Enc Date: 26/11/19

Enc Seq: 1

Enc#: 95

Observ Begin: 03:06 PM

Observ End: 03:55 PM

Vessel: Mike 1, Springtime

Staff: Mark Malleson

Other Observers: Joe Zelweitro, Bill Moore

Pods: K, L

Location Descr: south of Discovery Island

Start Latitude: 48 21.2

Start Longitude: 123 15.3

End Latitude: 48 21.8

End Longitude: 123 13.5

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EncSummary:

At 1333 Mark received a report from Rod King on Forever Wild that they had come across what they thought were J's and K's in a resting group south of Trial Island heading east. Mark decided to go and confirm who was present as J's were reported down in Puget Sound earlier in the day.
He got a hold of Joe Zelweitro and invited Bill Moore along as they had just finished up a lunch meeting.

They left Victoria harbour at ~1430 and worked their way out to the east of the last known location (48 20/123 18). It was tough slogging with the strong north east winds and 2-3 foot chop but at ~1500 they spotted north east bound killer whales in a tight resting group with help from Gord Rowles who had a lock on them through Big Eye binoculars from his 23rd floor apartment. They started the encounter at 1506 (48 21.2/123 15.3) and quickly were able to identify members of K's along with most of the L's including L87. The presence of L87 explained how Rod and crew assumed J pod was present. The whales were traveling between 3 and 4 knots on a line for Middle Bank in a tight resting formation. At 1533 Mark received a call from Jasper Hamilton that he spotted killer whales (1 bull and 2-4 females and/or juvuniles) from shore slightly north of the Fulford Reef buoy headed south for Chatham and Discovery Island. With minimal light left the Mike 1 crew ended the encounter at 1555 (48 21.8/123 13.5) with hopes to find the whales Jasper had seen from shore. They quartered their way towards Seabird Pt. before taking a line towards Chain Island with a quick binocular scan in the Oak Bay Flats and then continued along the lee of the Oak Bay/Victoria shoreline returning to the dock in Victoria harbour at dark at 1655.