Encounter Summary: 

Bob Otis called from Lime Kiln State Park to report a half dozen Bigg’s Transient killer whales including one adult male travelling north in Haro Strait about 200 yards off the lighthouse; and, a few minutes later we could see them with big-eyes off the San Juan County Park, still travelling northwest in a group. As they passed the reef in front of CWR they were about 400 yards offshore when Ken snapped a photo from the porch. The male was T51! And the others with him were the T36A’s, the T75B’s, and T49A2. The same grouping, minus T49A2, were encountered last year on 24 May (2015 Encounter 36) as they travelled in a social group in front of the Lime Kiln lighthouse and moved slowly offshore zig-zagging along in relaxed transient fashion.
Ken launched in “Shachi” at 1458 and encountered the whales in Canadian waters about two miles north of Kelp Reef. The whales were still in a group and zig-zagging in a large arcing pattern in the tide rips as they turned back toward the south. A few ID photos were taken, and then “Shachi” departed the scene to meet with and encounter Granny’s group of J pod that were coming from Boundary Pass toward Turn point at high speed (10 knots) ‘porpoising’ toward the swirls of rapidly flooding tide off the point (see Encounter 66). The Bigg’s Transient encounter was ended at 1545.