Date: 06-Apr-18

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 25

Enc Start Time: 13:20

Enc End Time: 13:39

Vessel: Chimo

Observers: Ken Balcomb

Pods or ecotype: Transients

Location: Constance Bank

Begin Lat/Long: 48 21.369N/123 14.672W

End Lat/Long: 48 20.519N/123 15.0W

 

Encounter Summary:

Returning from Port Angeles after running a few errands, including purchase of a boathouse and submission of a grant proposal, Ken heard on the VHF that “Ocean Magic 2” had found two Transient killer whale males somewhere south of Trial Island at 1245. The fog was pretty thick in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and it was reported to be thick off San Juan Island, so the sighting was welcome news if only because it would allow for some time to be spent, perhaps pleasantly, before the fog thinned in the afternoon. As luck would have it, the whales were in the clear that rather suddenly opened up as the day warmed after 1300. The two males were T49A1 and T124C meandering, perhaps socializing, and the flat lighting of the gray skies offered a good opportunity for photo-id catalogue quality pictures. Unfortunately, the whales did not arch their back very much and the autofocus/lens was too slow to make the photos “snap”. Oh well, it was a bonus to even see the whales after anticipating a long ride home in the fog listening for big ships to avoid. Ken left the whales at 1339 and returned to Snug Harbor at 1422.