Date: 24-jul-18

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 52

Enc Start Time: 12:10

Enc End Time: 15:50

Vessel: Orcinus

Observers: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss, Flora Miles

Pods or ecotype: J, K Pod

Location: Strait of Juan de Fuca and Haro Strait

Begin Lat/Long: 48 24.45, 123 13.30

End Lat/Long: 48 29.60, 123 06.36

 

Encounter Summary:

We received reports of residents on the westside of San Juan Island and inbound from the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the morning. Mark Malleson reported that the inbound whales were the J17s, and that they may have a new calf traveling with them. We left the dock at 11:30 and headed across Haro Strait to this inbound group to try to document the calf. We found the whales off Discovery Island. We first saw L87, traveling separate from the rest of the group. Ahead of him, we found the bulk of the J17s traveling together, without J35 or J47, but did not observe a new calf. After quickly photographing this group, we went back to find these remaining two whales.

We found J35 and J47 traveling several hundred yards behind the rest of the group, with J35 surfacing in an unorthodox manner. After a few surfacings, it became clear that she was carrying something on her rostrum. After several more surfacings, we confirmed that it was a deceased neonate, which we assume she had given birth to earlier that day. She continued to carry the neonate, often taking long dives, apparently to retrieve the neonate when she dropped it. We followed this pair as they headed towards San Juan Island. We briefly dropped a hydrophone, but no calls were heard from this pair. We left them at 1340 at Pile Pt, and at this point J35 was still carrying the calf.

We found another group of whales further north along the island, composed of the J22s, J14s, K16s, K21, and the rest of the J17s, fighting the flood tide as they moved south. We observed frequent foraging from this group, and focused on getting ID shots of K16 and K35, two whales that are seen less regularly than J pod whales. These whales later met back up with J35 and J47. J35 was still carrying the neonate. J47 and J44 spent their time socializing with older male K35, while the rest of the J17s spread out around them foraging. We ended the encounter at 1550, at which time J35 was still pushing her calf.