More killer whale sightings reported in northeastern Hudson Bay

Changesto ice conditions could be one of the reasons behind a number of recent killer whale sightings in northeastern Hudson Bay, according to one marine biologist, and they could be after the same marine prey as Inuit hunters.

"In the case ofNunavutandNunavik,these animals are likely eating the same marine mammals that are culturally and economically important to Inuit harvesters, so there is always the risk of potential competition of killer whales coming in and eating the samebelugasand seals and that sort of things that the harvesters are depending on," saidJeffHigdon.

There have been several reports ofkiller whale sightings aroundtheBelcherIslands and in the waters off the west coast of the Ungava peninsulainNorthern Quebec in the past month, including reports of two washed up carcasses.

"Killer whales are not normally seen around the island, but since winter to this spring several sightings have been reported,"saidLucassieArragutainaq,chair ofthehunters and trappers organization inSanikiluaq,Nunavut,inInuktitut.

He saidhunters spotted thecarcassof whatappearedto be a washed-up killer whale in June along the Belcher Islands. Samples were collected and sent to aFisheries andOceans Canada lab in Winnipeg for testing.

Earlier this week,akiller whale was spotted further north nearPuvirnituq, Que.

Last month, further southnearWhapmagoostui,Que.,there was anotherpossible sighting.

And then this week, another carcass reportedly appeared nearSanikiluaq.

"A hunter was asked to get samples of it, but we think the dead whale washed away as he couldn't find it in the area where someone claims to have seen it,"Arragutainaq said.

Sightings of killer whales in northeastern Hudson Bay have not been confined to the warmer months. Hunters fromSanikiluaq alsoreported seeing the whales earlier this year in January.

Three years ago, Jeff Higdon would have beenskepticalof thesightingsduring the winter. Butthat changed when adozen killer whales were found trapped in the ice in January 2013, about 30 kilometres off the coast of Inukjuak, Que.

Killer whales trapped in ice

12 years ago

Duration 0:40

A dozen orcas share a small patch of open water on Hudson Bay near Inukjuaq, Que.

Unlike other populations of killer whales like in the Pacific Ocean, who have enough data collected on them to form personalized health records,the marine biologist who works as a consultant including clients inNunavut, said little is known about the whales on the other sides of Canada.

"The ones in the northwest Atlantic, eastern Canadian Arctic, we don't really havea good understanding about of abundant these things are. We actually have little to nodata on how abundant they are," Higdon said.

"Most of what we know about this population of killer whales in particular, most of what we know about this population of killer whales in Nunavut and Nunavik,has comefrom local harvesters."

Higdon said changes to sea ice and a possible growth in the killer whale populationmay be some of the reasons why year-round sightings are being reported.

"It's not simply population growth, it's animals going into different areas where theyhistorically haven't been found as well, and as far as the reason why they're going thereis anybody's guess at this point.