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EncDate:13/01/23 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:1

ObservBegin:02:20 PM

ObservEnd:03:35 PM

Vessel:Mike 1

Staff:Mark Malleson

Other Observers:Joe Zelwietro

Pods:Transients

LocationDescr:South of Trial Island

Start Latitude:48 21.46

Start Longitude:123 18.01

End Latitude:48 22.24

End Longitude:123 14.54

EncSummary:

Mark and Joe departed Victoria on Mike 1 just before 1400 after Gord, from his "Crow's Nest", reported several eastbound killer whales nearing Constance Bank. They acquired the whales drifting slowly east off the eastern edge of the Bank and started the encounter at 1420.
The first whales to surface were a mob of juveniles and calves, apparently Bigg’s, whose identity remained hidden until matriarch T075C appeared 100m north of them. She and another animal, later identified as T075B, paced the youngsters as the entire group worked their way east against a moderate ebb current. The whales were zig-zagging their way toward Sea Bird Point, but with little pace. For the first several minutes the matriarchs were travelling side-by-side apart from the kids, before T075C joined the youngsters. T075B remained ahead another 15 minutes before also joining the pack. With relatively long dives, it took several sequences before all individuals could be photographed adequately, and all six were confirmed to be present.  
After shadowing the whales from the eastern edge of Constance Bank to the southeast of Trial Island, with no predation observed, the Center’s first encounter of 2023 ended at 1535 with the animals still easing their way east across the Oak Bay Flats.