EncDate: 22/01/22 

EncSeq: 1

Enc#: 5

ObservBegin: 10:25 AM

ObservEnd: 11:01 AM

Vessel: Mike 1

Staff: Mark Malleson

Other Observers: Gary Sutton, Tasli Shaw

Pods: Transients

LocationDescr: ~3 nm SSE of Beechey Head

Start Latitude: 48 16.2

Start Longitude: 123 36.5

End Latitude: 48 16.8

End Longitude: 123 40.3

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EncSummary:

Mark, Gary, and Tasli left the dock shortly after 9AM to survey Juan de Fuca Strait west of Victoria. The first stop was Race Pass, and after scanning with binoculars for a few minutes, Tasli spotted a distant Killer Whale fin out in the middle of Juan de Fuca Strait. Upon approach, the whales could be identified as the T100 matriline, a family of 4 whales. The encounter began at 10:25 just as the whales were beginning to hunt a Harbour Seal ~ 3 nm SSE of Beechey Head. The whales were at the surface with their prey and trying to subdue it, with T100C and T100E doing the majority of the physical work, swiping their flukes and caudal peduncle at the Harbour Seal while mom (T100) and her youngest offspring, T100F circled close-by. After 10 minutes of pursuit, T100E grabbed the seal and dragged it under, at which point the whales began prey sharing and traveling quickly to the west. The encounter ended at 11:01.