EncDate:10/07/22 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:38

ObservBegin:06:48 AM

ObservEnd:07:27 AM

Vessel:Mike 1

Staff:Mark Malleson

Pods:Transients

IDsEncountered:T065B

LocationDescr:South of Sheringham Point

Start Latitude:48 19.69

Start Longitude:124 02.44

End Latitude:48 18.04

End Longitude:124 00.97

 

EncSummary:

Mark, Joe, Tasli and Gary departed Victoria at the crack of dawn for a survey of the western Juan de Fuca Strait, passing Ogden Point just before sunrise at 0520.

After a scan in Race Pass, the crew angled offshore from Beechey Head and continued west along the north edge of the traffic separation scheme. Shortly after passing Otter Point, Gary spotted some activity to the south at 0647. As they closed the gap, it became clear that he had spied a juvenile killer whale with another rolling playfully alongside it! They quickly confirmed that the two animals were T065B1 and B2, and soon observed T065B travelling slowly just 300 metres southeast of them.

All of the whales were eastbound, the kids with decidedly more energy than the restful matriarch. The two were travelling side-by-side, surfacing with gusto though not making any more pace than mom, and T065B1 was observed rolling and surfacing belly-up several times throughout the encounter.

As the whales continued east, with no signs of predation or other whales in the vicinity, the crew ended the encounter at 0727 and continued west.

Note: The T065Bs were spotted by commercial whale-watchers later in the evening, approximately 12 hours later and 45 nm east, for an average pace of 3.8 knots over the ground.