Encounter Summary: 

All day we received reports of a large group of Transients heading up Admiralty Inlet from the vicinity of Edmonds, but we also expected Residents to come down from Georgia Strait in the north. Ken did an early morning search for Residents (priority)in "Chimo" of Haro Strait, Boundary Pass and President Channel without finding anything. With nothing else reported, he departed Snug Harbor again at 1613 and sped across the Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca for a T encounter. The water conditions were excellent, and Ken's brother, Howard Garrett was on scene with the whales so they were easy to find with guidance from the whale-watch vessels. Upon "Chimo"s arrival, one of the whales did a spectacular full-body breach before any camera was ready, and lots of splashing and tail-lobbing ensued. Gulls dove in for scraps of whatever hapless prey item; and, then it was over. Apparently there had been several bouts of feeding as the whales travelled north in the Inlet.

Notes-Comments: A brief video was taken of the whales' travels.

• Encounter #45 - June 12, 2015 •