Encounter #11 - Jan 29, 2017

Date: 29-Jan-17

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 11

Enc Start Time: 10:45

Enc End Time: 12:45

Vessel: Mike 1

Observers: Mark Malleson

Pods or ecotype: J Pod

Location: Victoria Waterfront

Begin Lat/Long: 48 22.7/123 24.9

End Lat/Long: 48 17.2/123 32.2

 

Encounter Summary:

At approximately 9:00 I received a call from George Hamilton who had a large group of whales moving past his house just north of Ten Mile Point. I told him to send me some pictures to confirm whether they were SRKW's or T's.
I suspected J's/L87 from the description. Sure enough they were. I watched them from the apartment come around 10 mile Point and proceed single file through Oak Bay. On the way to town I drove along the waterfront to watch them from shore. They went past the golf course and then swung south of Trial. I watched them porpoising for a short while on a line for Constance Bank before I left to get the boat. At 1045 I came across the first whale L87 who appeared to be the furthest north of the group close to the Victor Hotel buoy. The whales were very spread out and doing fairly long dives. They continued past William Head and I assumed they would go through Race Passage but they swung east and south of Race Rocks and continued west. I left them at 1245 slightly west of Race Rocks.