Date:10-Nov-18

Sequence: 5

Encounter Number: 95

Enc Start Time: 11:45

Enc End Time: 13:15

Vessel: Morning Star

Observers: Melisa Pinnow, Jane Cogan, Tom Cogan

Pods or ecotype: J pod

Location: Admiralty Inlet

Begin Lat/Long: 47 56.480/-122 32.293

End Lat/Long: 47 58.119/-122 35.522

 

Encounter Summary:

Melisa, Tom, and Jane met at Snug Harbor and left the dock around 10:00 aboard “Morning Star”. At 11:45, “Morning Star” found L87 slowly heading north in Admiralty Inlet. He was in the shipping lanes south of Double Bluff, Whidbey Island. A few minutes later, J16 and J26 were found traveling together a few hundred yards to the east of L87. J39 appeared from the south, foraged for a few minutes, and then passed J16 and J26 as they began to slowly zigzag their way north. J16 belly flopped three times at one point.

At 12:35, J19 and J22 arrived from further south and slowly continued north, with J19 belly flopping once. J16 joined up with J19 and J22 momentarily, spy hopped twice, and then split off again to rejoin J26. J27 appeared a few hundred yards to the east of J19 and J22, while J38 surfaced a few hundred yards to the west.

By 12:55, the whales had reached Double Bluff and were still slowly northbound. “Morning Star” headed further west and found J38 again, who was now flirting with J42. After a few minutes, the two split up, with J42 aiming for L87, who had been trailing behind them. J38 headed back east towards J22 and trailed behind her. J22 spy hopped twice with kelp draped over her pectoral fins.

With seas building, the encounter was ended at 13:15 in the shipping lanes west of Double Bluff as the whales slowly continued north.