EncDate:27/12/22 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:82

ObservBegin:03:20 PM

ObservEnd:04:19 PM

Vessel:Mike 1

Staff:Mark Malleson

Other Observers:Joe Zelwietro

Pods:Transients

LocationDescr:South of Race Rocks

Start Latitude:48 15.17

Start Longitude:123 29.85

End Latitude:48 17.32

End Longitude:123 29.13

 

EncSummary:

After an early afternoon report of killer whales in Port Angeles Harbour, Mark was standing by until a few hours later a commercial whale-watch vessel from Victoria located them southeast of Race Rocks. He and Joe departed the harbour at 1500, and arrived on scene with two small groups of killer whales at 1520, a few miles southeast of Race Rocks.
The two groups were moving slowly northwest with little conviction and a fair amount of surface activity. T077 and T075B were with a few of their offspring, while T075C, T077C and the rest of the youngsters paralleled them just a hundred meters to the west. The groups are known to visit Port Angeles’ waterfront, and it is likely that at least some of these whales were the ones reported there earlier in the day. The animals were somewhat rambunctious, particularly the youngsters, though no predation was observed. However, a few minutes before the groups merged, the Mike 1 crew detected the smell of a fresh predation in the air and noted a slick ahead of the whales. They presumed that other whales may be present, and via VHF radio asked the now departed whale-watch vessel and the shore-based Race Rocks eco-guardian to keep a lookout. Sure enough, within 15 minutes, both parties would momentarily observe at least two additional killer whales just south of the lighthouse, but neither were able to keep track of the animals.
Meanwhile, the T077s and T075s came together approximately two nautical miles south of Race Rocks and slowed to allow an outbound car-carrier passage west. The animals turned east-northeast in the ship’s wake, and Mike 1 ventured north after spotting the elusive ‘new’ animals just a mile north. They shortly found the T099s travelling east-southeast on an intercepting course for the larger group offshore of them. Both groups spent around five minutes at the surface as they arced east before diving for nearly the same. When they resurfaced the five T099s had joined the T077s and T075s cohort and all were porpoising east. The matriarchs led the charge and the sprouting males T077C and T099C brought up the rear, while the numerous juveniles filled in the space between. The pod surged on for several minutes before the team ended the encounter at 1619 and turned to Victoria as a strong westerly storm set in on the Strait. The killer whales were last seen still travelling quickly east-northeast toward the south end of Haro Strait.