EncDate:29/07/22 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:45

ObservBegin:10:35 AM

ObservEnd:01:15 PM

Vessel:Orcinus

Staff:Dave Ellifrit

Other Observers:Stewart Macintyre

Pods:L

LocationDescr:Haro Strait

Start Latitude:48 26.41

Start Longitude:123 01.09

End Latitude:48 28.03

End Longitude:123 04.25

 

EncSummary:

After receiving a phone call from Lodie saying she was seeing whales off Eagle Point, the team headed to Snug Harbor and left in the boat at 1000. Mark had seen some southern residents coming in the Strait of Juan de Fuca the previous afternoon. This was after Stewart and Dave had photographed J pod from CWR’s porch as they headed north so we figured the whales down the west side had to be Ks or Ls. We got on scene offshore of American Camp at 1035 to find one small group of whales with a few outlying individuals milling in the area. L85 and L113 were seen so we knew we had the L12s, at least. The L77s grouped up tight offshore of the other whales and headed south. The other whales, L22, L94, L113, and L121, were in a group also heading south but more slowly than the L77s. L85 was a couple hundred yards inshore of this group. All the whales soon turned around and, after some milling, headed back north. Despite scanning around with binoculars, we could not find more than eight members of the L12s. We did not see L25 at all during our over two and a half hour encounter. After waiting for the L94s plus L22 and L85 to file through all the sport fishing boats near Eagle Point, we had an opportunity to get some ID shots just north of there. L22 and L85 were tight together as they slowly followed about twenty yards behind the L94s. The L77s were offshore and almost a half mile to the northwest. Around 1250 near the south end of False Bay, the L12s spread out again and began foraging. The L94s headed offshore and L121 breached once. By 1305, all the whales had turned south again. We ended the encounter at 1315 a little south of False Bay. Later, after we were already home, we found out that L88 and the L54s had been seen that day too. They must have been way offshore of the L12s and spread out because we never saw any hints of other whales except the eight we saw. Hopefully L25 was out there with them.