• Encounter #39 - May 3, 2016 •
Photo by Ken Balcomb
Photo by Ken Balcomb
Photo by Dave Ellifrit
Photo by Ken Balcomb
Photos taken under Federal Permits
NMFS PERMIT: 15569/ DFO SARA 388
Date:
Sequence:
Enc Number:
Start Time:
End Time:
Vessel:
Observers:
Pods/ecotype:
Orca ID's:
Location:
Begin Lat/Long: End Lat/Long:
03-May-16
2
39
16:34
16:52
Orcinus
Ken Balcomb
Dave Ellifrit
J16's
the six J16's
Spieden Channel
48 37.59/123 07.99
48 38.23/123 08.61
Encounter Summary:
The J16's had been found off the west side of San Juan Island in the morning. By 1305, the J16's had moved slowly north past CWR about a quarter mile off the reef. Ken and Dave left a while later to see the T's in Boundary Pass (Encounter 38-1). We ended that encounter at 1613 and decided to briefly check out the J16's who were reported to be heading east in Spieden Channel at that time. We arrived on scene at 1634 about a mile east of Battleship Rock. The J16's milled some and went on a long dive before coming up on the north side of Spieden Channel just a little east of Sentinel Island. We left the J16's soon afterward at 1652 as they moved closer to the Spieden Island shoreline and headed slowly east in a tight group.