Rare dolphin sighting delights West Vancouver onlookers

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 02, 2025 9:00 PM EST | Last Updated: March 3

It was conscionable different regular stroll for Imaan Jiwa, who often visits the West Vancouver seawall to unbend aft a engaged workday.

"It's benignant of similar my spot of peace," the Vancouver nonmigratory told CBC News.

But connected Friday, arsenic she rested connected a seat adjacent Ambleside Beach, thing bonzer caught her eye.

"I was astir to get up and leave...but then I saw this immense pod of dolphins zip past," she said.

As the dolphins glided done the waters of Burrard Inlet, much than 2 twelve onlookers gathered, recalled Jiwa, mesmerized by the "rare" sight.

"I've seen galore seals and otters connected the seawall ... but ne'er dolphins," she said. 

The excitement didn't extremity there.

After the archetypal question of dolphins passed by, a 2nd radical arrived — this time, much playful and energetic.

"These ones were much rambunctious ... they were conscionable similar jumping each over," Jiwa said, noting determination were astir 30 dolphins successful total.

WATCH | B.C. antheral recounts the infinitesimal helium was followed by a pod of dolphins on B.C.'s Howe Sound: 

She captured the infinitesimal connected her phone, sharing the video online, which rapidly gained attention. Many different videos from onlookers person besides surfaced connected societal media.

This sighting comes conscionable days aft a dolphin pod was spotted cruising done B.C.'s Howe Sound earlier successful the week. A video of Jerry McArthur connected his electrical surfboard went viral aft capturing the infinitesimal a radical of dolphins joined him for the ride.

Andrew Trites, who oversees the Marine Mammal Research Unit astatine UBC's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, said the pod seen successful Burrard Inlet is apt portion of that aforesaid group.

"They whitethorn person divided up into smaller groups compared to what was seen successful Howe Sound," Trites explained.

He confirmed the animals caught connected camera are Pacific white-sided dolphins — an acrobatic taxon known for their playful behaviour.

According to Trites, it's antithetic to spot these dolphins truthful adjacent to shore because they thin to enactment retired successful the unfastened ocean. Their quality successful Burrard Inlet is apt related to the herring run, which apt drew the dolphins to the country successful hunt of food.

This is the clip of the twelvemonth that herring statesman to congregate to spawn, he said.

"It's 1 of the champion nutrient sources for white-sided dolphins due to the fact that they're precise precocious successful fat."

Although the adjacent proximity to enactment provides an abundant nutrient source, Trites said it besides puts the dolphins astatine hazard from predators. He pointed out the dolphins successful the video could beryllium seen "moving precise fast."

"What would they privation to flight from? That would beryllium predation from the transient slayer whales," helium said.

"It's a trade-off: bash you unrecorded adjacent to the market store but hazard getting tally over, oregon bash you unrecorded farther distant and person to question large distances for food?"

The animals mostly disappeared from B.C.'s seashore successful the aboriginal 2000s, according to the Pacific Whale Watch Association, but person started reappearing implicit the past decennary successful pods of up to 200 — though elsewhere, they person been known to aquatics successful schools of thousands.

Trites said determination whitethorn beryllium much sightings successful the coming weeks arsenic the dolphins instrumentality vantage of the herring spawn season.

"I would accidental to anybody that's out walking the shorelines, keep your eyes open, assistance them up retired of your phones."

For Jiwa, the brushwood was a reminder of the unthinkable wildlife that tin beryllium recovered close connected Vancouver's doorstep.

"It's things similar that that marque you recognize however fortunate you are," she said.