EncDate: 18/09/21

EncSeq: 1

Enc#: 76

ObservBegin: 08:55 AM

ObservEnd: 09:49 AM

Vessel: Mike 1

Staff: Mark Malleson

Pods: Transients

LocationDescr: South of Oak Bay Flats

Start Latitude: 48 23.4

Start Longitude: 123 15.5

End Latitude: 48 21.8

End Longitude: 123 12.2

 

EncSummary:

Mark had told Hanna as she left for work at 0730 that he was going to head up to Gonzales lookout to have a scan to see if any of the Bigg's from the evening before were still around. Mark received a call a few minutes later from her saying, "I have them!" as she spotted a few dorsal fins near McNeil Bay headed for Trial Island while driving along the waterfront.
Mark headed downtown to mobilize Mike 1, leaving Victoria harbour at 0835. He made his way east towards Oak Bay, and as he went through Enterprise Channel between the golf course and Trial Island, he spotted distant blows at the edge of the sun glare a couple of miles south of the Oak Bay Flats.
He started the encounter at 0855 as he slowly approached the group and soon confirmed T018, T019, T019C, and the young sprouting male, T060E. Mark scanned around to look for others and soon spotted the unmistakable boomerang-like fin of T019C's older brother, T09B. He was within a mile to the southwest traveling with T060E's partner in crime and older brother, T060D. The T060 brothers were part of the group of 17 individuals from the evening before and apparently had found some new buddies to hang out with.
T019B and the younger male T060D stayed tight together on the north edge of the group as T018 split off from her daughter T019 to the south of the group. T019C and the youngest male of the team, T060E, trailed slightly behind.
Mark ended the encounter at 0949 ~ 3 nm south of Discovery Island when it was apparent there were no other individuals around, and the first commercial whale watch boat out of Victoria arrived.

Mark heard later that the T060 brothers had later split off from the group and came into Oak Bay via Baynes Channel. The T065B's joined up with the T018's and Ken had a brief encounter with them on his transit to San Juan Island from Port Angeles.