EncDate:06/08/22 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:47

ObservBegin:05:20 PM

ObservEnd:07:47 AM

Vessel:Orcinus

Staff:Dave Ellifrit

Other Observers:Stewart Macintyre, Rachel John

Pods:L

LocationDescr:Haro Strait

Start Latitude:48 26.91

Start Longitude:123 12.04

End Latitude:48 26.91

End Longitude:122 02.67

 

EncSummary:

The day started with a morning phone call to Dave from Jane Cogan relaying sightings of what sounded like the L12s off the south end of San Juan Island and another group of Ls coming down Rosario Strait. We then went on with our day while waiting to see what the whales would do. Later in the afternoon, Dave called John Durban, who was out on their research boat “Helen”, and he said the Rosario whales had made it around Iceberg Point on Lopez Island and had met up with the L12s. L pod was now reported to be heading west in some nice groups. Since it was a very pretty evening and we needed some better shots on some L pod whales, the team mobilized and met down at Snug Harbor. We left the harbor at 1635 and eventually arrived on scene a couple few miles southwest of Eagle Point at 1720. The whales were headed back north toward San Juan Island and were very spread out in singles, pairs, and small groups. The whales were active and there was a lot of breaching and splashing. We had a brief pass by L103 and L118 while a larger active grouped passed by offshore. We also saw L124 and L125 playing together again. We approached the larger active group to find L105, L121, and L122 rolling around and interacting with one another right behind a fast-moving group that included L72, L77, L90, L91, and L119. L124 soon caught up to the group too. L119 did one bellyflop. Offshore of this group were the L86s. L86 and L125 were tight together while L106 was about a hundred yards to their east. L106 did a few taillobs but L125 was breaching like crazy and was flinging herself out of the water with wild abandon.  
We then moved inshore toward the area just south of False Bay. There were several whales spread out foraging whales in the area including L55, L113, L115, and L118. L113 and L115 rolled around together briefly and L113 breached twice. This group came together for a short time and gave us some nice lefts before milling and turning south. A couple of other whales, including L105, appeared nearby and all the whales in the area began heading down island in a loose group. Moving back offshore again we found L110 and L121 socializing together. Other whales including L94, L105, L113, and L115 showed up about ten minutes later and a group began to form. These whales did some milling but kept heading slowly south. We could see more whales loosely spread out a few hundred yards to the southeast. L55 and L109 were about a hundred yards west of a loose group that included L103, L123, L118 and L119. L77 and L124 were about a hundred yards in front of these whales. L55 and L109 briefly joined the L103s group before breaking off and spreading out again. After we got pictures of these whales, we went back north about a quarter of a mile to the group with L105 in it. This group had grown since we left it and now had all the L72s, L47s, and L94s in it. L110 and L121 were still socializing together right on the periphery of the group. We ended the encounter at 1947 with this group still heading slowly south about three miles or so due west of the Salmon Bank buoy.

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