• Encounter #16 - Mar 7, 2016 •
Photo by D. Giles
Photo by Dave Ellifrit
Photo by D. Giles
Photo by D. Giles
Photos taken under Federal Permits
NMFS PERMIT: 15569/ DFO SARA 272
Date:
Sequence:
Enc Number:
Start Time:
End Time:
Vessel:
Observers:
Pods/ecotype:
Orca ID's:
Location:
Begin Lat/Long:
End Lat/Long:
07-Mar-16
1
16
13:26
14:23
Orcinus
Dave Ellifrit, D. Giles
T18's
T18, T19, T19B, and T19C
Satellite Channel
48 42.07/123 22.46
48 42.37/123 27.96
Encounter Summary:
After getting a phone call from Jane Cogan relaying a message that Peregrine had found the T18's near Gooch Island, Dave and Giles headed out to take a look at them. We decided it was a good opportunity to take our "new" 1981 Boston Whaler currently named "Orcinus" out for a test run as the brand new engine needed to be broken in too.
We left Snug Harbor at 1250 and got on scene at 1326 about a mile and a half north of Swartz Bay. Since both Peregrine and Legacy had recently left the whales, we had to re-find them which we did after a brief search. The T18's had already exited Shute Passage into Satellite Channel and appeared to be resting as they were traveled slowly west in a tight group.
All four whales milled briefly near us at 1351 but it was unclear whether they actually got something. We saw no diving gulls or any other signs of a confirmed kill. The T18's continued west in Satellite Channel and briefly picked up a little speed on the north side of Piers Island before slowing down again. We left the whales at 1423 still heading slowly west about a mile north east of Moses Pt. at the top of the Sannich Peninsula.