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Encounter #25 - April 4, 2016

Photos taken under Federal Permits NMFS PERMIT: 15569/ DFO SARA 272

Date:

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04-Apr-16

1

25

1618

1700

Mike 1

Mark Malleson

Transient

 

Haro Strait

48.28N/123.10W

48.27N/123.02W

Encounter Summary: 

At 1430 on April 4th I got a report relayed from Ron Bates of 3 or 4 killer whales with a bull east bound off of Clover Point. I had gone by there a half hour earlier at the end of my morning trip with Prince of Whales. I had come up empty after searching to the north east as far as East Point, Saturna Island so decided to redeem myself and head back out on Mike 1.
The conditions were not ideal as a strong south westerly had been blowing all day and now the tide was starting to ebb so the seas were building off of Victoria and in Haro Strait.
Russ on BC Luna was out behind me and he offered to go south of Trial Island while I went through Enterprise Channel to the north of Trial Island.
Ken on Spirit of Orca from San Juan Island was working his way south down the west side of Haro to help with the search.
I stopped off of Seabird and scanned for almost 20 minutes while Russ continued north west past Seabird and headed for Kelp Reef.
Spirit of Orca made it almost to Baynes Channel and then decided to head east hoping to catch them on his way home to Friday Harbour. At 1615 I was trolling along the north side of Discovery island in the lee when Ken (Spirit of Orca) called to say he found them. I could see him with my naked eye within a mile to the east of the Beaumont Shoals marker.
I caught up to them a couple of mile north east of Beaumont shoals a few minutes later as they were moving super quick towards Eagle Point. They were sufing down the 3 - 4 foot seas doing close to 9 knots against the ebb.
I was able to identify them immediately when I saw T123A as the T123's. They slowed down when they made it close to the shoreline between False Bay and Eagle Point. I left them at 1700 when they passed within 200 yards of Eagle Point traveling east towards Salmon Bank.

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