EncDate: 27/01/22 

EncSeq: 1

Enc#: 10

ObservBegin: 03:05 PM

ObservEnd: 03:30 PM

Vessel: Mike 1

Staff: Mark Malleson

Other Observers: Joe Zelwietro

Pods: Transients

LocationDescr: North of Beaver Point, Salt Spring Island

Start Latitude: 48 47.9

Start Longitude: 123 21.6

End Latitude: 48 46.8

End Longitude:1 23 21.8

​

EncSummary:

Mark and Joe departed Victoria on Mike 1 early in the afternoon in search of whales, travelling north after a morning report of killer whales along the south side of South Pender Island, and recent reports of Risso’s dolphins in Saanich Inlet.
They made their way up the east side of Vancouver Island, through Sidney Channel and meandered through the maze of islands with high hopes that the Bigg’s reported at 0830 west bound near South Pender were still in the area. After a thorough scan south of Salt Spring Island, they opted to head toward Active Pass, and work south east down the outside of Mayne Island, potentially as far as East Point off the north east corner of Saturna Island before returning home via Boundary Pass and Haro Strait.
At 1505, just north of Beaver Point, Salt Spring Island there was a large mob of gulls milling just above the surface of the water, and on queue two killer whales surfaced beneath them. The encounter began with the T060s and their constant companion, T002B, finishing a pinniped predation. T060C was noted as having quite obvious fresh rakes along the right side of his dorsal fin. The whales were moving south-southwest within a few minutes of the encounter start, and were making good way for Beaver Point when Mark and Joe received word that the Risso’s dolphins had been spotted again in Saanich Inlet. They ended the encounter at 1530 and moved off in the direction of the reported dolphins with a quick stop at the Mill Bay Marina to pick up their friends and colleagues Tasli Shaw and Gary Sutton.