Date: 26-Feb-17

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 20

Enc Start Time: 12:35

Enc End Time: 13:3

Observers: Mark Malleson

Pods or ecotype: Transients

Location: Becher Bay

 

Encounter Summary:

I went out on a search for killer whales and started by going east across Victoria's waterfront, through Oak Bay and out Baynes Channel.

 

Haro Strait was super rough with a ebb tide working against a moderate southeast wind so I decided to head west. After cutting between Chatham Island and Vantreight Island and trolling through the Chain Islets I surfed my way out to Race Passage in 4 -5 foot seas. Once I got through Race Passage along the west coast of Vancouver Island there was nice water close to shore as there was a considerable lee. I looped through Becher Bay as I continued west

and spotted a large bull dorsal fin headed east a mile and a half offshore in the large seas. I locked onto him and paced him between 7 and 8 knots as he took me back towards race in 4 - 5 foot seas. I did not recognize him so was determined to stay with him to get a decent ID shot. I thought I had lost him at one point before I spotted him coming up behind me. He then took a burst of speed towards me and took a swipe at a California sea lion. I then spotted a couple of female killer whales moving towards him from the north east as he took a couple more passes at the sea lion. A few minutes went by without any sightings of any of the killer whales so I continued back on the previous track line for Race Rocks when I spotted the 3 of them together moving quickly east bound a quarter mile ahead of me. When I was within a mile of Race Rocks I was fairly confident that I saw more blows to the north east of me closer to Race Rocks which turned out to be the T10's. Once they got past Race Rocks they turned and headed on a line for Victoria.

 

Notes-Comments: T113 was spotted on the afternoon of March 1 off Sooke heading west.
I was able to confirm this from a photo by Tom Mitchell. There were no other killer whales sighted.