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EncDate:19/02/23 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:04

ObservBegin:02:15 PM

ObservEnd:03:45 PM

Vessel:Orcinus

Staff:Dave Ellifrit

Pods:J

LocationDescr:San Juan Channel

Start Latitude:48 36.79

Start Longitude:123 04.93

End Latitude:48 39.54

End Longitude:123 07.30

EncSummary:

After receiving a text from Jane Cogan relaying a report of probable residents heading up San Juan Channel, Dave headed down to Snug Harbor and left in the boat at 1345. “Orcinus” arrived on scene at 1415, mid-San Juan Channel north of Rocky Bay. J pod was spread out across the channel in singles, pairs, and the odd loose three or foursome as they traveled slowly up San Juan Channel. J37 and J59 passed by as did J40 and J46 with the two pairs being loosely spread from one another. There were two rather explosive spyhops from J46. J38 and J44 were traveling together a couple of hundred yards to the south of these whales. Another pair of socializing males, J39 and J49, was a couple of hundred yards or so south of J38 and J44. A third pair of males, J45 and J51, were rolling and socializing with one another several hundred yards north of the J37s group. The rest of the J19s and J42 were also in the general area. They too, were rolling around some with J41 and J58 sharing a brief tactile, nuzzling moment while laying at the surface. J47, along with the J31s and J46, showed up in another loose but active group.
As J pod neared Spieden Channel, most of the whales in sight angled northwest toward Boundary Pass. Many of the spread out singles, pairs, and small groups began to converge closer to one another as they moved between the area southwest of Flattop Island and Green Pt. J45 and J51 continued to horse around with one another for the entire encounter. The encounter ended at 1535 a little north of the Cactus Islands with J pod spreading out again as they continued slowly northwest towards South Pender Island.