Date: 23-Jan-17

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 7

Enc Start Time: 16:00

Enc End Time: 16:36

Vessel: Mike 1

Observers: Mark and Hanna Malleson

Pods or ecotype: CA/U

Location: South west Race Rocks

Begin Lat/Long: 48 16.0 123 34.2

End Lat/Long: 48 13.7 123 32.0

 

Encounter Summary:

After leaving members of Jpod off of Pillar Point we quickly headed for a group of transients 4ever Wild had spotted south of Bechey Head tracking east. They were thought to be CA's/U's but not confirmed. Ken Balcomb left Port Angeles on Tonto when he heard about the whales and got on scene as 4ever Wild passed them on to him. We arrived 15 minutes later and Ken called us to say he hadn't seen them again since he got on scene. We put a joint effort in to relocate the group and eventually spotted them with binoculars well to the south of where they were last seen. When we arrived they were feeding on something as there was a slick and there was a scent of dead marine mammal. The whales continued on passed VF buoy towards PA buoy. We left them with Ken as they passed into American waters just before sunset. The whales turned out to be CA166, CA172, CA173 and 2 others that has yet to be identified. This group has become fairly regularly sighted in this area in late fall and winter over the last decade.