Date: 07-11-2017

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 101

Enc Start Time: 16:08

Enc End Time: 16:44

Vessel: Mike 1

Observers: Mark Malleson, Joe Zelweitro

Pods or ecotype: L pod

Location: Victoria waterfront

Begin Lat/Long: 48 20.1/123 29.0

End Lat/Long: 48 18.1/123 32.6

 

Encounter Summary:

We left Victoria Harbour at 1545 on Mike 1 to catch up with some SRKW's I came across on my tour with Prince of Wales at the end of my trip after following up a 1015 report of killer whales south bound in Rosario. I had found them at 1400 south of Discovery surfing quickly west and spread out in big south east seas. I had only seen some L12's but felt there were a lot more animals than that out there.
We resighted them off of William Head at 1608 still spread out moving at 7 knots towards Race Passage. The first whale we saw was L92. The lighting was fading quickly away on us and the rough seas, long diving and fast moving animals prevented us from getting many ID's but it was fairly apparent that it was most members of L pod present with the earlier sighting from the whale watch boat and the extra animals we spotted from Mike 1. We left them at 1644 as it was getting dark. The lead animals went through the Race Rocks ecological reserve and the rest through Race Passage.