Date: 27-Dec-18

Sequence: 5

Encounter Number: 110

Enc Start Time: 12:30

Enc End Time: 14:30

Vessel: Morning Star

Observers: Melisa Pinnow, Jane Cogan, Tom Cogan

Pods or ecotype: Transients

Location: San Juan Channel

Begin Lat/Long: 48 32.9/-122 59.4

End Lat/Long: 48 26.2/-122 58.6

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Encounter Summary:

Tom and Jane headed out on “Morning Star” to look for whales at 1000. At about 1150, whales were spotted in Friday Harbor. “Morning Star” was nearby, having searched Spieden and President Channel, and arrived on scene at about 1200. T49A2 and T65A2 were on the south side of the harbor, but changed direction and headed across the harbor to the north side before continuing north to Point Caution.

Melisa was also in Friday Harbor at the time. “Morning Star” picked her up and re-joined the whales at 1230. T49A2 and T65A2 had since crossed San Juan Channel to the Shaw Island shoreline. At one point, T49A2 and T65A2 logged in the current together and drifted along for a few minutes. The whales were pointed toward Lopez Island, but then turned to continue south in San Juan Channel at 1255.

T49A2 and T65A2 remained tight together as they zig-zagged their way down the channel with 5-8 minute down times. They were on the Lopez Island side of the channel first, then moved closer to the San Juan Island side. The whales were nearing Cattle Pass by 1400 and no obvious kills were made in the pass, though there were many opportunities.

The whales exited Cattle Pass and turned to the west for a short distance, before heading back east/southeast. “Morning Star” ended the encounter at 1430 as T49A2 and T65A2 continued southeast from Salmon Bank.