Date: 29-Mar-18

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 21

Enc Start Time: 10:24

Enc End Time: 12:06

Vessel: Morning Star

Observers: Melisa Pinnow, Tom Cogan

Pods or ecotype: T37As, T99s

Location: Haro Strait/Swanson Channel

Begin Lat/Long: 48 40.491/-123 14.168

End Lat/Long: 48 45.057/-123 17.886

 

Encounter Summary:

At about 0830, Jim Maya got a report of killer whales heading north in Spieden Channel. Tom and Melisa were notified, met at Snug Harbor, and left aboard “Morning Star” at 0930. After a bit of searching, “Morning Star” found the T37As and T99s at 1024 as they slowly headed north about half a mile south of Turn Point, Stuart Island.

The whales were in a tactile and social mood with many of tail slaps, aerial scans, and half breaches. At 1058, they arrived at Turn Point and stayed along the Stuart Island shoreline for a few surfacings before turning northwest toward Swanson Channel. The whales continued to socialize and occasionally porpoised as they made their way into the channel.

The T37As and T99s then calmed down and formed a resting line in the middle of Swanson Channel. They slowly continued northwest but with wind and waves building, “Morning Star” eventually lost sight of them at about 1206.