EncDate*:22/05/22 

FolderID:20220522MLN_JF1, 20220522REJ_JF1

EncSeq*:1

Sequence:

Sequence:

Enc#*:26

ObservBegin:01:43 PM

ObservEnd:03:39 PM

Vessel:Orcinus

Other Vessel:

Staff:Michael Weiss

Other Observers:Mia Lybkær Kronborg Nielsen, Rachel John

Pods:Transients

IDsEncountered:T123, T123A, T123C, T123D

LocationCode:JF

Other LocationCode:

LocationDescr:Discovery Island

Start Latitude:48 23.370

Start Longitude:123 14.38

End Latitude:48 26.91

End Longitude:123 12.30

EncSummary:The team received reports early in the day of a group of whales near Port Townsend, and another group off the Victoria waterfront. Michael, Mia, and Rachel headed out at 12:36 with the goal of conducting behavioural observations with the drone. As they motored down Haro Strait, the southern group continued to move west, going deep into Juan de Fuca, while the Victoria group looked committed eastbound. The team decided to go to the group heading east, with the hopes that they would eventually move into US waters for aerial observation.

The team arrived on scene with the whales at 13:43 south of Discovery Island, with the whales moving due east. The whales took a few long, zig-zagging dives as they moved through a large gathering of harbor porpoise, but the team saw no signs that they pursued or captured any porpoise. As the whales mvoed away from the porpoise, the team took a right-side photo ID pass on the group.

After getting some nice rights, the team shifted to the left side as the whales began angling more towards the north. The team did a couple left side photo ID passes on the group over the next several minutes. As the team stuck with the whales, it became clear that the whales' trajectory would no longer take them into US water for aerial observation. Having gotten lefts and rights of all group members, the team called the encounter at 15:39 as the whales continued due north up the Canadian side of Haro Strait.