Date: 24-October-2018

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 92

Enc Start Time: 12:59

Enc End Time: 15:22

Vessel: Mike 1

Observers: Mark Malleson, Hanna Magnusson

Pods or ecotype: Bigg's Transients

Location: Pedder Bay

Begin Lat/Long: 48 20.9/123 27.5

End Lat/Long: 48 18.5/123 31.0

 

Encounter Summary:

Hanna and I left Victoria harbour at 1240 and within minutes of powering up at Ogden Point breakwater, I spotted a fin ~3nm east of William Head. We confirmed that it was T035A1 and could see the rest of them a half mile to the west.

 

They were traveling south westbound for Race Passage. We then spotted more animals to the south also south-west bound which turned out to be the T123s and the T038As.

 

At 1343 the lead group (T123's and 038A's) stalled out to check out a bait ball and possibly grabbed a seal as they seemed to group up and were possibly prey sharing as the continued west towards Race Pass. I could see a steller sea lion feeding up ahead of them and guessed they may at the very least given him a thump.

 

At 1355 they started to hunt him. T123A did multiple breaches and the rest of the group rushed in on the steller. After 55 minutes of tail slams, ramming and circling they managed to drown him. We deployed the hydrophone and listened to them vocalize for 30 minutes and then decided to end the encounter and head for the harbour. They were milling and vocalizing while they divided up their prize when we left.