EncDate: 27/05/21

EncSeq: 1

Enc#: 29

ObservBegin: 04:10 PM

ObservEnd: 04:30 PM

Vessel: Orcinus

Staff: Dave Ellifrit

Pods: Transients

IDsEncountered: T65A, T65A2, T65A4, T65A6, T77, and T77E

LocationDescr: Kellett Bluff

Start Latitude: 48 37.11

Start Longitude: 123 11.46

End Latitude: 48 37.58

End Longitude: 123 11.25

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EncSummary:

While working in the CWR photo-ID office, Dave had been listening to radio and had heard that the T65As plus T77 and T77E were off the west side of San Juan Island. The whales had been milling off the north end of False Bay when they were reported to finally be heading north so Dave decided to drive down the west side and try to catch them from shore. However, the whales were still south of Hannah Heights and didn’t seem to be moving very quick so Dave continued on to town and then home. After being home for what didn’t seem like all that long, Mark Malleson called to say the whales were now heading north off Snug Harbor. There were persistent but unconfirmed rumors that T77 had a calf with her on May 22nd so Dave decided to head out and see if the calf was there.
“Orcinus” began leaving Snug Harbor around 1555 and saw a couple boats with the whales near Kellett Bluff before even reaching the entrance to the harbor. The encounter began at 1610 after the whales had passed the bluff on Henry Island. The T65As plus T77 and T77E were in a tight group heading slowly north. T65A3 and T65A5 were not present. Neither was there a calf with T77. If there had been a calf with T77 on the 22nd that was not T75B4, it was gone now. After a long surfacing series, the whales went on a five minute long dive and then came up just shy of Battleship Island. After another long series of short dives, the encounter ended there at 1630. The whales looked like they may have been rounding Battleship and heading into Spieden Channel as the boat was leaving.