Date: 19-Mar-19

Sequence: 3

Encounter Number: 21

Enc Start Time: 17:30

Enc End Time: 18:50

Vessel: Morning Star

Observers: Melisa Pinnow, Jane Cogan, Tom Cogan

Pods or ecotype: Transients

Location: President Channel

Begin Lat/Long: 48 41.900/-123 05.400

End Lat/Long: 48 42.800/-123 00.131

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Encounter Summary:

After ending Encounter 20 in Georgia Strait at 1630, “Morning Star” headed to Boundary Pass to find more transient killer whales that had been sighted south of Patos Island earlier in the day. The whales were reported to still be in Boundary Pass and heading toward Sandy Point on Waldron Island at 1645. At 1730, “Morning Star” arrived on scene on the west side of Waldron Island. The whales were spread out in small groups and pointing southeast.

The T101s and others were seen off in the distance in Cowlitz Bay while two other groups were approaching White Rock. “Morning Star” headed to the White Rock groups when a small calf was spotted, then two! The first calf belonged to the T36As and had already been documented by Mark Malleson on a DFO research trip earlier in March. The other calf belonged to the T36Bs and was first observed in January.

The T36As and T36Bs paralleled each other by a few hundred yards as they passed White Rock and then quickly turned north into President Channel. The T36Bs moved closer to the Waldron Island shoreline while the T36As trailed slightly behind to the east. Up ahead, the T101s and others could be seen up against Waldron and quickly heading north. “Morning Star” moved north to investigate and found the T101s trailing a few hundred yards behind the T99s and T124A1. When T99s and T124A1 slowed down, the T101s moved offshore and passed them. The T36Bs then re-appeared a few hundred yards behind the T99s and T124A1. The encounter ended at 1850 as the three groups passed Mail Bay and pointed toward Paint Hammond.

Notes-Comments: