Encounter Summary: 

A large group of Bigg's Transient killer whales had been found near Nanaimo in the morning and there were reports of them heading down the east side of the Gulf Islands for much of the day as the winds came up from the southeast. When they were reported passing East Point around 1730 there was a brief window of time when they were just north of Patos Island in three groups when they might be in position for an Encounter. Ken spontaneously set out in "Chimo" and completely missed the window of time where they could be found in suitable water. Instead, they were very spread in groups of changing composition and lunging through waves that built to 5 feet breakers. There was no way that all of the whales could be photographed in the maelstrom, so the encounter was brief and wet with only 16 of a reported 20 or so whales being photo-identified.