Date: 11-Nov-18

Sequence: 5

Encounter Number: 98

Enc Start Time: 12:50

Enc End Time: 14:00

Vessel: Morning Star

Observers: Melisa Pinnow, Jane Cogan, Tom Cogan

Pods or ecotype: J pod

Location: Admiralty Inlet

Begin Lat/Long: 47 51.200/-122 28.400

End Lat/Long: 47 51.505/-122 28.426

 

Encounter Summary:

Melisa, Tom, and Jane met at Snug Harbor and left the dock around 1030 aboard “Morning Star”. After a bit of searching, “Morning Star” spotted blows at 1250, south of Point No Point but north of Apple Cove Point in Admiralty Inlet. J pod was spread out in loose groups and slowly heading south.

The first group encountered was very social and contained J22, J35, J36, J37 J38, J39, J42, J46, J47, J49, and J51. There were many spy hops, tail slaps, inverted tail slaps, and a lot of tactile related behavior. J27 and L87 were traveling tight together off in the distance closer to shore on the Kitsap Peninsula side.

About halfway through the encounter, the social group changed direction and slowly headed back north. Another group appeared from the south and moved into the lead. This group was made up of J19, J31, J40, J41, and J45. They were farther from the Kitsap Peninsula shoreline and J19 breached, spy hopped, and tail slapped as her group moved into the lead.

J26 was seen further south of the other two groups. After a bit of time, J19 and J41 then split off from J31, J40, and J45 and pushed farther north and out into the middle of the inlet. The encounter was ended at 1400 as the whales continued north off of Apple Cove Point.