The amazing Rhinoceros Auklet

Closely related to puffins, these auklets and are the only living species of the genus Cerorhinca. They take their name from the horn-like extension on their beak, which is only found in breeding adults and is shed every year. When at sea, these seabirds feed on small fish, krill and squid, diving up to 185 feet and staying down up for more than two minutes. Nesting in colonies on or near the shore, these auklets burrow into the soil or seek out cavities or caves to create nests from three to 15 feet deep and prefer nesting sites that are situated on slightly inclined slopes to aid with take-off.

Both parents incubate their single egg for 45 days. Adults feed inshore during breeding season and to protect chicks from predators and kleptoparasitic gulls (gulls that steal food from other birds), they return to their nests only at night to feed their young for 50 days.

Large concentrations of Pigeon Guillemots have also been recorded at this site and other species of nesting birds on the islands include Glaucous-winged Gulls and Black Oystercatchers.

GLASS SPONGE REEFS

The waters of the Pacific North Coast harbour some of the rarest and most ancient biological phenomena on earth: glass sponge reefs. Thought to be extinct worldwide, these reefs first appeared during the Triassic period. In 1987, large reefs were discovered in Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound. They were so unexpected and so old that some researchers referred to them as “living dinosaurs”. Smaller reefs have since been discovered in the Strait of Georgia and off of the coast of Washington. These are the only places on earth where glass sponge reefs are known to exist.

The four reefs in Hecate Strait have been determined to be over 9000 years old. The reefs are very large and cover a total area of about 1000 km2. They are located at depths of 140 to 240 m below the surface, with the largest being 35km long, 15km wide and 25m tall. Individual sponges on the reef may live for more than 200 years. That the reefs have grown to this size is truly amazing, since the sponges grow only a few centimeters a year. To put this into context, this reef started to build itself before humans had learned to make fabric, domesticate horses, or make bronze.

For more information visit:
www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
www.livingoceans.org

Killer Whales

Orca. Killer whale. Blackfish. These are the names given to a black toothed whale with white-tograyish saddle marks. Belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, it is commonly seen on British Columbia's coast.

Killer whales range the globe. There are different types of killer whales and each has developed specific hunting styles to capture their preferred prey. For example, in Pacific Northwest waters, resident populations eat mostly fish, such as salmon and herring. On the other hand, transient orcas almost exclusively eat mammals, including seals, sea lions, walruses, sea otters and even other species of whales; they do not eat fish. Finally, offshore populations feed principally on schooling fish, and typically congregating in groups from 20-75 animals, with occasional sightings of up to 200.

British Columbia's Northern resident population has been red-listed, meaning the wild population is threatened. The local population is unusual, and may be a subspecies, because of unusual characteristics that are not seen elsewhere. Specifically, in this population young males bond with the mothers and do not leave the pod. Depending on timing, it may be possible to witness hunting activities. In the North Coast waters of British Columbia, transients may be observed hunting sea lions and dolphins.

Orcas hunt individually and in pods. Known to 'carousel feed' in Norwegian waters, they release bursts of bubbles or flash their white undersides to force herring into a tight ball. They then slap the ball with their flukes, stunning or killing 10-15 herring at once, and proceed to eat the fish, one at a time.

To avoid injury, orcas have developed ways to disable prey before killing and eating it. They have been observed throwing it in the air, slapping it with their tails, ramming it, or even breaching and landing on it. Sea lions are taken after a stunning blow from a tail fluke or a headbutt. In South America they have been seen temporarily beaching themselves to grab prey from the shore, then wriggling back into the sea. They have been filmed spy-hopping in the Antarctic, rising out of the water to locate seals on ice floes, then swimming in a pack to create waves that wash over the ice and sweep the prey into the water.

Near New Zealand, are known to induce tonic immobility in sharks and rays by holding them upside down and rendering them helpless or drowning them. Because sharks need to move in order to breathe, the orcas suffocate them by holding them still.

Their learning abilities were demonstrated at Marineland, when one captive killer whale discovered it could catch gulls to eat by luring them with regurgitated fish on the surface of the water. Four other orcas soon copied the behavior.

They have been seen catching seals and releasing the weakened prey near juveniles, teaching the young whales capture techniques. Mothers have also been observed pushing calves onto the beach to capture prey, and pulling them back into the water when necessary. There are many stories illustrating their playful nature. They are known to tease humans by repeatedly moving objects people are trying to reach, and in Antarctica one started to toss around a chunk of ice after a researcher threw a snowball.

In Alaska, they learned to steal fish from commercial longlines. In order to foil them, fishermen set unbaited lines as decoys and placed their boats several miles apart, taking turns pulling in small amounts of their "real" catch. The thinking was that the whales would not have enough time to move between boats to steal the haul. Researcher Craig Matkin describes what happened: "It worked really well for awhile. Then the whales split into two groups. It didn't even take them an hour to figure it out. They were so thrilled when they figured out what was going on — that we were playing games — they were breaching by the boats."

Whale watching on British Columbia's North Coast is a rewarding experience. Be sure to save time in your itinerary to take in this wonderful spectacle.

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