EncDate: 30/09/21

EncSeq: 1

Enc#: 80

ObservBegin: 02:12 PM

ObservEnd: 03:40 PM

Vessel: Orcinus

Staff: Dave Ellifrit

Other Observers: Katie Jones

Pods: J

LocationDescr: Haro Strait

Start Latitude: 48 28.35

Start Longitude: 123 05.14

End Latitude: 48 29.15

End Longitude: 123 06.91

​

EncSummary:

Dave got a phone call from Jane Cogan around 1030 to report that they were hearing J pod calls on the Lime Kiln Hydrophone. It was raining at the time but the whales looked like they would be on the west side for the day so we delayed our departure. Dave had time to see Michael and Flora off at the airport and, shortly after lunch, he and Katie met at Snug Harbor and left in the boat at about 1345.
We saw our first whales off the north end of False Bay and our encounter started there at 1412. The whales were very spread out in singles and small groups. First was an active group of three that ended up being J45, J47, and J49 playing together. Southeast of them near the south end of False Bay we found the J31s and the other J35s. J35 was with both the juveniles while J31 traveled slowly by herself sometimes as much as a hundred yards to the southeast of others. J35 also moved inshore a ways but both J56 and J57 were zipping around and socializing with each other. Southeast of them closer to Eagle Point we found J39 heading east down island by himself before he turned offshore. We then found J19 foraging by herself a little east of J39 but we didn’t see anyone down island from her so we headed offshore a bit to where we had seen distant whales earlier. There was a breeze coming out of the south and it was sloppier offshore but we had a little group forming. We saw J42 and another whale that was probably J16. This whale moved off to the southeast before we could photograph her but J42 started logging at the surface. A third whale who may have been J40 passed us on the other side of the boat. Another small group was approaching J42 from the northwest and this was the J41s. The J41s joined J42 and the group made a direction change and began heading north towards Pile Point. J37 also appeared and she and J41 traveled a little ahead of J51, J58, and J42. This was a rowdy threesome and there was a lot of tactile social behavior with the whales occasionally charging around. J42 did a couple of cartwheels and one nice breach. J58 was also doing a lot of splashing around, practicing her tail lobs, and playing with kelp. After getting pictures of this group, we moved offshore and west to get pictures of a loosely spread female and adult male. This was J16 and J26 and they were also traveling north toward San Juan Island. While getting photos of this pair, we noticed more whales appearing back inshore so we headed back that direction after we were done with them. J19 and J39 had joined the J41s, J37, and J42 group and all were heading north off Pile Point. J36 was inshore and ahead of this group. J36 was reported to be the most heavily pregnant of the three pregnant J pod whales but she didn’t have a new calf with her today. More whales appeared ahead and inshore of theses whales. A group of three rolling around together turned out to be J27, J45, and J47. Other whales, including the few whales we had not photographed yet like J40, J44, J46, and J53, were here. J22 and J38 joined the group from the southeast. Soon after, J16 and J26 arrived from a little offshore and also joined the rest of the pod. All of J pod then traveled up island in a single slightly loose group. We ended the encounter at 1540 just south of Hannah Heights as the rain began to fall again.