EncDate:27/09/22 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:68

ObservBegin:12:51 PM

ObservEnd:02:20 PM

Vessel:Mike 1

Staff:Mark Malleson

Other Observers:Rod King

Pods:J

LocationDescr:East Sooke

Start Latitude:48 18.97

Start Longitude:123 43.60

End Latitude:48 18.31

End Longitude:123 34.38

 

EncSummary:

Another very successful fall survey of the western approach to the Juan de Fuca Strait was coming to an end and it was time to head back to Victoria.
Joe took Mark's truck loaded with all all the extra gear while Rod joined Mark on Mike 1 for the return trip.  
The fog, which had stayed away for the entire week, had come in the previous evening and was still thick to the west and east of the mouth of Port of San Juan when Mike 1 left sunny Port Renfrew behind them at ~1100.
The fog finally cleared when they reached Sheringham Point and at 1251 as they passed Secretary Island, they spotted a couple of east bound killer whales less than a mile to the south of them. It was immediately apparent that it was a spread out group of Southern Residents travelling east. The first whales they confirmed were J37 and the newest addition to the pod, J59.
They then came across J16 slightly ahead foraging. She, along with the rest of the animals that Mark and Rod could see also appeared to be foraging. J38 was actively pursuing a salmon near Bechey Head and after a big lunge it was apparent that he had hit a salmon so Mark had Rod taxi the boat over to the foot print while he stood on the bow box with the dip net. They succesfully collected a small bit of flesh and one scale to be analyzed by their colleagues at the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo at a later date. 
Once the Mike 1 crew had determined that it was only J pod present they ended the encounter slightly east of Becher Bay at 1420 and made for Victoria harbour.