EncDate: 13/05/22 

Enc#: 05

ObservBegin: 04:16 PM

ObservEnd: 06:15 PM

Vessel: Orcinus

UAV ID: Columbia

Pilot: Michael Weiss

Operators: Mia Lybkær Kronborg Nielsen

Pods: Transients

LocationDescr: Upright Channel/San Juan Channel

Start Latitude: 48 33.07

Start Longitude: 122 55.86

End Latitude: 48 37.28

End Longitude: 123 03.60

 

EncSummary:

After returning to Snug from T87 and T124C, a report came in of a group of whales heading down Upright Channel. Michael and Mia got right back off the dock and headed that way for an aerial observation encounter.

At 16:16, they arrived on scene with the T124As, including T124A1, who had not been with the group earlier in the week. The team followed the whales as they came out of Upright Channel and headed north along the east side of San Juan Channel. The group was fairly social, especially the two youngest members, T124A7 and T124A4A. In general, the group moved in three subgroups, with T124A, T124A6, and T124A7 in close proximity, T124A4 and T124A4A together, and T124A1 in the middle.

As the whales approached Yellow Island, they briefly stalled out and made a seal kill. From the air, the team observed T124A sharing parts of the kill with the other members of the matriline.

The team followed the whales until they reached the north side of Jones Island. At 18:15, the encounter ended as the whales continued on towards Flat Top Island and presumably into Boundary Pass.