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EncDate:15/08/23 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:42

ObservBegin:03:53 PM

ObservEnd:05:09 PM

Vessel:Orcinus

Staff:Michael Weiss

Other Observers:Alyssa Kelley, Molly Henling

Pods:Transients

LocationDescr:Haro Strait

Start Latitude:48 32.62

Start Longitude:123 14.18

End Latitude:48 30.80

End Longitude:123 16.06

EncSummary:

The team received reports that the T75Bs were in Haro Strait. Recent sightings had indicated that there was a new calf in this group, so the team decided to get out on the water to document them.

After a quick stop at the fuel dock, the team arrived on scene south of Kelp Reef at 15:53. The whales were in a tight group headed west. The T75Bs were accompanied by T77D, interestingly without T77C.

The whales zigged and sagged between surfacing sequences as they made their way across Haro, heading generally southwest. As the team made a few photo-ID passes, it was clear that the new calf was not travelling alongside T75B, but rather with T75B2. This was the case for the entire encounter, with the new calf sticking closely alongside T75B2 while T75B4 took up the echelon position with T75B.

The whales began to move more to the south, before quickly veering west, heading straight for Vancouver Island. The team attempted one more pass on the right while the whales weren't too backlit. The whales went on a deep dive, and when they surfaced again they had backtracked and were now heading east across the strait. The team decided to call the encounter at 17:09 about a mile southeast of Zero Rock.

We'll wait for further encounters and a designation by DFO and Bay Cetology to definitively say who the calf's mother is, however from this observation we suspect the new calf may be T75B2A.