Date: 06-Sep-17

Sequence: 3

Encounter Number: 75

Enc Start Time: 14:15

Enc End Time: 15:05

Vessel: Orcinus

Observers: Dave Ellifrit and Sally Warden

Pods or ecotype: Transients

Location: Cordova Bay

Begin Lat/Long: 48 30.26/123 19.38

End Lat/Long: 48 32.39/123 20.43

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Encounter Summary:

While we were with the southbound resident whales from encounter 74, we had received reports of two groups of transients in the area. One group was heading north in Andrews Bay until they heard the residents coming and took off to the southwest. Another group that included the T10s and T109As had been coming in off the Victoria waterfront. We had ended the encounter with the residents around 1315 off Deadman Bay and headed back to Snug Harbor. While coming in to Snug, we received a message from Mark Malleson saying that the T10 and T109A group had passed through Baynes Channel and were heading north on the Vancouver Island side. Erin had stuff to do so we dropped her off in Snug Harbor and then, after a quick bathroom break, Dave and Sally headed back out to the transients. We arrived on scene around 1415 off Gordon Head at the south end of Cordova Bay. The T10s and T109As were traveling slowly north in a tight group. They zig-zagged a little at first and a couple times T10 and T10C moved off temporarily from the T109As although never by more than fifty yards in the time we were with them. The whales finally settled on a west-northwest direction and we left them traveling slowly in a tight group toward James Island at 1505.