EncDate: 09/10/21

EncSeq: 1

Enc#: 82

ObservBegin: 10:00 AM

ObservEnd: 11:50 AM

Vessel: Orcinus

Staff: Dave Ellifrit

Pods: Transients

LocationDescr: Spieden Channel

Start Latitude: 48 37.04

Start Longitude: 123 12.22

End Latitude: 48 37.45

End Longitude: 123 06.38

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EncSummary:

Jane Cogan called Dave at home at 0925 to report they had just seen a pair of killer whales, including a male, disappear around Kellett Bluff. Dave decided to give it a try and headed to Snug Harbor and left in the boat at 0955. Off the north end of Henry Island, Dave caught a glimpse of a few fast-moving whales heading north about a third of a mile to his west. The encounter began at 1007.

The three whales turned out to be T60, T60F, and T60G and they turned almost due east towards Spieden Channel and began porpoising. Dave followed along and got a few shots of the trio as they sped towards the channel. Jane had said they had seen a male so Dave figured that T60C and maybe T2B, who often travels with the T60s, would be around somewhere. Around 1015, the trio slowed down about a quarter mile north of Battleship Island. About this time, two more whales, a male and a female, showed up about a half mile north of the others. This was indeed T60C and T2B and they were slowly snooping around the north edge of Danger Shoal. When they were done milling, T2B and T60C headed slowly south towards the other three whales who seemed to be waiting for them. T2B and T60C joined the others around 1030. All five whales turned southeast towards Battleship Island and began traveling slowly that direction in a loose group. The whales went on a long dive and came up milling in the kelp inside of McCracken Point near the north tip of Henry Island. The whales then went through the gap between the point and Battleship and stayed near the shoreline at the north tip of McCracken Point. The whales were pointed east into Spieden Channel. After another long dive, the whales split again with T60, T60F, and T60G surfacing near the northwest entrance to Roche Harbor while T2B and T60C came up just a little east of Barren Island. All five whales rejoined off the northeast entrance to Roche Harbor. The whales then began milling like they were on a kill near shore just inside the point north of the northeast entrance to Roche. After they finished with the kill they headed around the point and headed east on the San Juan Island shoreline. About midway between the previous point and Limestone Point, the whales began milling again like they were on another kill. T60F and T60G stayed behind for a few minutes to feed after the other three moved on before hurrying to catch up. The encounter ended at 1150 off Limestone Point with the T60s and T2B still heading east near the SJI shoreline.

Photos taken under Federal Permits

NMFS PERMIT: 21238/ DFO SARA 388