Date: 08-09-2019

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 64

Enc Start Time: 16:13

Enc End Time: 16:38

Vessel: Mike 1

Observers: Mark Malleson

Pods or ecotype: Bigg's

Location: Clallam Bay

Begin Lat/Long: 48 21.6/124 17.9

End Lat/Long: 48 21.8/124 18.6

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Encounter Summary:

While Mark was out searching for whales south west of Carmanah Point he heard a VHF radio transmission that one of his whale watching colleagues, Mark Williams, had re sighted the T046's in the traffic separation zone north of Clallam Bay in a clearing in the fog. They were lost earlier in the day south of Sheringham Point due to dense fog. Mark decided to head that way as they were west bound and he had already spent the day searching west of Port Renfrew and had finished up with the humpbacks that he could find in the clear. He also had hopes that perhaps other killer whales would appear on route.
He came across T046E at 1613 6 miles north north west of Clallam Bay in limited visibility and could see another female which looked like either T046 or T122 a quarter mile away to the south in the fog. He paralleled T046E for as long as he could in the limited visibility with hopes that he could get another sighting of the female to the south or any other individuals but unfortunately the fog closed in to less than 100 yard visibility. Stopping to listen every few minutes he could hear the occasional blow but eventually lost them and ended the encounter at 1638.