Date: 15-July-2017

Sequence:  1

Encounter Number: 52

Enc Start Time: 09:35

Enc End Time: 10:30

Vessel: Orcinus

Observers: Dave Ellifrit and Astrid van Ginneken

Pods or ecotype: Transients

Location: Minke Lake

Begin Lat/Long: 48 37.84/123 04.99

End Lat/Long: 48 39.38/123 04.41

 

Encounter Summary:

After Dave received multiple calls relaying the report that Ivan Reiff had found some transients heading up San Juan Channel, he and Astrid grabbed their gear and went down to the boat and left Snug Harbor at 0915. Dave and Astrid arrived on scene at 0935 about halfway between Jones Island and Green Point on the east end of Spieden Island. The T34s, T37, and the T37Bs had been split up but grouped back up shortly after we arrived. The whales headed northwest toward Flattop Island and began milling on the east side of Flattop around 1000. It looked like they made a kill but we were not close enough to confirm what it was.
By 1025, the whales had taken a more northeasterly course toward President Channel and we left them at 1030 about a half mile north of Flattop Island still in a tight group heading northeast.