Date: 23-Jul-17

Sequence: 2

Encounter Number: 55

Enc Start Time: 18:20

Enc End Time:1 9:00

Vessel: Shachi

Observers: Ken Balcomb, Michael Weiss, Gale Richards, Howard Garrett, Alisa Lemire Brooks

Pods or ecotype: J pod, L4s, L47s, L26s, L72s, L87

Location: Haro Strait

Begin Lat/Long: 48.35757/123.12473

End Lat/Long: 48.37302/123.12216

 

Encounter Summary:

After J pod and members of L pod passed the Center heading north, Ken, Michael, and Howard left the Center to head to Snug Harbor, where Gale met them. They arrived on scene with the whales at 18:20 off of Henry Island. The L4s, L47s, L26s, L72s, L87, along with the J11s, most of the J17s, and some of the J14s were in one large, fairly tight group moving north. The group was travelling and socializing, with lots of rolling and splashing at the surface. After taking ID photos and video footage of this group, they motored north slightly to identify a smaller group of whales they had sighted. They found J17 with her calf J53, along with the J19 matriline, also travelling north. Shortly after that, the larger group caught up with this smaller group, as they continued on in a tight intermingling group. The team stayed with the whales until 19:00 before heading back towards Snug. As they left, the whales were still heading north, past Spieden Channel.