Date: 29-October-2018

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 93

Enc Start Time: 16:26

Enc End Time: 17:39

Vessel: Mike 1

Observers: Mark Malleson

Pods or ecotype: Bigg's Transients

Location: Albert Head

Begin Lat/Long: 48 21.0/123 26.2

End Lat/Long: 48 18.9/123 29.0

 

Encounter Summary:

I departed Victoria harbour at 15:45 to relocate the T046B's who had been found earlier in the day near Becher Bay and left at 14:45 approaching Constance Bank last seen eastbound.
I called Gord Rowles (Crow's Nest) and had him have a scan for me from his 23rd-floor apartment near Beacon Hill to help me. I was approaching Constance Bank when he called to tell me he had spotted a pair of killer whales westbound a little over a mile east of Albert Head. I came across T046B1 and T046B1 pointed west towards William Head. They were doing very long dives and erratic in their direction so hard to track. While keeping track of them I spotted the other 4 members to the south a mile away. Once I got proof of presence pictures of T046B1 and T046B1A I went over to the other 4 which appeared to be milling after a likely seal kill.
T046B was very inquisitive as she swam over to the boat and had a close look at me, swam under the boat and had another look from the other side. I was concerned that perhaps a seal was hiding under the boat but that did not seem to be the case. She left after a half minute and joined the others while they shared their prey.
After some time of drifting in the current with them while they milled around, I ended the encounter at 1739 as the sun was setting. I could see multiple humpback blows near Race Rocks as I watched the T046B's amble their way towards Race Passage.