Date: 03-March-18

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 10

Enc Start Time: 17:50

Enc End Time: 18:22

Vessel: Mike 1

Observers: Mark Malleson

Pods or ecotype: J's and K's

Location: Possession Point

Begin Lat/Long: 48 20.1/123 42.9

End Lat/Long: 48 19.9/123 41

 

Encounter Summary:

I received a call at 1650 from Joe Zelweitro who came across Southern Resident killer whales off of Sooke.  
I left Victoria harbor on Mike 1 at ~1715 and arrived at Secretary Island as the lead whales K27 and K42 passed by the south tip of Secretary Island traveling east. I could see that the bulk of the animals trailing were closer to shore and fairly grouped up. Most of them passed between Possession Point and Secretary Island. They were quite animated as I saw a few cartwheels and tail lobs. As I sat out in front of the Sooke Point developments, I photographed them as best I could as they paraded past in the diminishing light as the sun had set. I could hear vocals clearly as a few passed underneath the hull of Mike 1.  
It seemed as though it was all of Jpod and likely most of Kpod. I left them at 1822 as they were traveling east in the back eddy along the shoreline of East Sooke park between Secretary Island and Beechey Head.