Killer whale pod spotted in Vancouver's Burrard Inlet
Orcas sighted on same day Vancouver Aquarium releases whale reporting app
A pod of killer whales spotted in Burrard Inlet Monday morning turned out to be perfect timing for the release of the Vancouver Aquarium new smart phone app.
The app called Whale Report allows people to report marine mammal sightings — data the aquarium will collect and use to determine which areas at which times are important to local cetaceans.
"This means reporting is more convenient than ever, which is especially important since many sightings occur unexpectedly," said the Vancouver Aquarium's Tessa Danelesko in a news release.
By the afternoon, the orcas — identified by the Vancouver Aquarium as the T65A group of Biggs killer whales — had moved to West Vancouver, near Lighthouse Park.
The sightings touched off an aquarium-led storm of social media tweets and re-tweets.
Whale photos coming in from today's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhaleSighting?src=hash">#WhaleSighting</a> in Burrard Inlet. Have one? Tag us <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vanaqua?src=hash">#vanaqua</a> <a href="http://t.co/VXFnZHI2lK">pic.twitter.com/VXFnZHI2lK</a>
—@vanaquaIt appears that the Biggs killer whales ID as T65A group are now near Lighthouse Park: . <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhaleSighting?src=hash">#WhaleSighting</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vancouver?src=hash">#Vancouver</a> <a href="http://t.co/4nzIQcHNkp">pic.twitter.com/4nzIQcHNkp</a>
—@vanaquaThe killer whales are now heading out of Burrard Inlet, have passed Lions Gate Bridge: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhaleSighting?src=hash">#WhaleSighting</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vancouver?src=hash">#Vancouver</a> <a href="http://t.co/OH85quAIMQ">pic.twitter.com/OH85quAIMQ</a>
—@vanaqua<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhaleSighting?src=hash">#WhaleSighting</a> update: Group of whales seen here may be returning past the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StanleyPark?src=hash">#StanleyPark</a> seawall <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vancouver?src=hash">#Vancouver</a>: <a href="http://t.co/PKBQ4wMtZa">pic.twitter.com/PKBQ4wMtZa</a>
—@vanaqua