Photos taken under Federal Permits

NMFS PERMIT: 21238/ DFO SARA 388

Enc Date: 09/09/20

Folder ID: 20200909MLM_JF1

Enc Seq: 1

Enc#: 42

Observ Begin: 09:40 AM

Observ End: 10:25 AM

Vessel: Mike 1

Staff: Mark Malleson

Pods: Transients

Location Descr: Otter Point

Start Latitude: 48 20.8

Start Longitude: 123 49.5

End Latitude: 48 20.4

End Longitude: 123 44.6

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Enc Summary:

Mark left Victoria harbour at 0752 on Mike 1 as he was tasked to spend a week working out of Port Renfrew to find the Southern Residents.
As he approached Sooke, the seas were starting to build with the moderate outflow winds and the adverse current. Fortunately, it was at his back, and he didn't have to turn back to get home that day.
As he was approaching Otter Point at 0940, he spotted killer whale blows slightly inshore of him. Unfortunately, it turned out they were traveling quickly east into the 3' short and choppy seas.
He confirmed that it was just two animals, T060D and T060E. They were traveling ~ 7 knots to the east towards the Sooke harbor entrance and were zigzagging as they went, making it very difficult to keep track of in the less than ideal conditions. At 1001 Mark was about to end the encounter as he hadn't seen the pair for over 10 minutes, not to mention that he was going the wrong way. He then spotted Dan on the whale watch vessel Echo out of Sooke approaching him, so he coordinated with him to relocate them. Dan worked his way inshore, and Mark worked his way offshore, continuing along at 7 knots. Mark respotted them as they surfaced within a couple of hundred meters to the south of him and ended the encounter at 1025 once Dan had his eyes on them.