Marine Mammals 

It is a thrilling event to catch sight of a whale, dolphin or porpoise while out on the water. However, the Marine Mammal Regulations, under the Fisheries Act, specifically prohibits the disturbance of whales and other marine mammals. Summary convictions for contravention of the Fisheries Act or its regulations carry a fine of up to $100,000, a prison term up to one year, or both. Indictable convictions carry a fine of up to $500,000, prison terms of up to two years, or both (Fisheries Act s.78).

Guidelines for marine mammal viewing have been developed. Do your part to protect marine mammals and follow the guidelines.

For more information, visit the Pacific Region's Marine Mammals and Turtles website.

Seals and Seal Pups

Please keep your distance. As human interactions with wild marine mammals increase, the risk of disturbing or injuring animals also increases.

How you can help

DO NOT:

• touch, move, disturb or harass the seal.
• try to feed the seal or force the seal into the water.
• pour water on the seal as they are often on shore to dry off.

DO:

• stay a safe distance away from the seal.
• keep pets and children away to avoid harmful interaction.
• observe the condition, size and location of the seal.
• call the DFO hotline 1-800-465-4336 if you see a seal being harassed or harmed.
• call a seal rehabilitation centre if you believe the seal is sick, injured or
  abandoned.
• To report a seal that you believe is injured or abandoned, call the Vancouver
  Aquarium’s Marine Mammal Rescue (MMR) line at 604-258-SEAL (7325).
   

Whale Depredation

Depredation (the removal of fish from fishing gear) by killer whales has recently been reported by recreational fishers in B.C. In Alaska and locations worldwide, it is a significant and growing problem for fishers and potentially for whales.

Depredation is a learned behaviour that spreads throughout whale social groups and, once established, is impossible to eliminate. It is critical that B.C. fishers do not encourage this learning by having whales associate obtaining fish with fishing activity.

DO NOT feed whales. Retrieving gear, if whales appear to be interested in your activities, is also recommended.

If you experience depredation by whales, please report the incident by email
to MarineMammals@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or by calling 250-756-7253.

Reporting incidents will assist DFO in further understanding this problem and developing strategies to avoid it.

For more information visit the Marine Mammals site .

Reporting Marine Mammal Incidents and Sightings

To report a marine mammal disturbance or other incident, call DFO’s Observe, Record, Report (ORR) line at 1-800-465-4336.

To report sightings of marine mammals or sea turtles, contact the B.C. Cetacean Sighting Network by phone at 1-866-I SAW ONE (472-9663) or www.vanaqua.org/sightings (for an online form) or by email at:
sightings@vanaqua.org or turtles@vanaqua.org