Encounter #71 - Sept 2, 2017

Date: 02-Sept-17

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 71

Enc Start Time: 10:41

Enc End Time: 11:35

Vessel: Mike 1

Observers: Mark and Hanna Malleson, Michael and Aza Malleson

Pods or ecotype: Transients

Location: Sooke

Begin Lat/Long: 48 20.8/123 45.3

End Lat/Long: 48 17.5/123 43.1

Encounter Summary:

We departed Victoria harbour on Mike 1 at 0735 in search of whales. We spotted several humpbacks south west of Race Rocks (~7) and after getting most of their identification pictures we continued west towards Sooke stopping to scan along the way. While having another scan off of Sooke we received a report of killer whales in Becher Bay. We doubled back towards Bechey Head where we spotted a bull high speed porpoising westward. It was T060C and a half mile behind him was the rest of the T060's and the T124D's along with T124A1 who were also porpoising westward. After a few minutes we then worked our way offshore and east to another reported group which turned out to be the T036B's and the T099's. They were in a tight group and traveling east offshore of East Sooke Park. We could see a couple of commercial whale watch boats slightly west and south with whales so we went and confirmed T011 and T011A. They were traveling tight together and moving slowly west bound. We left them after a few minutes offshore of Secretary Island