Pacific White-sided Dolphin

You can help us build a research database of Pacific white-sided dolphins in the Salish Sea.

While killer whales have captured the attention and focus of researchers in this region, we know relatively little about the Pacific white-sided dolphins. Is the population healthy? How many animals do we routinely see?

Pacific white-sided dolphins are individually identified from natural markings on the dorsal fin, just like killer whales are.

Thanks to private donations, SeaDoc is funding Erin Ashe, a PhD student at St. Andrews University, to study Salish Sea Pacific white-sided dolphins by using the same photographic-identification techniques used to study killer whales.

If you have photographs of Pacific white-sided dolphins (especially good dorsal fin shots) and are willing to share them for this study, please send them to Erin Ashe at dolphins@oceansinitiative.org.

Please remember, though, it is ILLEGAL to approach within 100 meters of a Pacific white-sided dolphin (or any other marine mammal) in both the United States and Canada, even for the purpose of taking pictures.

While photographs of the dorsal fin most useful, any photos can be helpful to the study.

Extra credit:

When were the dolphins seen? (Date and time)
Where were the dolphins seen? (place name and latitude and longitude if available)
About how many dolphins were in the group? (This can be a best guess.)
Where there calves (small babies) in the group?  If so, how many?
Do you know if dolphins are new to this area? Have you seen dolphins here before?
Where there other cetacean species in the area?
Any additional comments:

As always, we still want you to also send your BC cetacean sightings and photos to the BC Cetacean Sighting Network at http://wildwhales.org/. The BC Cetacean Sighting Network is hosted by the Vancouver Aquarium and maintains long-term data on the abundance and distribution of cetaceans in the Pacific Northwest.

Keep up with periodic updates on the dolphin project at http://www.oceansinitiative.org/dolphins/

Thanks!

A recent SeaDoc Society-funded project found that salmon gill net fisheries could pose a threat to populations of harbor and Dall’s porpoise but not Pacific white-sided dolphin in British Columbia. Regional salmon gillnet fisheries accidentally catch and kill dolphins and porpoises and it is critical to know when such bycatch threatens these cetacean populations so that protective actions can be taken.