Encounter Summary: 

Dave was in the office when the report that transients showed up right in front of Lime Kiln came in over the radios. Giles, who had just arrived at the park to teach a class to school kids and had just missed the whales, called Dave immediately too. Dave could see the whales moving offshore to the west while just south of Bellevue Pt. from the scope at CWR and quickly headed down to Snug Harbor.

Dave left the dock in Orcinus at 1210 and arrived on scene at 1225 about three miles northwest of Baynes Channel. The T75B's and the T77's including T77's new calf of the year, T77E, were in a tight group heading southwest toward Baynes Channel. The whales had been reported to be zig-zagging prior to Orcinus's arrival and they continued to change directions during their long dives. On one series of breaths, they would be pointed vigorously to the southwest but on the next series would be traveling southeast. Dave had one half decent pass near the beginning of the encounter when the whales turned toward the boat and presented their left sides for ID shots and then had to wait around for another hour before another opportunity for a photo-ID pass occurred. As the whales neared Beaumont Shoal, they zigged close enough for Dave to have one more half decent photo-ID pass on their right sides. When the whales went on another long dive and came up a ways away just a little south of the Beaumont Shoal buoy, Dave ended the encounter there at 1338. The whales continued zig-zagging but were generally moving southeast toward Middle Bank.