Date: 19-Apr-18

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 28

Enc Start Time:12:55

Enc End Time:13:20

Vessel: Orca

Observers: Dave Ellifrit

Pods or ecotype: Transients

Location: Haro Strait

Begin Lat/Long: 48 33.60/123 13.15

End Lat/Long: 48 33.30/123 12.22

 

Encounter Summary:

Jane Cogan called Dave at home to relay a report of whales in Haro Strait off Battleship Island. Dave grabbed his gear, headed for the boat, and left Snug Harbor at about 1230. Since there was no one was on these whales, they had to be re-found and two or three boats were already looking. These boats had already covered Spieden Channel and northern Haro Strait past Turn Point with no luck so Dave slowed to a stop about a half mile off Kellett Bluff. Mark Malleson, in a POW boat, was already on his way back from Turn Point on a line toward Kelp Reef so that would also cover the Gooch and Mandarte Islands area. Dave was about to give up and go home when he took one last scan with the binocs back toward Kelp Reef and saw a fin and a blow. Heading in that direction, other blows and fins were seen and the encounter started at 1255.
The whales were milling together in a small area about three-quarters of a mile northeast of Kelp Reef. There was a strong whiff of blubber oil on the wind as the boat approached indicating that the whales, who were the T49As, had just made a kill and were feeding. Dave shut the engine off near where the whales went on a long dive and they came up nearby after a couple of minutes and continued milling enthusiastically in a small area. T49A1 and T49A3 soon moved a couple of hundred yards to the south of T49A, T49A4, and T49A5. Both groups appeared to be feeding on something. T49A1 and T49A3 began socializing with one another and there was some rolling around. T49A1 did an aerial scan. The encounter ended at 1320 less than a half mile south of where the encounter started with the two groups getting closer together and all were pointed south.