British ColumbiaA well-known grey whale is back feeding in British Columbia for the second time this year, with whale watchers saying its winter apperance marks a change in its normal migration pattern. Little Patch is among the best-known grey whales in the Salish Sea, residents and whale watchers sayAlanna Kelly · CBC News · Posted: Nov 27, 2025 8:06 PM EST | Last Updated: 6 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Little Patch was captured on photo swimming close to the shore off Selma Park near Sechelt, B.C. on Nov. 25, 2025. The grey whale is among the best-known whales in the Salish Sea. (Ian Bolden)A well-known grey whale is back feeding in British Columbia for the second time this year, with whale watchers saying its winter apperance marks a change in its normal migration pattern. On Nov. 25, Ian Bolden heard there was a sighting of a grey whale — so he headed out in the rain towards Selma Park in Sechelt, located on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast around 50 kilometres northwest of Vancouver.The Sunshine Coast resident spends a lot of time paddling on the water and has had a number of encounters with wildlife.“I’m looking out further, and then it’s right under my nose,” Bolden said of his experience on Nov. 25. “I didn’t realize how close it would actually be.”Photographer Ian Bolden said it’s a thrill to see the grey whale near his home in Sechelt. (Ian Bolden)He said the grey whale, known as Little Patch, was roughly 15 metres offshore. “It’s always a thrill to see them … this one just randomly showed up at an odd time of year,” Bolden said. Bolden managed to take a few photographs of Little Patch — who is known to swim close to the shore to be able to feed on shrimp. Erin Gless, the executive director for the Pacific Whale Watch Association, says this grey whale is the most famous one in the Salish Sea and has been feeding in the area since 1991. “He has a little white patch on the backside of his body, as you’re going towards the tail,” Gless said.The grey whale’s nickname comes from the distinct small white patch on the backside of it’s body. (Ian Bolden)Little Patch’s recent behaviour of returning to the Salish Sea to feed in the winter is not typical for grey whales, Gless said, and is unusual compared to normal grey whale migration patterns. Little Patch is believed to be one of the very first grey whales to visit Canadian waters for feeding. What’s unusual about his behaviour this year in particular, Gless explains, is that he usually goes to Washington state’s Puget Sound to feed in the spring. Back in April and May, he spent several weeks off of West Vancouver feeding close to the shore and drew crowds of people.“The fact that he kind of showed up there first is, is really interesting,” Gless said. “He really liked something about that area because he came back in November, which is a bit [of] unusual timing.”WATCH | Whale detection devices installed on B.C. properties to safeguard marine mammals:Whale detection devices installed on B.C. properties to safeguard marine mammalsTwo separate homeowners in B.C. are doing their part to help safeguard marine mammals. As Alanna Kelly reports, they are hosting different pieces of technology that both detect animals without disturbing them. Winters spent in MexicoTypically, grey whales will travel up to the Arctic to feed and start migrating down towards Mexico, where they’ll spend the winter in warmer waters. In recent years, grey whales are dying, and the population has been declining. Researchers believe this is due to a shortage of food up in the Arctic. Back in 2019, five grey whales were found dead on the B.C. Coast in two months. Researchers at the time told CBC News there were a number of “very skinny whales” that were not getting enough food.“Instead of making that really long journey all the way down to Mexico to breed, instead [Little Patch] is choosing to spend the winters in these feeding grounds where he knows there’s food available for him,” Gless said. “It’s kind of sad, it’s bittersweet — because by seeing him here now, it means that he’s choosing not to migrate down for the winter.” Little Patch is also known as “Sounder” grey whale CRCID-53. (Ian Bolden)She believes there’s a good chance he will stick around the Salish Sea for the entire season. “He’s established quite a fan base, so a lot of folks have come to know and love him,” Gless said. Boaters around the Sunshine Coast and West Vancouver are being asked to pay close attention for the grey whale, as the mammals can be difficult to spot as they do not have dorsal fins. “I would say they are probably the absolute trickiest whales to spot,” Gless said. ABOUT THE AUTHORAlanna Kelly is a CBC News journalist based in Squamish, B.C., covering the Sea-to-Sky region, including Whistler, Pemberton and the Sunshine Coast. You can email story ideas to alanna.kelly@cbc.ca.
Unusual timing: Beloved grey whale is back feeding in B.C. instead of Mexico this winter
