Photos taken under Federal Permits

NMFS PERMIT: 21238/ DFO SARA 388

EncDate: 29/10/20

EncSeq: 1

Enc#: 58

ObservBegin: 11:42 AM

ObservEnd: 01:47 PM

Vessel: Mike 1

Staff: Mark Malleson

Pods: Transients

LocationDescr: Race Rocks

Start Latitude: 48 18.0

Start Longitude: 123 25.7

End Latitude: 48 17.3

End Longitude: 123 32.3

 

EncSummary:

Mark received a report of a single bull south of Victoria harbour at 1015.
He left the harbour at 1130 on Mike 1 and located T049C at 1142 with help from his friend Gord spotting from his 23rd-floor apartment.
With long dives, many direction changes, and big distances between sequences, it was challenging to track him, but Mark was able to locate him on occasion from the sound of his exhalations due to how calm it was. Occasionally he had to differentiate T049C's exhalations from the numerous humpbacks in the area to know which way to look.
At 1229 T049C came across a likely seal at 48 19.2/123 28.3 and milled at this location for 11 minutes while he ate it. He then proceeded westward towards Race Rocks and entered the Ecological Reserve at 1305, did a big pectoral slap, and took a couple of breaths before disappearing for over 10 minutes. He reappeared in the same spot and then circled to the south side of Great Race for another long dive before reappearing southwest of Race Rocks.
Mark ended the encounter at 1347 at 48 17.3/123 32.3 as T049C continued west.