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July Newsletter
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The Residents Are Back!
Our local (northern) resident orcas made their first official appearance in the Johnstone Strait on July 8th!! That being said, they haven't fully made up their minds to stay but are dabbling back and forth between here and further north. We were very excited to see them return and hopefully they come back to stay soon! We are still seeing the transients on many of our whale watches though!
So let's brush up on our knowlege of the Resident Orcas! Much of this information was put together by our very own Mark Evans, Discovery Marine Safari's Head Naturalist.
- The Northern Residents reside anywhere from mid Vancouver Island to SE Alaska
- Their summer months are predominantly spent in the Johnstone Strait and the Queen Charlotte Strait
- During the winter, they make sporadic appearances
- The Residents are quite vocal and have very complex dialects
- They feed mostly on Chinook and Chum (as opposed to the Transients that feed primarily on marine mammals)
- From the Spring through to the Fall, salmon consist of 95% of their diet (72% of that being Chinook)
- The Northern Residents (the ones we see out of Campbell River) have a population of approximately 216
- Their dorsal fins are quite round on the leading edge, with the trailing edge coming down at an abrupt angle
- The Residents travel in pods, which is a group of whales, linked by a common maternal ancestor
- There are 16 Northern Resident Pods
- Each whale within a pod is assigned a letter & number; the letter remains the same within the pod
- The average life expentancy is 50 years
- Calves are born between October and March, measuring 7-8 feet in length and weighing approximately 260-360lbs!
 
Local Fun Fact
The Devil Beneath the Sea
Up until 1958, this was the name given to Ripple Rock, a twin-peaked rock, dangerously close to the surface in the Seymour Narrows (only 9 feet from the surface at low tide). Over 100 ships sank due to colliding with the rock, killing many. In the mid 1950s, engineers devised a plan to tunnel from the nearby Maud Island, out into the channel, under the rock. From here, they laid explosives into the rock. This challenging feat took 28 months of grueling work to complete. On April 5th, 1958, the explosion was set off, releasing nearly 700 000 metric tons of rock 300 metres into the air! This was the largest man-made, non-nuclear explosion in the world and remains so to this day. The Seymour Narrows is still a dangerous passage of water with its churning waters and racing currents.
Recipe of the Month
1/2 lb scallops, baby ones are best
1/2 lb prawns
1/2 lb cod (cut into bite size pieces)
1/2 lb salmon (cut into bite size pieces)
4 green onions (1/4 inch pieces)
12 mushrooms (cut in halves or quarters depending on size)
1 cup white wine (medium dry)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups milk
garlic
seasoning salt
salt & pepper
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup flour
{shake together water and flour until smooth)
Bring wine to a boil, drop in onions & mushrooms, simmer for 2 minutes. Remove onions & mushrooms. To wine add milk; next add water & flour mixture, salt, pepper, seasoning salt, and parmesan cheese. Cook for at least 10 minutes (stir continuously with whisk). Test for flavour and make sure it's thick enough. (Start cooking your noodles now) Add your sea foods to the sauce, cook only until fish is done. Don't overcook. Stir gently with spatula. Pour in onions & mushrooms. Serve over fettuccini noodles & garnish with parsley flakes and parmesan cheese.
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Museum Tour Schedule
We are located at:
1003 N Island Highway Campbell River
Google Map Directions
Right Next to the Quadra Island Ferry Ticket Booth.
On the Water in our Float Office!
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