Date: 22-December-2017

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 108

Enc Start Time: 11:40

Enc End Time: 12:30

Vessel: Mike 1

Observers: Mark Malleson

Pods or ecotype: Transients

Location: Oak Bay

Begin Lat/Long: 48 25.4/123 15.1

End Lat/Long: 48 26.3/123 16.6

 

Encounter Summary:

I received a call at 0900 from a colleague that was pulling his crab trap and saw a group of 5 or 6 killer whales in Victoria Harbour. I headed down to Mike 1 and left Victoria harbour at 0940 to search for them. I worked my way east along Victoria's waterfront as far as Clover Point and scanned with the binoculars. I noticed that I had missed a text from another colleague that had seen them exiting Victoria Harbour and had last seen them headed south. I worked my way offshore and spotted them in the distance north west of Constance Bank. They were too far away and finished their breathing cycle before I was able to confirm which direction they were pointing. I sat and scanned for several minutes and wasn't able to relocate them. I spoke with the pilot boat on the VHF who was approaching me on their return to Victoria harbour from Constance Bank and asked them to call me if they spotted them on their way back. They had seen them earlier when they were in Victoria harbour. I decided to push further south at slow speed after several more minutes of scanning. I then spotted a blow well south which I at first assumed was them. I shortly realized that I was chasing down a humpback. Once I got a fluke ID I continued scanning in all directions. The trail was getting cold by this time and I saw the Clipper IV south of Trial Island heading for Victoria so I spoke with them on the VHF to see if they had seen them. They hadn't but said they would also call if they did on their way to Victoria. I decided that I would push as far west as Race Rocks as their was a strong ebb which could have taken them that far by this time. I stopped at the south edge of Race Rocks Ecological Reserve and scanned for several minutes before looping back through Race Pass and worked my way back towards Victoria favouring the Vancouver Island shoreline. I then received a call from another colleague of mine who was fishing in Oak Bay that he saw a group of killer whales working their way north east.
At 1140 I arrived on scene with them on the north side of the Chain Islands as they were predating on a seal (48 25.4/123 15.1). After several minutes of prey sharing they continued slowly north towards Baynes Channel. I left them at 1230 south of Jemmy Jones Island (48 26.3/123 16.6)