EncDate: 10/04/22 

EncSeq: 1

Enc#: 15

ObservBegin: 12:14 PM

ObservEnd: 02:38 PM

Vessel: Mike 1

Staff: Mark Malleson

Other Observers: George Hamilton

Pods: Transients

LocationDescr: West of Constance Bank

Start Latitude: 48 19.2

Start Longitude: 123 25.6

End Latitude: 48 14.8

End Longitude: 123 40.1

EncSummary:

Mark and George left Victoria on Mike 1 at 1111, intending to survey the waters of the Juan de Fuca west of Victoria. 
While they were stopped just south of Race Rocks having a binocular scan, they received a report that some killer whales were spotted near Constance Bank. Mark called their friend and colleague Gord Rowles to have a look from his 23rd apartment, Crow's Nest, while they headed towards the bank. As they looped over the southern edge of Constance Bank, George spotted a blow, and they were able to quickly confirm it was a Gray whale. They then received word from Gord that he spotted killer whales at the western edge of Constance Bank, moving west a couple of miles to the north of Mike 1. 
As they approached, they could see a tight group of animals with a large bull moving quickly west.
They stopped to wait for the next dive cycle as the whales approached them. The following dive sequence put the whales a few metres abeam of them. Mark immediately recognized the bull T049C and a group of recently regularly sighted animals in the area, the T030B's, T117B, and T172. 
As several commercial whale watch boats were arriving from both San Juan Island and Victoria with hopes to get a quick look at the killer whales late in their trips, the Mike 1 crew decided to temporarily leave the animals to allow the other boats the best viewing opportunities possible.
Mike 1 returned at 1340 as the whales were ~ 1 nm south of Race Rocks, now spread out and tracking southwest towards the middle of the Juan de Fuca Strait. 
As the whales got out near the strait's center, they turned west and continued their quick pace of 7 - 8 knots.
Mike 1 ended the encounter at 1438 ~ 3.5 nm southwest of Becher Head. No predation was observed.