Join a Whale Blitz event near you
Join a Whale Blitz event and help us collect important information about whales in our waters
Join Ocean Wise and fellow whale-lovers for our third annual land-based whale spotting event, an inclusive way to collect information about the whales in our waters from shore. Help contribute to whale conservation by attending a local Whale Blitz in your community!
2024 Whale Blitz Events – Join us!
| July 13 | Salt Spring Island, BC – Ruckle Park | 1:00pm – 4:00pm |
| July 14 | Quadra Island, BC – Rebecca Spit Marine Provincial Park Presented with the Cetus Research and Conservation Society | 10:00am – 2:00pm |
| July 14 | Denman Island, BC – Gravelly Bay Presented with the Association for Denman Island Marine Stewards | 1:00pm – 4:00pm |
| July 14 | West Vancouver, BC – Lighthouse Park Presented with Parks Canada | 12:00pm – 4:00pm |
| July 14 | Galiano Island, BC – Zuker Beach (Access #17) Presented with Galiano Island Conservancy | 11:30am – 2:30pm |
| July 14 | Hornby Island, BC – Helliwell Provincial Park Presented with Conservancy Hornby Island | 1pm – 5pm |
| July 15 | Cortes Island, BC – Smelt Bay Presented with Friends of Cortes | 3:00pm – 7:00pm |
| July 16 | Sidney, BC – Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea Presented with the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea | 12:00pm – 3:00pm |
| July 16 | West Vancouver, BC – Whytecliff Park Presented with WILD Outside | 11:00pm – 1:00pm |
| July 17 | Ucluelet, BC – Amphitrite Lighthouse Presented with Redd Fish, the Wild Pacific Trail, and the Ucluelet Aquarium | 10:00am – 4:00pm |
2024 Virtual Howe Sound Whale Blitz
New this year, participate in the Ocean Wise Virtual Whale Blitz! Visit our recommended locations independently and report your sightings on the WhaleReport App. When you register, you will receive a daily email between July 13-17 outlining highlights and sighting reports!
Register to Win Prizes!
Register for an Ocean Wise Whale Blitz to be entered to win prizes including:
- A duffel bag and hat from Patagonia!
- A canvas art print from local artist Di (artbydi.ca)
- A photo print from BC photographer Gary Sutton (garysuttonphotography.com)
- Ocean Wise swag!
The 2023 Whale Blitz was a success!
About the Whale Blitz
Land-based whale watching is an inclusive and non-invasive way to collect important information about the whales in our waters. Whale Blitz participants will have the chance to learn species ID skills, contribute to citizen science, and hopefully see spot some marine mammals in their natural habitats!
The Ocean Wise Whale Blitz consists of numerous whale BioBlitz events. These events will run from the 14-17 July 2024 to coincide with both the anniversary of northern resident killer whale A73 “Springer” being re-released back to her pod after rehabilitation and World Orca Day (14th).
About the Ocean Wise Sightings Network
The Ocean Wise Sightings Network (formerly known as the BC Cetacean Sightings Network) was established by Ocean Wise in 2000 and is one of Canada’s most enduring and successful citizen science programs. The OWSN has built a diverse and dedicated network of coastal community members who regularly report their cetacean and sea turtle sightings via the WhaleReport app. The OWSN regularly conducts community events throughout BC to educate coastal citizens about everyday actions they can take to become stewards of the marine environment.
The OWSN maintains a database of over 300,000 verified sighting reports from approximately 7,700 observers and shares this valuable information with government organizations, ENGOs, marine industry, and researchers. These sighting reports are an important means of identifying and protecting critical habitat, highlighting areas of high risk, and organizing outreach and mitigation efforts that reduce anthropogenic threats to at-risk species.
Funding provided by
