Date: 27-October-2017

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 100

Enc Start Time: 14:18

Enc End Time: 15:42

Vessel: Mike 1

Observers: Mark Malleson, JoeZelweitro

Pods or ecotype: CA's/U's

Location :Juan de Fuca

Begin Lat/Long:

End Lat/Long: 48 22.1/124 02.5

 

Encounter Summary:

I left Victoria harbour on Mike 1 at 1315 to catch up with a reported group of CA Transient killer whales that were moving quickly west bound west of Race Rocks. Ocean Magic II was with what turned out to be CA166, CA172, and CA173 south of Sooke as I arrived. They left once I laid my eyes on them and pushed south to search for another group that was reported earlier paralleling them.
I was able to get decent shots of the 3 animals as they travelled west between 8 and 10 knots and left them after a few minutes when Ocean Magic II reported finding the southern group. They thought the other were more CA animals and were only able to stay a few minutes. This group was also moving quickly west in the 3 foot east south east seas. There was 2 cow/calf pairs, with one of the calves being very young with fetal folds still visible. At times they were traveling at close to 14 knots. They surfed alongside a west bound Evergreen container ship for a few seconds before cutting behind its stern. The were angling to the north west so I figured that they would meet up with the others but never re-sighted them. I left the cow/calf pairs at 1542 within a mile south of Point no Point traveling west at 8 to 14 knots.