Date: 22-May-18

Sequence:1

Encounter Number: 32

Enc Start Time: 12:52

Enc End Time: 13:01

Vessel: Orcinus

Observers: Ken Balcomb

Pods or ecotype: Transients

Location: Arachne Reef, Prevost Passage, British Columbia

Begin Lat/Long: 48 41 6.144N/ 123 17 32.866W

End Lat/Long: 48 41 2.556N/ 123 17 31.644W

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Encounter Summary:

Before noon, two groups of Bigg’s Transient killer whales were discovered travelling north in Haro Strait in the vicinity of D’Arcy Island and Kelp reef.  Ken launched from Snug Harbor in “Orcinus” and found the trailing group of whales near Arachne Reef where their diving and non-directional behavior indicated they had one or more harbor seals that were trying to avoid them. No predation was observed, but a gull swooped down near the water surface to suggest that it had spotted something.

The lead group was reported by Mark Malleson to be the T123s that had headed on up Swanson Channel toward the Pender Island Bluffs, but they were not found again for several hours. The T86As and the T124A2s headed on toward Tilly Point and up Boundary Pass toward East Point, Saturna Island, after Ken ended the encounter at Arachne Reef with photo-documentation of the individuals present.