Date: 15-Aug-18

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 58

Enc Start Time: 14:25

Enc End Time: 16:25

Vessel: Orcinus

Observers: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss, Darren Croft, Mia Reynolds

Pods or ecotype: Transients

Location: Beaumont Shoal

Begin Lat/Long: 48 26.27 / 123 12.26

End Lat/Long: 48 29.22 / 123 11.02

 

Encounter Summary:

Reports of several groups of transients in inland waters had come in earlier in the day. At 1400, the team left the dock to intercept a group of whales composed of the T65As and a pair of unidentified animals. As the team was in transit, the identity of the two unidentified whales was confirmed as the T100s, as the group moved further away from the researchers.
Rather than pursue that group, the team diverted to another group of whales reported off Discovery Island. They arrived on scene at 1425 with the T2Cs, a group of 5 whales, T2C and her four offspring. The whales were in a tight resting formation, traveling slowly from Beaumont Shoal to San Juan Island.
T2C2, the second oldest offspring, has a pronounced spinal deformity. He traveled a bit behind the rest of the group for the majority of the encounter but did occasionally catch up and join the main group. The whales were in a consistent pattern of 3 to 4 breaths, followed by a long dive. T2C2 took 1 to 3 more breaths than the rest of the group on each sequence. The team stayed with the group until 1645, as they continued their slow movement towards San Juan Island.