of the time in science and research, there are a few theories. It’s important to begin by telling you that this is not the first time this has happened. Let’s rewind the clock to the years 1999 and 2000, when 651 dead gray whales were reported, and a UME was declared for Gray Whales on the west coast of North America. The strandings lasted two years and occurred during the whales northbound migration. This previous incident gave researchers an insight into the potential timeline and scale for the recent UME that began in 2019. There was also a UME case in 2015-2016 for large whales such as fin and humpbacks in the Western Gulf of Alaska and British Columbia.

So, we know that gray whale UME’s have been occurring on and off for years and have even occurred for other whale species.
But why? 

One theory suggests that Gray whales may suffer from limited food supplies when preparing for their migration and breeding seasons. Gray whales have one of the longest migration routes of all animals, traveling 15,000-20,000 km from Alaska to Baja California and back. They don’t feed much when they’re on the move or once they’ve arrived in Mexico, since they are busy breeding and rearing their young. If they don’t “bulk up” enough during their summer feeding season to sustain them for the next six months, they’re in trouble. Many strandings have occured in the spring as the whales make their way north, a large amount of which were found emaciated. This points to Gray whales being too weak to make the journey back to their feeding grounds for the summer. 

Other strandings have shown evidence of vessel strikes, perhaps pointing to increased boating traffic as a cause. Another theory involves the effect of underwater noise. It may be the case that noise from boats and human activities in the water cause the whales to become disoriented or isolated from their group as their communication is disrupted. The idea is that Gray whales lose track of where they are on the coast and find themselves trapped or too close to the shore as the tide goes out. Other theories involve unknown diseases, or the impact of increased radio frequency noise generated by solar storms. Perhaps, it may be a combination of these theories that are causing UME’s. However, more research is needed  to uncover the troubling pattern that is emerging.

Our connection with Gray whales on the west coast is undeniably strong. The Nuu-chah-nulth have held a deeply spiritual connection with Ciciłn̓ii (Gray whales) for thousands of years, as an important resource for food and trade. Over the years, our emerging communities in Tofino and Ucluelet have formed meaningful connections with some of the local visitors, including; Scarface, who frequents Long beach in the spring; Orange Crush, first seen in 1977 with orange whale lice; Admiral, with his distinct propeller scars, and many more of our favorites who frequent these waters.

We owe these whales a thank you for bolstering our economy here in Tofino and Ucluelet, as whale tours gaze on their grandeur from afar. We can watch as they scoop up the sandy bottom of Clayoquot Sound, sifting through it with their baleen and licking off the tiny critters. Their irony will always fascinate us, being one of the largest animals on earth yet feeding on some of the smallest creatures in the sea! Next time you see a blow, remember we still have a lot to learn and there’s more to the Gray whale than what’s on the surface. 

Written by Amanda Purnell, Amanda is the new Oceanwise Direct Action Ambassador at SIMRS.

Learn more about our Rescue and Response Program here

*Warning: the following images may be considered graphic!

An Origin Story: How Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society Came to Be

In life it’s always beneficial to look back at what was in order to appreciate what is. Rewinding the clock to the start of Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society (SIMRS) will take you back to find one man, in one boat, in 1991. Rod Palm; the man, the myth, the legend, here in Tofino, BC. A character with a passion like no other for the wonders of the sea. The story of SIMRS proves this.

It all began on an Island. Strawberry Island, to be exact, where Rod lived with his wife and 5 kids in an old ship called “The Norvan I”. It was originally a North Vancouver ferry boat built in the early 1900’s, which Rod ingeniously propped up on the rocky shore and turned into a home/ research center. You can still see it today, just look right as you drive into Tofino. You might even be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Rod who still lives in the Norvan amongst his impressive collection of whale bones.

From this nautical home, Rod would leave to go to work on his research vessel “Eco”, spending several years taking identification photos of Bigg’s (formerly Transient) Killer Whales for Dr. Michael Bigg. Bigg had come up with the revolutionary concept that individual killer whales could be distinguished by photo ID. As Rod helped develop these identification catalogs of Killer whales in Clayoquot Sound, it became apparent that the whales were spending much more time here than what was previously suspected. This inspired Rod to launch a society dedicated to more serious monitoring and recording of Bigg’s Killer Whales. On January 1, 1991, Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society was formed.

From these early excursions in Clayoquot Sound, Rod would write “Scuttlebutt” newsletters and updates. In 1994, he described sitting on the edge of his seat watching two aggressive young bulls (male killer whales) battling to defend their mothers as though they were titans of the sea in a battle royale. Even more exhilarating was his description of “Party Time” in the Clayoquot Sound, when five or more transient pods came as a swarm along the coastline, breaching, spy-hopping, tail slapping and performing all sorts of hijinks. He paints a picture of himself as “a wild haired human charging along with the rampaging whales, hooting, hollering and gesticulating as though possessed” while speeding in his boat to keep up with the crowd. Rod’s talent for storytelling brought SIMRS science and conservation work into the hearts of the community, inspiring many to do their part in ocean conservation. You can find many more tales from the sea in our revitalized Scuttlebutt blogs right here- just scroll down!

Over the years, the Bigg’s Killer Whale monitoring evolved into a network of local people and organizations sharing photo and behavioral data with SIMRS. Having more eyes on the water has been crucial to this research, where more information such as individual identification of visiting whales, frequency of visitation, routes traveled and behavior can be observed in the area. With the help of this community, we have been able to expand our marine research and education initiatives. SIMRS continues to contribute to population monitoring of Bigg’s Killer Whales since the early 90s, has led eight consecutive years of sea star wasting disease monitoring through citizen-science, researches our vastly understudied offshore ecosystem through pelagic marine species surveys, educates communities about the ocean using a real killer whale skeleton with a one-of-a kind ‘Build-A-Whale’ program, and has responded to hundreds of marine mammal emergencies and rescues on our coastline over the last 30 years.

“Our mission at Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society's, is to conduct long-term marine research and monitoring, to educate communities about marine ecosystems, and to provide emergency marine mammal response. However, as a small grassroots organization, we have suffered great financial losses over recent years due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to continue Rod Palm’s legacy and uphold our mission, SIMRS needs help in a time of financial hardship. If you are passionate about marine conservation in Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds and a proud supporter of SIMRS, we invite you to make an investment in us and the marine ecosystems we serve to protect!”

-SIMRS Executive Director, Karyssa Arnett

Learn more about Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society and how you can support our work:

Written by Amanda Purnell, Amanda is the new Oceanwise Direct Action Ambassador at SIMRS.

Reconstructing a Killer Whale Skeleton

Did you know that Tofino is home to one of the rarest whale skeletons in the world? That's right, Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society has a complete offshore killer whale skeleton! Her name is O120 and to date, she is the only traveling killer whale skeleton in the country, and the only offshore killer whale skeleton used for education.

The day was August 29th, 1997, and a dead killer whale was reported drifting 17 miles offshore of Tofino. Determined to retrieve the whale's body, SIMRS founder Rod Palm set out in his research vessel. After 11 hours, and with many fuel and food deliveries from supporting whale-watching vessels, Rod had towed the whale behind his vessel all the way back to the shores of his home on Strawberry Island!

A full necropsy was presided over by Dr. Craig Stephen, a vet at Vancouver Island University, with Graeme Ellis (Nanaimo Biological Station), Dr. Jane Watson (Vancouver Island University) and Rod Palm in attendance. A DNA analysis done by Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard (Vancouver Aquarium) confirmed that the animal was a member of the offshore population of killer whales. Graeme Ellis later identified the saddle patch and dorsal fin of this 5.5m (18ft) orca to be an offshore female known as O120. No clear cause of death was found, though her heavily worn teeth and thin blubber suggest that she may have been old and far removed from her home in more southern waters. O120 also had a massive cavity and abscess extending into her jaw bone which may also have been a contributing factor for her death.

After many days of chopping, hacking, sweating and swearing, Rod and his team had the bones either buried in the garden, hanging in the sea or boiling in a pot. Once left to bleach in the sun for an entire year, the bones were ready to be treated. Dominique Dupuis (Pipot) organized a crew of volunteers who put in close to 700 hours scrubbing the bones and treating them with several coats of a non-toxic penetrating epoxy. Pipot and Robinson Cook created the ingenious orca-sized custom framework that supports the skeleton, and shows the animals internal organs. Build-A-Whale was complete and all that hard work paid off!

So what happens when you find a dead killer whale skeleton? You use it for education of course! Now O120 travels around BC visiting communities near and far as part of our Build-A-Whale Program. Participants can help in reconstructing her skeleton while learning about the biology, ecology, anatomy, evolution and conservation of killer whales and other marine mammals in our waters in BC. This mobile program has visited many facilities across British Columbia including, schools markets, festivals, aquariums, care homes and more. O120 has traveled as far north as Prince Rupert and as far east as Ontario. She has become an ambassador for her species, educating and inspiring us all about marine conservation and the plight of whales in BC waters.

You can come and meet this rare offshore orca and participate in a Build-A-Whale Program, by donation, in Tofino and Ucluelet this summer! O120 will be in Tofino at the Tofino Visitor Center this August 18th and September 15th, from 10am-12pm, and in Ucluelet at the Amphitrite Lighthouse, on the Wild Pacific Trail, this August 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st, from 10am-12pm. Bone by bone, help piece together O120s skeleton and get some hands-on interaction with these mysterious and rarely seen animals. We hope to see you there!

Original Pictures from collection in 1997.

Written by, Sophie Vanderbanck. Sophie is the Program Coordinator and Operations Assistant for Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society.

Learn more about our Build-A-Whale Program

How to Save a Whale… and Other Marine Mammals

We all know how lucky we are to be living where we do, under the moss-beds and fern laden trees on the farthest edge of the North American West Coast. Where the Pacific Ocean crashes on our rocky shoreline and rolls into the occasional lucky bay as surf, for us sadistic cold water surfers.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes, I find myself staring out at the ocean and suddenly notice that I am holding my breath. I’m not sure what exactly it is that I am waiting for, but you never know around here. 

We live so close to the edge, with nature and all of our fellow animals, that it isn’t uncommon for us to cross paths. Whether it's the blow of a whale against the horizon as you drive by in your boat, walking your dog by a deceased Sea lion washed ashore, or bumping into a molting Elephant seal in town on your way to the Co-op to get groceries (yes, all true stories). 

It is important to know how to deal with the animals in our environment, and that is why SIMRS is part of the BC Marine Marine Mammal Response Network. A team made up of dedicated animal-lovers and ocean nerds from government, research, education and outreach organizations, wildlife rescue groups and citizens, trained to respond to your reports of dead, sick, injured or harassed marine mammals.

Last month we were thrilled to have Paul Cottrell, the whale-disentangling master and DFO’s Marine Mammal Coordinator, come down to our two small towns for some rescue training, and let me tell you, we had a whale of a time (sorry, I couldn’t resist that one). So here is my ‘how-to’ guide for saving whales and other marine mammals.

Day 1- Necropsies. If you see a dead marine mammal, don’t touch it. They have infectious agents that can be transmitted to humans and pets. Call the DFO hotline: 1-800-465-4336.

Donning my rubber gear and protective gloves, I help hoist up our mysterious marine mammal body on a table set up on the beach at Cox Bay in Tofino. Living in Ucluelet I would never give Tofino the upper hand, but even I have to admit it is one of those perfect clean days at Cox and I stare longingly at the ocean to keep my mind off the smell of decaying marine mammal (a smell equal to no other, I promise you that). As we unwrap our project for the day, I see some of the hotel guests stop eating their breakfast upstairs.

Standing next to Dr. Stephen Raverty, who is wearing jeans, a shirt rolled up past his elbows and only small gloves, I feel braver. We look down at the dead Harbor porpoise and Dr. Raverty pulls out his filet knife. Leading our team through a necropsy, we examine each part of the body for any clues about its cause of death. When a marine mammal dies it is veterinary pathologists, like Dr. Raverty, that investigate the body for any underlying health issues, and what that might reveal about the greater health of our ecosystem. 

Day 2- How to catch a whale (and then free it from entanglement). If you see an entangled marine mammal, report it: 1-800-465-4336 and standby if possible. Do not intervene. Effective disentanglement requires training and the right tools to give the animals the best chance of survival and reduce the risk to both humans and animals. 

“Whale-on!” I shout, holding on at the bow as our boat goes full speed ahead, in hot pursuit of the entangled ‘whale’. Once we’re within a few meters, I throw my grappling hook and line across the entanglement gear as hard as I can. Pulling back on my line, I give the grapple a hard yank to make sure it’s securely hooked on the gear and quickly toss the rest of my rope and the attached buoy overboard. Now my satellite tracking tag and buoy are nicely bobbing behind the entangled whale. Mission accomplished! This allows us to locate the whale, and the buoy slows the animal down to increase our chances of approaching the whale to assess the entanglement, and remove the debris.  

Day 3- Live Standing Rescue. Call the Marine Mammal Incident Reporting hotline:1-800-465-4336 (this number should be burned into your brain by now).

Our team walks down the beach for our next training challenge, watching tourists splash around in the surf and dogs zoom by chasing each other. It is a busy day at Cox beach, the sun is out (for once) and the surf is big. As we round the corner we see our project, a very realistic looking (and weighing- we later find out that Paul and his team have filled it with water) life size Juvenile Killer whale stranded on the beach. Our task is to move the stranded whale back into the water. 

So how do you move an entire whale or dolphin off a beach? With a lot of sweat and muscle it turns out and, thankfully, something called a reflotation kit. Paul shows us the kit and explains the basics, but he leaves it to us to figure out the rest and work as a team to organize the rescue. 

First step, we cordon off the area to keep the public and animal at a safe distance, this also gives us room to work. Second, we fold our sling and, working with team members on both sides of the whale, we gently rock the animal (remember, it’s filled with water and weighing several hundred pounds at this stage). I’m starting to sweat. Digging under the whale just deep enough to slip the sling underneath it. Ouch- remember to stay clear of its flapping tail fin. Third, the sling is now securely under the whale, we attach the pontoons to either side of it and fill them with air. Now we have our refloation device ready to go. 

Four, the next step is moving the animal. 14 people, split up on either side of the animal, we count to three (softly, no need to stress the whale out any more) and lift and shuffle forward. Again, and again, for roughly 15 meters, until we reach the water (and I thought my arms were burning during the whale-wrangling the day before). Step five. Somehow no one took into account the size of the surf coming into the bay. Our team now simulates holding the animal in the water for 25-40 minutes as it acclimatizes. Battered by the swell we endure for a couple of minutes, but in reality this step is vital for ensuring the animal does not subsequently restrand itself after its release. 

Step six, “Woohoo!”, lots of cheering and then trying to empty the ‘whale’ of water in the surging surf (great idea Paul). 

Day 4- Sea lion disentanglement. Report your sightings: 1-800-465-4336. Whales aren’t the only marine mammals that get entangled, smaller species like seals, sea lions, sea turtles and sharks are also at risk. Fishing line, netting, ropes and anything with a loop provides a high risk of entanglement. These debris become embedded as the animal grows and can cause infection, an inability to feed properly and may even lead to death. 

It is the last day of our Marine Mammal Response training and we get to go out into the field and respond to a real call. Two sea lions have been reported in the Ucluelet Harbor over the last few days, one with a rope around its body and the other a loop cutting into its neck.

We meet at the dock just outside the Island West Resort Marina and wait for the sea plane to land with the Vancouver Aquarium staff, the one man who knows how to dart a sea lion and his famous cocktail of drugs designed for the job. To rescue smaller marine mammals, like the sea lions, the expert team uses darted anesthetics, which safely allow us to remove the entanglement, and then we reverse the anesthetics effects. Ready to go we head out in our boats, cameras and dart at the ready. 

My eyes are burning as I scan the shoreline and haulouts with my binoculars and long lense for our entangled fellas. “Bark, bark, bark”, I can barely hear myself think. The Ucluelet harbor is notorious for having an unusual amount of sea lions around its docks, who have learnt that humans mean fish, a dangerous assumption for them. Nothing. Looks like our sea lions got word of the swat team, and are nowhere to be found in the harbor or surrounding Broken Group area. 

It is situations like these that remind us how important it is to report marine mammal incident sightings. Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society has been working at the frontline for the last 30 years, with the help of our community, to respond to animals in distress, support population recovery efforts and scientific research, and reduce the threats to these animals. 

We are lucky to have some of the most beautiful marine life here in BC, and a sad reality is that half of our 31 marine mammal species are listed under SARA (Species At Risk Act) as Endangered, Threatened or Special Concern. We know so little about the environmental and human factors affecting these animals. Through the Marine Mammal Response Network we can better understand the threats that they face in our waters, such as vessel collisions, entanglements in debris and fishing gear, diseases, contamination, noise disturbance, and illegal disturbance and help support their recovery. 

I don’t know about you, but I want to keep looking out at our ocean, holding my breath, and waiting for something spectacular to happen. 

A big thank you to Paul Cottrell, Dr. Stephen Raverty, and the Vancouver Aquarium for coming out to help with the training, and to our fellow trainees from Parcs Canada, the Nuchatlaht First Nation, Mowachaht/ Muchalaht First Nation, and Ahousaht First Nation. Thanks also to Subtidal Adventures and Jamie’s Whaling Station for helping our team out on the water with boats.

If you see a dead or distressed marine mammal please call our hotline as soon as possible: 1-800-465-4336.

Sightings of healthy whales, dolphins, porpoise or sea turtles can also be submitted directly to SIMRS via info@simrstofino.org or through the Whale Report App.

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By Sophie Vanderbanck, Programs Coordinator and Operations Assistant

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Thanks to Sydney Dixon, Nora O’Malley and Marcie Callewaert for the photos.

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Learn More about Marine Mammal Response

Investigating Life in the Open Ocean

There’s a lot we don’t know about life in the deep oceans, far from our shores, in what we call pelagic ecosystems. When you look at a globe and note how much of it is blue, this knowledge gap starts to feel significant and maybe a little bothersome. These expansive, mystery-shrouded ecosystems need some attention.

Photo by Sydney Dixon

For instance, most of what we know about seabirds comes from observations and research conducted close to shore. But marine birds only come near shore to mate and nest; most of their lives are spent at sea, away from binoculars and data collection sheets. If someone sought to understand me based solely on my performance of domestic duties, I would be appalled. We owe these birds an apology and a proper enquiry. And of course, it’s not just birds out there. There’s a whole range of pelagic dwellers roaming the seas.

There’s plenty we could ask about the environmental conditions offshore too. How’s the water temperature? Are the summers pleasant? Is there enough oxygen dissolved in the water? And perhaps most importantly: How are these things changing? We need to know how living conditions are changing so that we can lay out effective species recovery plans. A rather alarming 36% of the world’s marine mammal populations are threatened at the moment. If we’re to step in and do something about that, we had better know what kinds of conditions these animals need and how these conditions are changing.

Monitoring change requires a baseline from which to make comparisons. Lucky for us, the SIMRS founder, Rod Palm worked on creating a baseline back in the 90s and early 2000s. Rod spent years conducting boat-based surveys along a transect that started at Wilf Rocks and shot out 64 km, beyond the edge of the continental shelf, to the abyssal plane, where the boat bobbed nearly a kilometre above the deep ocean floor. Rod and his team would drive the boat over this same path at the same speed each month (as weather allowed), gathering data on the abundance and distributions of marine birds and mammals. The data collected on these surveys have been used by other scientists as a baseline ever since. In fact, current estimates of seabird populations off Vancouver Island are still based on Rod’s surveys. It might be time for some updated data.

Photo by Karyssa Arnett

That’s why we are preparing to once again launch SIMRS researchers and partners out onto the open ocean to follow the transect laid out by Rod. Starting just as soon as sea conditions and boat availability allow, we’ll be conducting monthly surveys, and we’ll go at it year-round.  

The transect is nicely placed for pelagic wildlife viewing because our boat will be cruising right over Clayoquot Canyon, and these underwater canyons play a pretty cool ecological role. When currents pass through the canyon, water at the bottom is driven up along the canyon wall and delivered to lesser depths. Someone swimming up near the surface might feel a little shiver because that bottom water is colder, having been sitting down there so far from the sun. This upwelling of bottom water is pretty handy if you are trying to photosythesize. Phytoplankton and algae hang out up where they can get sunlight, but nutrients in the ocean tend to settle to the bottom. It’s hard to find both of these ingredients for life in one spot, so when currents bring nutrient-rich cold water up to the sunlit zone, it’s phytoplankton party time. Which means it’s also party time for the things that eat phytoplankton and the things that eat the things that eat phytoplankton. And this explains why Rod noted in his surveying days that more birds and mammals were spotted at the canyon edge at times when he measured cooler water temperatures there.

     The observers onboard our vessel will be looking out for marine birds, mammals, sea turtles, sharks, and large pelagic fish like, Mola. We’ll be recording species sighted, number of individuals present, and behaviour. We want to know if the animals are feeding, resting, mating, travelling, socializing, etc. This will help us determine the importance of Clayoquot canyon to these animals. We also want to know if the same individuals keep returning to their favourite patch of blue, so good photos will be important for tracking individuals. 

At three points along the transect, we’ll stop the boat and get out our nets to collect samples of phytoplankton and zooplankton. No behavioural notes to collect here; these guys don’t tend to do anything noteworthy since they can’t move under their own volition. We just want to look at what species we’ve got and how they’re doing in terms of abundance since they form the base of the food pyramid out there. We’ll also be collecting environmental data at these stops (water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, that kind of stuff). And we’ll be lowering an underwater microphone so that we can listen in on cetaceans and complement our visual data with acoustic data. As we carry out this work, we’ll be uploading and sharing data with other researchers and organizations.

The hope is that, over time, we’ll get an idea of how pelagic organisms use the regions far offshore throughout the seasons, and how environmental factors relate to habitat usage. Then we can better understand how pelagic organisms are likely to be affected by environmental changes and changes in human marine activities. Our job here is to ensure that when policy-makers sit down to make time-critical decisions that will either save the oceans or completely fail them, those policy-makers will have the best possible shot at getting it right.

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By Robyn Perritt (SIMRS volunteer)

Click here to learn more about the Pelagic Marine Species Transect Surveys.

Orcas, Orcas, Everywhere: the Evolution of Ecotypes

Approximately 250,000 years ago, killer whales began to diversify from a single homogenous species into the distinctly different ecotypes alive today; from small fish eating whales in the Antarctic to large whale eating killer whales in the North Atlantic, there are now at least ten officially recognized ecotypes of killer whales in the wild. These ecotypes have different “languages”, cultures, lifestyles, and even genomes. This diversification took about 4,900 to 8,800 generations of whales to complete. In respect to evolutionary time, this is very fast! One particular study was interested in finding out how the whales managed this so quickly, and found it is probably largely due to their complicated social interactions, chosen environment and in many ways, randomness.

Photo by sydney dixon

Genetic drift is a random evolutionary process that is especially strong during bottleneck and founder events. Bottleneck events happen when the population is severely reduced due to some kind of disaster such as a devastating flood or overhunting by humans and a few random individuals survive. Founder events happen when a small group leaves its original range and establishes a population somewhere new. In both cases, the resulting new populations will have distinct prevalences of certain genes. For example, if many of the survivors or founders happened to be larger, the new gene pool would contain more genes for larger size than normal. Another example is if one of the few survivors/founders happened to have a rare genetic disease, the new population will have a much higher percentage of that genetic disease than the original group. This is different from natural selection because the individuals survived randomly, not because they had “good” or “bad” genes for the situation. If this random genetic drift keeps happening, eventually the populations will become genetically and reproductively distinct from each other.

After sequencing the genes of members of 5 killer whale ecotypes, they found there had been at least 2 major bottleneck events in killer whale history, which may have sped up the evolutionary process by creating new populations with diverse gene pools. There were also many founder events as killer whales have managed to find a home in every ocean, and the ability to explore and thrive in new places can be attributed to the killer whale’s social culture. How did all these killer whales spread across the globe into every ocean which each poses unique challenges, and still manage to thrive and retain their status as apex predators? It is most likely due to their social interactions and killer whale culture that they could manage such an achievement. Many female killer whales live long lives after raising calves, and this aspect of their ecology is more important than it may seem. Killer whale family groups are usually organised in a matriarchy, where the female line is the most important for passing on behaviours and information that they have found to be helpful in their area (like Type B’s making waves to hunt seals), their unique languages, and maybe even mating preferences. Because this knowledge is taught and can continue to be taught to young calves by the matriarchs, a “culture” is formed within these pods which if they retain these differences for a long enough time, can make them behaviorally and eventually even genetically distinct from other killer whale family groups. This is especially important when moving out of their original range and into new waters because when they learn new strategies for survival they can effectively communicate them to others! Killer whales also have a great behavioural plasticity, which means that depending on the situation they are in they can think and adapt their tactics to survive. For example, if a usually seal eating whale was to move into an area where seals are scarce but salmon are plentiful, they would most likely be able to figure out new hunting methods for salmon and learn about their movements which they can then pass on to their descendants. The behavioural plasticity in action alongside their social structure allowed the killer whale to spread all over earth’s oceans leading to many founder events (genetic drift) and specific cultures being formed. Eventually over many generations of killer whales, the pressures from natural selection, strong genetic drifting, and selective breeding within each culture has changed the genetic composition of each of these ecotypes, and may have turned one kind of killer whale into ten in no time at all!

~ by Nadja Burkart

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Reference: Foote et al. (2016) “Genome-culture coevolution promotes rapid divergence of killer whale ecotypes”.

Looking Towards the (Sea) Stars

When people think of Spring on the west coast, they usually think of all the colourful flowers popping up through the understory and the smell of skunk cabbage. But for me, I think of colourful sea stars and the smell of seaweed at low tide. The change in seasons brings about a change in tide times that are far more favorable for us water folk to go exploring the intertidal world that was too dark and, at least for me, too cold to access throughout the winter. Finally, it’s time to put on my gumboots and clamber over rocks at first light in search of sea stars! As the tide pulls away from the shoreline, a technicolor world is revealed. Brilliant orange and purple Ochre stars, neon green seagrass and, my personal favorite, the iridescent seaweed Mazzaella splendens that scatters rainbows in the shallows. I could spend the entire morning marvelling at the beauty of these creatures, but I’m there on a mission and it doesn’t take me long to find what I’m looking for. Amongst the clusters of colourful sea stars is a white gooey mass of flesh melting off the rocks. Another Ochre star fallen victim to a mysterious disease called Sea Star Wasting Syndrome.

Although Sea Star Wasting Syndrome (SSWS) has been observed since the 1970’s, the magnitude and scale of this recent bout is unprecedented. One of the largest marine mass die-offs in recorded history began in 2013/2014 when sea stars all along the Pacific coast of North America were disappearing from SSWS. What is Sea Star Wasting Syndrome? Well, it’s actually a set of common symptoms that more often than not leads to the death of a sea star. It’s a pretty nasty way to go if you ask me. Initially the star gets a couple lesions on their arms or body, which then turns into tissue decay and eventually loss of limbs and/or complete disintegration. The symptoms can progress at a shockingly quick pace. One day you’ll see a vibrant, healthy star and within days, sometimes even hours, all resemblance of that animal will be gone and a white gooey mass is left in its place. Up to 20 different species of sea stars have been affected, but a few have taken a much harder hit than others and are still struggling to recover. In fact, two important keystone species, the Ochre Sea Star and the Sunflower Sea Star, have been severely impacted by SSWS to the point of complete loss of some populations within their habitat range. A keystone species is one that other species depend upon, and in many cases hold an ecosystem together. So, the loss of a keystone species often means loss of ecosystem biodiversity, or even loss of the ecosystem altogether. 

Ochre sea star showing signs of severe wasting

In response to the initial die-off event, SIMRS began a long-term sea star monitoring project back in 2015. We’re now on our 7th consecutive season of surveying local intertidal zones and monitoring the health of sea star populations. Nowadays, I tend to get a lot of comments like “Sea Star Wasting…that’s still happening?” or “I see hundreds of sea stars now, surely they’ve made a comeback!” Although we can be cautiously optimistic about the recovery of some sea star populations, we’re unfortunately still very much in the midst of a sea star pandemic with no end in sight. After years of research by top scientists across North America, we still don’t have a definitive answer to what causes this disease or how it spreads. This is why long-term monitoring is so essential, as it gives us insight into the trends of this disease and helps us keep a close eye on the population recovery or decline of these important keystone species. 

Many researchers would agree that long-term monitoring is often difficult to maintain, especially on a large scale. Our solution to this problem is to use the power of citizen-science to collect data as part of the Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINe) – a multitude of like-minded monitoring groups using the same research methods and protocols to create a North American-wide database on SSWS. Over the past 6 years, SIMRS developed the sea star monitoring project to what is now called the Sea Star Stewardship Program. We  partner with multiple local organizations and businesses and many volunteer citizen-scientists every summer to conduct monthly sea star surveys across several field sites. It is truly inspiring that there remains to be a high level of passion and dedication within our local communities to continue looking out for these small, but charismatic creatures year after year.

If you’re as excited about intertidal exploration as I am and want to make a positive impact on our coastal ecosystems, consider joining SIMRS’ citizen-science team this summer! If early mornings and wet feet aren’t your thing, you can still support us by becoming a program partner or sponsor, making a donation, or checking out our other volunteer roles.

~ Karyssa Arnett, Executive Director

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This year’s SSSP field season is made possible due to the generous grants and donations from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, Clayoquot Biosphere Trust’s Research & Environment Award, and Ocean Outfitters. Our thanks also to our project partners who have helped us grow the reach and impact of this project and have generously provided in-kind support over the years: Ucluelet Aquarium, Paddle West Kayaking, Cedar Coast Field Station, and Wild Pacific Trail Society.

Deceased Risso's Dolphin: Response & Recovery

Deceased Risso’s Dolphin - Photo by Sydney Dixon.

The body of a male Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) was discovered washed up on Chesterman Beach on Wednesday morning, January 13, 2021. The report originally was called into Parks Canada wildlife officers and was soon responded to by Fisheries Officers (DFO) and SIMRS staff around 10:00am. With water levels quickly rising for a mid-day high tide, it soon became a race against the incoming swell to get the animal secured for transport. Our first plan of action was to secure a sling around animal and lift it above the high-tide line where it would be safe from drifting back to sea. However, the dolphin, measuring 3m and weighing several hundred kilograms, posed too heavy for the two DFO and three SIMRS staff members to lift, despite our best efforts. Plan B was to anchor the animal on a nearby log but there were concerns that this would leave the animal far enough below the tide line that we may lose daylight before the body was released from the water's grasp. At this point, the water level was rising rapidly and we knew whatever decision we made, it had to be quick! Our third and final plan was to secure the animal within the sling, anchor it with rope to a tree on the shoreline and manually haul it as high up the beach as we could when the water aided us by lifting the body off the sand. Rope burned hands and thoroughly wet boots later, the dolphin's body was secure and safe. Now, there was nothing to do but wait until the tide dropped low enough again to access the animal.

Risso’s have no teeth in their upper jaw and only a few (two to seven pairs) of peg-like teeth in the front of their lower jaw to capture prey - Photo by Sydney Dixon

Why go through all the trouble? Generally, there is a lack of knowledge of open ocean species. As such, the life history of Risso's dolphins is poorly understood as the species has been little studied. The individual that washed up on Wednesday was relatively fresh and undamaged. The scarring and scratches along their bodies occur naturally, and are caused by teeth raking from other dolphins or by predator or prey interactions. Risso's dolphins are widely distributed throughout temperate and tropical waters of the southern and northern hemispheres. As cephalopod specialists, like sperm whales, they can primarily be found in deep waters along the continental shelf break and slope. In the Pacific Northwest, Risso's dolphins can be found as far north as Alaska but the vast majority of sightings occur in warmer waters between 15-20 °C. Until very recently, Risso's dolphins were considered extremely rare in BC waters. The first confirmed sighting of live individuals was recorded in 1978 by biologist Tom Reimchen in Parry Pass on the northwest tip of Graham Island, Haida Gwaii. Although BC lies within the Risso's dolphin's natural range in the Pacific Northwest, sightings of them are still relatively uncommon. Between 1978 and 2014 there were only 82 reported sightings of the dolphins within BC waters, the majority of which occur around Haida Gwaii (Ford, 2014). Off the west coast of Vancouver Island, Risso's dolphins are most commonly sighted around Barkley and Nitnat canyon, concentrating near the BC/Washington boarder (Ford, 2014). In Tofino, the number of confirmed sightings remain relatively few and far between. SIMRS founder, Rod Palm, encountered a group of 14 individuals 28 nautical miles offshore in 1999. This sighting marked the first for the species within SIMRS official records. The dolphins were sighted again about 16 nautical miles off of Lennard Island in 2002/2003 by local guide and skipper, Chris McCue. Other sightings of the dolphins near Tofino have been made over the years by various tour guides and vessel operators. However, it is unclear as to whether these sightings have been reported to researchers and contribute to official population data.

The dolphin is lifted into the flatbed by the District of Tofino Public Works crew - Photo by Greg Potter

As the tide receded in the afternoon, it was time to jump back into action. The District of Tofino granted permission for a vehicle to be brought onto the beach in order to move the animal. As we learned in the morning, the dolphin was far too heavy to be lifted by man-power alone. A front end loader was brought out to hoist the animal into a large trailer so that it could be transported by DFO. Currently, the animal's cause of death is unknown. There are no external injuries visible that indicate cause of death. To find out, researchers will need to look inside the animal. A necropsy of the dolphin will be conduced by DFO staff and a veterinarian pathologist. This will hopefully give some insight into the animal's life and, ultimately, its' death. This individual is one of several to wash up on the coast of BC in recent months. The cause of these strandings is not clear, but retrieval of the bodies for necropsies may help researchers gain a clearer idea of what’s going on. As a member of The British Columbia Marine Mammal Response Network (BCMMRN), SIMRS goals are to provide direct assistance for responding to marine mammal incidents, to conduct research and monitoring of these incidents, and to promote public awareness of threats to marine mammals. For over 25 years, we have responded to numerous marine mammal incidences including entanglements, vessel strikes, and necropsies. For all three of the current SIMRS staff, this event marked the first time any of us had seen a Risso's dolphin, dead or alive. Unique opportunities like this one are made possible by people reporting their sightings.

You can get involved In citizen science by reporting all of your unusual sightings to your local research group, like SIMRS. See something interesting while on the water or combing the beach? Let is know! Reach us by phone at +1 (250) 266-9090 or send us an email at info@sirmstofino.org. The data and sightings reports we collect are passed onto DFO to help researchers better understand the marine environment and marine life. You can also help by reporting all marine mammals and sea turtles found entangled, stranded, distressed, or dead by calling the toll-free marine mammal incident reporting hotline at 1-800-465-4336.

~ written by Sydney Dixon

Photo by Sydney Dixon.

Reference: Ford, John K. B. Marine Mammals of British Columbia. Royal BC Museum, 2014.

Salmon & Shifting Baselines

In honor of #OrcaRecoveryDay and the ongoing salmon runs, this Scuttlebutt will briefly examine the history of Pacific salmon and our relationship to these iconic fish. There are five species of salmon that should thrive in the North Pacific waters of Canada: chinook, coho, pink, sockeye, and chum. Pacific salmon are anadromous, beginning their lives in freshwater streams and rivers, migrating to the ocean as smolts, spending their adult life at sea, and finally returning back to freshwater to spawn and die.

Coho salmon release at the Fish for the Future Derby, Tofino, BC. Photo taken by Sydney Dixon

Salmon are the lifeblood of coastal temperate rainforests, nourishing both marine and terrestrial ecosystems of British Columbia. The sacred relationship between salmon and First Nations peoples ensured the health of both humans and salmon since time immemorial. But today, Pacific salmon are in trouble. Since the arrival of European settlers and the resource exploitation that followed, both the number and size of Pacific salmon have been steadily declining.

In the early 1900s, Chinook salmon returning to fresh water as adults regularly weighed in at 70 to 80 pounds - sometimes reaching as high as 125. Over the last few decades the average size of Chinook salmon has been steadily decreasing and we are experiencing a shifting baseline as to what constitutes a "large" salmon. In 2017, a sport fishing magazine described a Chinook salmon caught in British Columbia that weighed in at just over 50 pounds "massive" … but was it, really? Today, a 50 pound Chinook salmon may constitute as a large fish, but historically they regularly grew much larger. The size and age of maturity for salmon is important because it likely influences individual reproductive potential and overall population fitness. Larger female salmon have higher fecundity which allows them to spawn with more than one male, thus increasing the population's genetic pool. Furthermore, larger females also have larger egg size which increases the survival of developing eggs. Simply put, bigger fish produce a higher number of genetically diverse young which helps to ensure a healthy population.

There are several factors that have driven down the average size of Chinook salmon over the last few decades. Fish are maturing - and returning to spawn - at a younger age and smaller size. This phenomenon is caused by factors such as: size selective harvest, harvest intensity, competition, food availability, predation, disease, and water temperature. Because Pacific salmon only spawn once in their lifetime, the removal of large individuals from the population via fishing or predation drives down the overall size of the population over time because smaller individuals are predominantly the ones passing along their genes to the next generation. Large fish are effectively being bred out of existence.

(First photo taken in 1910 of 116 and 121 lbs Chinook salmon. Second photo taken 1925 of 85 lb Chinook salmon. Photos from timeline.com)

This is a problem uniquely felt by the critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs). This fish-eating population of whales evolved alongside the enormous Chinook salmon of the past. A small salmon requires the same energetic expense to chase down as a large one, but yields less of a nutritional return for the whale. Furthermore, the whales now need to catch more fish in order to meet their daily caloric intake. With less fish, and smaller sized individuals, it has become an uphill battle for the SRKWs to feed themselves and their families. You can help us protect the future of the SRKWs and Pacific salmon by joining our Orca Recovery Day EcoChallange. It is our actions that have resulted in these ecological changes and challenges we all face today, but it is also our collective effort that will help to fix them!

~ Sydney Dixon, SIMRS Research & Education Director

Elbow Deep in a Gray Whale

It is July 11, 2020 on the west coast of Vancouver Island and our temperate rainforest home is living up to its name. The summer solstice has come and gone but I still leave my house donned in rubber boots, a toque and heavy duty rain gear from head to toe. In the Alberni-Clayoquot region we live by the idiom "there is no bad weather, only bad clothing", otherwise we would hardly leave our houses at all.

It is Saturday morning and I would normally not rush out of my house on the weekend, into a rain storm without even a sip of coffee, but I have just received a very exciting call to work. Today, I get to assist in my first necropsy. The local coast guard has reported that a gray whale carcass has washed ashore somewhere near Ucluelet and I am heading out with a small team to take samples and try to determine the cause of death.

Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society (SIMRS) is a part of The British Columbia Marine Mammal Response Network (BCMMRN). The BCMMRN is a collaborative program - led by DFO -  between government agencies, research, conservation and outreach groups, wildlife rescue organizations and BC citizens. As a member of the BCMMRN, SIMRS will respond to marine mammal incidences like entanglements, vessel strikes, and  necropsies like the one I am heading to today.

Karyssa, Sydney, & Taylor packing equipment (left), Taylor and Paul headed towards whale (right). Photos by John Forde.

I meet our small team of 5 to gather gear, laugh about the rain and begin our journey into the forest to reach a remote beach where a gray whale has found its final resting place. Our team consists of myself, Karyssa Arnett (SIMRS Director of Operations), John Forde (SIMRS Board Member), and our necropsy experts Paul Cottrell and Taylor Lehnhart of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. As we head into the forest on a gravel road, we end up at a narrow unmarked trail that winds further into the rainforest and disappears into the shadows. We re-adjust our gear and prepare ourselves to clumsily clamber over roots and branches with coolers, clip boards and dry sacks brimming with equipment.

I know we must be nearing the beach as I inhale through my nose and breathe in the unmistakable smell of decaying flesh. As the curtain of trees opens we step out of the forest and onto a small pebble beach. An enormous gray whale lays before me, its body stretched throughout the intertidal zone. The whale is an adult male and is the first one I have ever seen out of the water. I find a new appreciation for the size, beauty and power of these animals as I walk a circle around the body, trying to memorize all the small details I would not normally be able to see up close.

Gray Whale - Photo by Sydney Dixon.

We unpack our gear and get to work - first measuring the animal and then taking samples of baleen, blubber, skin and barnacles. As Taylor and Paul dissect the animal, we bag the samples, label them and store them safely in the cooler for the veterinary pathologist to analyze back at the lab. Now it is time for the messy work to really begin as we prepare to open a window into the whale to collect organ samples. Taking as many samples as we are able to will help the veterinarian to determine how the animal may have died and its body condition prior to death. Performing necropsies, like this one, may help us better understand the challenges gray whales are facing in BC.

As Taylor makes the first deep cut past the blubber and into the body cavity I hear a whooshing noise, like air being let out of a massive balloon. Then comes a new array of unforgettable smells as gas pours out of the carcass. Large animals have lots of gas and, as they decompose, these gasses expand. As more cuts are made the trapped gasses escape, ringing the dinner bell for any scavenging animals near by and saturating our clothes and hair in the pungent aroma.

"At least the constant  deluge of rain will help to wash us clean as we work", I think as my teammates reach elbow deep into the whale.

Top: Paul, John, and Taylor cutting a ‘window’ into the starboard side of the whale - photo by Karyssa Arnett. Middle: Taylor makes a face while holding the feces sample while Paul dissects the kidney - photo by John Forde. Bottom: Paul & Taylor cutting second window towards the heart of the whale - photo by Karyssa Arnett.

Samples are taken of the heart, lungs, kidneys, intestines and fecal matter for analysis. Though this may sound an unpleasant task for a wet Saturday morning, to a biologist, this is a very exciting opportunity.

As we finish, pack up, and wash ourselves off I look overhead to see bald eagles and ravens circling overhead, waiting for us to disappear back into the trees. As I look up my eyes squint and I realize the rain has stopped and the sun is beginning to pear through the cloud cover. We chuckle to ourselves at Mother Nature's timing as we put our backpacks on. I look back one last time before we head back onto the trail away from the beach. I feel sad but also thankful for this whale. I hope that we are able to learn something from this individual that may help us to better understand and protect the rest of our gray whale population in British Columbia.

~ Sydney Dixon, SIMRS Education & Research Assistant

Sydney, John, Taylor, & Paul (left to right) next to the completed whale necropsy - photo taken by Karyssa Arnett.

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Our sincerest gratitude goes out to Paul Cottrell, Taylor Lehnhart, and the rest of our amazing team members of the BC Marine Mammal Response Network for their valuable work in rescue, response, and rehabilitation of marine mammals along the BC coast. SIMRS is thankful to be part of this amazing network!

Click here to learn more about our role in the BC Marine Mammal Response Network and find out how you can take action in responding to marine mammal incidents.

Read more about action taken towards Grey Whale mortalities in the Tofino-Ucluelet Westerly News here.

If you see a marine mammal or sea turtle dead or in distress please:

• Call 1-800-465-4336

• Email DFO.ORR-ONS.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

• OR radio VHF Channel 16

Generosity, Solidarity, and a Community of Giving

Thanks to generosity, solidarity, and a community of giving people Clayoquot Biosphere Trust has now reached their $30,000 fundraising goal through their Giving Catalogue!

We are extremely grateful to the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust for initiating such a timely and essential resource for community fundraising through the Giving Catalogue. As a small non-profit organization, our funding was significantly impacted by the loss of both private and business donations due to the financial impacts caused by Covid-19. Because of this SIMRS was forced to cut back staff and programs, operating at minimal capacity in order to weather the storm. It was hard on our research organization to lose out on collecting valuable long-term data for programs such as our Bigg's Killer Whale Monitoring which has been operating for over 29 years.

"CBT recognized our needs, and the needs of our community and responded promptly. The Giving Catalogue allowed us to voice our need for support in a way that was more accessible for interested donors to find. The matching funds generously given by the Vancouver Foundation also helped incentivize potential donors by making them feel like even a small donation could go a long way!" - Karyssa, SIMRS Director of Operations

Rebecca Hurwitz, CBT Executive Director, responded to the Covid-19 outbreak and lack of in person meetings by initiating check-in zoom meetings once a week for the Executive Directors of a number of local non-profit organizations.

"I was really inspired by how the Giving Catalogue and CBT brought the community together in a difficult time. These meetings were a platform to voice our concerns and struggles related to the impacts of Covid-19 to others who could empathize, while also enabling others to provide support, creative solutions, or even just a simple morale boost.  At a time that was socially isolating, these meetings showed me that we truly are "All in this together" and that I had an incredible network of people supporting me and my organization every step of the way." - Karyssa

SIMRS wants to thank Clayoquot Biosphere Trust for their efforts in creating this fundraising opportunity, and thanks to all those who donated to the Giving Catalogue, as well as the Vancouver Foundation who generously provided matching funds for the donations. We'd also like to thank our community members and organizations that supported us in-kind, by lending a helping hand or a listening ear to us in a time of great need. SIMRS is able to continue our research, monitoring, and education initiatives towards marine conservation all because of you!

To learn more about this initiative, check out Clayoquot Biosphere’s blog post here.

Early Morning Sea Stars

Ashley Hoyland, Stockhom Island Kayak Survey

I take another slurp of my coffee and pull my toque further down over my ears while waiting for my survey partners to arrive.  Surveying intertidal creatures means being out and about at low tide, sometimes that means pretty early in the morning.  It also means being out and about in any weather – often in Tofino that means rain, even though most of our surveys take place through the spring and summer months.

After my survey partners arrive we check our gear and head down to the survey site where we’ll spend the next hour or so looking for sea stars. 

Why are we meeting at the crack of dawn in cold, early spring rain to hunt for sea stars?

SIMRS is part of a network of organizations all along the pacific coast of North America currently collecting data on sea stars.  Back in 2013/14 sea stars mysteriously began to die in large numbers all along the pacific coast.  The disease was pretty gruesome causing large lesions across the sea stars’ bodies, giving the appearance that they might be melting.  Spreading steadily up the pacific coast, the disease – now known as Sea Star Wasting Syndrome – arrived in BC in 2015.  Since then, SIMRS has been doing monthly check-ins with our local populations of sea stars to see how they’re doing. 

Spreading out along the survey site, picking my way between slippery rocks and flipping over trailing algae to hunt for hidden stars, I marvel at the abundance of other life out here in the intertidal; mussels, anemones, seaweeds, nudibranchs and snails galore. Sculpins darting across the tidepools and hermit crabs scurrying to hide under loose rocks. Nosey gulls wheeling overhead checking to see if we’ve found anything worthy of their attention. Each time I find a star I stop to take measurements and call back to the data recorder. 

Sea Star Wasting Syndrome has had a huge impact on our sea star populations.  Around 20 different species have been impacted, some more seriously than others; it’s thought as many as 96% of the giant, many-armed sunflower stars (Pycnopodia helianthoides) may have died. These die-offs can have huge consequences for the wider ecosystem where sea stars are both important predators and prey.  The orange and purple Ochre stars found commonly in our area (Pisaster ochraceus) can regularly be found caught in the act of munching away on mussels. Keeping the mussel population under control by eating them helps to promote biodiversity in our tidepools by giving room to for other species to thrive. Without them, these gloriously rich and biodiverse tidepools can easily turn into walls and banks of densely packed mussels – and nothing else.

We keep track of how many of each species of sea star we find as well as measuring their size and whether or not they appear healthy. These basic measurements help us to work out how our local population might be changing over time – Are there more or less stars? How old are they? Is it the same story for all species or do we see different trends?

Since 2015, some populations do appear to be recovering, though the disease persists at varying levels. Despite studies and investigations into the wasting, the cause of the disease largely remains a mystery. We hope that keeping an eye on our stars and local conditions can give us some clues as to what might be going on.

It’s also fascinating to be able to watch the seasons changing in the same tidepools, just as apparent and dependable as the seasonal change in the trees and fields.  Right now, they’re full of egg masses and new algal life!

After a few quick photos to document any unusual species or disease we encounter, we retreat.  The tide is already coming back to cover the rocks where we began our count. It’s time for a well-earned break in the warm and dry with a fresh cup of coffee.  Silently I bid goodbye to the stars and tidepools – “Sea you next month!”

- Ashley Hoyland

(May 12, 2020)

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This project is made possible thanks to the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust Research & Environment grant and the support from our patrons. If you'd like to learn more about our Sea Star Stewardship Program and get involved, check out our page here.