Stewardship
Marine mammals
Living in this remote area offers the occasional encounter with our local marine mammals. But with that our moral obligation to help maintain the health and well being of them. Orcas, Humpback whales, sea otters, river otters, seals and sea lions frequent this area where boat traffic can be heavy especially in the summer. So we try to be responsible and play our small role in education, identification and observation.
Observe , record and report
Three simple world that can make a world of difference for a marine mammals. They have s lot of stress factors to deal with, pollution, noise, boat strikes and many more. In cooperation with DFO we keep an eye out for any marine mammal in distress. In 2012 we observed a humpback whale calf that was entangled in crab gear. We recorded its position, kept other boaters aware of the distressed animal and reported the incident to DFO. The result of us acting on these three simple words was the a whole chain of events was set in motion and with our help, the local DFO station, the Bamfield Coast Guard life station and a DFO fisheries patrol boat that was in the area the whale was eventually freed and joined its mother. Here is a video of that day.
BC Marine Mammal Response Network
The British Columbia Marine Mammal Response Network (BCMMRN) is a collaborative program between government agencies, research, conservation and outreach groups, wildlife rescue organizations and BC citizens. Formed in 2008, BCMMRN is a regional network within the larger Canadian Marine Animal Response Alliance. Rendezvous Dive Adventures Ltd. is a a first responder and over the years we have contributed from reporting unsual sightings of tagged elephant seals, to deceased seals and sealions and helping with entangled whales. We also provided images for the Marine Mammal Response handbook. We consider it a duty and privilege stemming from living here. If you see a marine mammal in distress you can report it at 1800-465-4336