EncDate:07/07/23 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:36

ObservBegin:11:25 AM

ObservEnd:01:50 PM

Vessel:Mike 1

Staff:Dave Ellifrit, Mark Malleson

Other Observers:Joe Zelwietro

Pods:J, K, L

LocationDescr:Table Rock

Start Latitude:48 24.98

Start Longitude:125 03.14

End Latitude:48 20.72

End Longitude:125 04.46

 

EncSummary:

Mark, Dave and Joe pulled out of Port San Juan mid-morning after a favourable change in the marine forecast and aimed toward Clo-oose and Nitinat, where they had observed members of the L54 matriline foraging the previous morning. The weather and swell had improved significantly from the day before and the trio were optimistic that killer whales were in their future.
After finding only harbour porpoise in the Clo-oose grounds, they turned offshore toward Swiftsure Bank, using the favourable sea direction to push well south. An hour later the team was nearing Table Rock, along the outer Washington coast, with not a single cetacean to show for their efforts. Still hopeful, they eased into a southeast swell for another twenty minutes before slowing to rest for a moment. A hydrophone drop was suggested, and instantly upon placing it into the seemingly empty, grey Pacific a chorus of Southern Resident killer whale vocals rang out through the amplifier! The sounds coming through the small amplifier were crisp and clear, so loud that the research team was at a loss as to why they could not see any whales! As they considered next steps, Joe took a moment to relieve himself off the back of the boat and almost immediately spotted the a quickly moving group of 10-12 killer whales just 0.5 nm off the port quarter of Mike 1.
They began the encounter with members of L4 and L12 matrilines at 1125. L116, sporting some new rakes near the base of his left-side saddle patch, and L82 alongside L113 were among several animals charging south-southeast. L94 and the youngest Southern Resident, L127, were nearby, as were L109 and L55. L25, L22 and L85, the latter two travelling shoulder-to-shoulder, were next to appear, and it soon became clear that the spread of L pod killer whales was converging, no longer trending south. Shortly, L87 joined the fray and the L12s, the L54s – including L88 and L117, who had been missing the previous day – and most of the remainder of L pod came together and faced south, holding at the surface, and vocalizing audibly for several moments. In the distance ahead of the Ls, the Mike 1 crew could see many more animals, far too many to be just the remainder of L pod, and assumed that other SRKW were present. They departed the L pod meeting and ventured approximately a half nautical mile south to find several J and K pod animals!
A mélange of K12s, 13s and 14s were the first small group encountered, just before J47 appeared, near a young animal, presumably J57. A quickly growing J45 surfaced next, the animals now loosely spread and foraging, somewhat successfully if the scraps being pulled from the surface by the accompanying albatross and shearwaters were any indication.
The K14s, sans K36, and the K16s joined the J22s for a little while, and between social behaviour at the surface, also worked their way south. Not wanting to get pulled much farther down the coast, the Mike 1 team decided to turn north to pick up any trailing animals before heading for home. They documented J41 and J51 travelling alongside an exuberant J58, and visually confirmed several more J pod individuals before ending the encounter at 1350 , with the entire clan still trending south some 15 nautical miles offshore of Cape Flattery.

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