Date: 25-Aug-21

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 57

Enc Start Time: 15:13

Enc End Time: 17:27

Vessel: Orcinus

Observers: Michael Weiss, Charli Grimes, Sara Hysong-Shimazu

Pods or ecotype: Transients

Location: Boundary Pass/President Channel

Begin Lat/Long: 48 44.242 N/123 07.499 W

End Lat/Long: 48 43.021 N/122 55.134

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Encounter Summary:

Charli and Michael had been following whale watching vessels reports of the T34s and T37s coming south from Active Pass throughout the morning. The team had gotten fairly good photos of this group during the summer, but hadn’t yet been able to get any behavioral footage using the drone, so they were eager for the whales to make their way into US waters (and airspace). In the early afternoon, the whales made their way down Plumber Sound and into Boundary Pass, heading for the US/Canada border in reportedly good conditions.

Michael, Charli, and Sara left Snug at 14:36, heading north. They arrived on scene at 15:13, just south of Saturna Island. The whales hadn’t yet crossed the border to allow the team to launch the research drone, but they were heading east/southeast, so the team just needed to bide their time. At 15:30, the team launched the drone for the first flight of the day. The whales were uncharacteristically spread out in ones and twos, and exhibiting short surface intervals. Initially, the team was only able to do consistent follows over T37B1. As the whales approached the red buoy marking the point where the border turns to the north, they grouped up and took a dramatic turn southeast towards Point Doughty, allowing the team to get some footage of the whole group. Soon, however, they once again split up into ones and twos. T34 and T34B were the furthest east, followed by T34A and T37B1, with T37 and T37B the furthest west. Eventually the T37s grouped up and listed to the west, while the T34s remained in the same vicinity. The team initially decided to stick with the T34s, continuing to do drone flights and photo ID.

After some time, it became apparent to the team that T34A’s calf, T34A1, had not yet made an appearance during their encounter. Later review of the drone footage and photographs would confirm that T34A1 was not with T34A at all during the encounter. After one last flight with most of the T34s, the team broke off to see if perhaps T34A1 was travelling with the T37s. The team followed the T37s as the made their way across the north side of Point Doughty, and then tucked close to shore as they passed North Beach. A comprehensive photo ID pass on this group confirmed that T34A1 was not with them either. A single encounter is not enough to definitively rule a whale missing, however it is unusual to not locate a calf as young as T34A1 during an encounter where their mother is present. It is possible that T34A1 was off on their own somewhere within vocal range during this encounter, but future surveys of the group will be key in determining what’s happened to the calf. The team ended the encounter at 17:27 as the whales continued east/northeast, still spread into two groups.

Notes-Comments: