Date: 03-Apr-18

Sequence: 2

Encounter Number: 24

Enc Start Time: 12:30

Enc End Time: 12:47

Vessel: Chimo

Observers: Ken Balcomb

Pods or ecotype: J Pod

Location: Haro Strait

Begin Lat/Long: Off Kellett Bluff

End Lat/Long: Off Kellett Bluff

 

Encounter Summary:

While Mark Malleson took a few photo-documentations of J pod whales spread out in Canadian waters off Sidney Island and heading south, Ken took “Chimo” back across Haro Strait to see who was on the eastern flank of the very spread out procession of J pod whales travelling and foraging south. The only whale he saw was J26 actively chasing a fish near Kellet Bluff, and he appeared to have caught it. But in the sloppy seas there were no fish scales to be found, in spite of a dedicated search in trail of the whale. J26 (“Mike”, so named because he was first seen the day after Mike Bigg passed away in 1991) seemed very business-like and intent on fishing rather than cooperating for photos, so Ken packed up his camera gear and headed into the slop toward Port Angeles. This was a very brief encounter and notable only for the observation of fish-chasing and the presence of J26 in US waters.