Opening for the season Wednesday, May 1!
The Whale Interpretive Centre
Telegraph Cove, British Columbia
The Whale Interpretive Centre (WIC) is home to the largest collections of marine mammal skeletons in British Columbia. The WIC is run by the Johnstone Strait Killer Whale Interpretive Centre Society, a registered charitable organization that was established in 1993. The WIC opened in 2002 to provide a venue in which to increase public awareness about the biology of marine mammals and the anthropogenic threats facing their populations.
This land-based interpretive centre with these objectives is one of the recommendations of the Johnstone Strait Killer Whale Committee, co-chaired by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and BC Parks.
Directors
Jim Borrowman - Chairperson
Jim has been collecting marine mammal skeletons for over 45 years and his collection was the foundation of the WIC's accumulation of skeletons.
Marie Fournier - Vice Chairperson
Marie is a marine biologist and currently the manager of the Warden program at Robson Bight.
Dr. John Ford - Director
John was the head of cetacean research for the West of Canada with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. He is a scientist emeritus at the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo.
Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard - Director
Lance is the senior scientist of the Cetacean Conservation Research Program with Raincoast Conservation and has been a director on the JSKWICS board for many years.
Mary Borrowman - Director / treasurer
Mary is now fully retired and dedicates all her spare time to the WIC.
Robin Taylor - Director / secretary
Robin was the first BC Parks contract Warden for the Dr. Michael Bigg Ecological Reserve at Robson Bight and is a charter director.
Dave Hunter - Director
Dave was the Society's first president and remains a charter director. He is a former IBM software specialist.
Brian Clarkson - Director
Brian is a Google Partner and a resident of Telegraph Cove. Brian’s specialty is web design and digital marketing.
Louisa Bates Clarke - Director
Louisa has lived on the North Island her whole life and was a former employee for many years of the WIC. She currently lives in Port Hardy with her husband and three children.
Gordie Graham - Director
Gordie is the owner / operator, with his wife Marilyn, of Telegraph Cove Resorts. He generously donates the building to house the Whale Interpretive Centre.
Robin Abernethy - Director
Robin started her career in marine biology as a naturalist with Stubbs Island Whale Watching in the early 2000's. Robin is still involved with the WIC and is currently working as a GIS and wildlife specialist for the Northwest Territories government.
Minke Whale Returns!
This Minke Whale was found dead in 1995 at Cape Caution. It has been displayed in the Whale Interpretive Centre for many years but now needs degreasing and some reconstruction at Cetacea Contracting with Mike deRoos. This project is made possible by the generous donations from the public!
The Minke whale came home to the WIC on May 27th, 2023.
Pygmy Sperm Whale
Our Pygmy Sperm Whale is the only individual of his species to ever be seen in BC waters. It was discovered on Hanson Island in 2003. Similar to our Minke, this specimen has been displayed for many years but is in need of some TLC down at Cetacea Contracting!
Risso's Dolphin
This adult male Risso’s Dolphin was discovered washed ashore on Chesterman Beach in Tofino, B.C., in January of 2021. After a necropsy was performed, this large oceanic dolphin was transported to Telegraph Cove where it was sunk off the dock for cleaning. The bones are now undergoing chemical degreasing at Cetacea Contracting with Mike deRoos. A huge thanks to Paul Cottrell with DFO for securing this rare specimen for the WIC!