Encounter Summary: 

Mark Malleson went for an early morning drive to scout for whales from shore and found a small group of transients heading north in Haro Strait around 0715. Mark called Ken who called Dave around 0735. Dave headed over to the Center and it was decided that Dave would go out and stay with the whales and Ken would come out with a film crew later. Dave then headed down to Snug Harbor and left aboard "Orcinus" at 0825.

Dave found the whales five minutes later heading north about a quarter mile northeast of Kelp Reef. The whales were the T65B's and the T137's with T137A and T137B spread out about a hundred yards to the east of the other four whales. The whales began spreading out as they continued north and split into three groups of two. T65B and T137 were the farthest west group while T137A and T137B were about three quarters of a mile to the east. T65B1 and T137D were hanging out together in the middle of the other two pairs. All three pairs were paralleling each other as they moved slowly north. Around 0855, T65B1 and T137D turned west and began heading toward their moms. T137A and T137B were now traveling together but still at least three quarters of a mile to the east of the other whales. Around 0930, T137A and T137B also turned west and began traveling toward Mandarte Island. The other four whales were now together and were tight along the west shoreline of Halibut Island. The two groups passed the east tip of Mandarte Island and then disappeared for a few minutes before coming up all together a little to the east of halfway between Mandarte and Gooch Islands while attacking a seal. It was a good sized harbor seal and the attack lasted for longer then twenty minutes with lots of splashing as the whales made repeated lunges at it. T137A got excited and breached repeatedly as well as several tail lobs and pec slaps. Ken arrived on scene in "Chimo" with a film crew as the attack was winding down. The whales milled and fed briefly before resuming north. The whales filed north past the bow of "Orcinus" who was shut down and Dave ended his part of the encounter at 1030 with the whales heading north about a quarter mile southeast of Tom Point on the east tip of Gooch Island. Ken remained with the whales for another hour or so.

The four whales of the T77 group also passed north past CWR at 1330 and Ken got pictures of them on his way to Sequim while Dave took a few shots from the porch.