EncDate: 24/12/21

EncSeq: 1

Enc#: 92

ObservBegin: 09:55 AM

ObservEnd: 10:43 AM

Vessel: Mike 1

Staff: Mark Malleson

Other Observers: Joe Zelwietro, Gary Sutton

Pods: Transients

LocationDescr: Victor Foxtrot

Start Latitude: 48 14.14

Start Longitude: 123 43.32

End Latitude: 48 14.62

End Longitude: 123 49.29

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EncSummary:

Mark, Joe and Gary departed Victoria just before 0900 on Friday morning for a survey of the central Strait of Juan de Fuca. The last two CWR encounters had various Bigg’s killer whales travelling west in the area, and J pod’s last known whereabouts put them southbound off the Gulf Islands, so the trio were hoping for more killer whales in the area.
At 0955 shortly after turning west from the Victor Foxtrot buoy several killer whales surfaced 200 meters north of Mike 1, also travelling west! The whales were the easily recognized T046 matriline, four of whom were shoulder-to-shoulder as they plodded west while eldest male T046D was approximately 300 meters north of the group. After collecting left- and right-side identification photos of each of the five animals present, the crew dropped back a few hundred meters to shadow them for 10-15 minutes in case a predation occurred. None was observed, and they ended the encounter at 1043 at 48 14.62/123 49.29 and angled in to the Vancouver Island shore to escape the building outflow winds.