EncDate:28/02/23 

FolderID:20230228MLM_SJ1

EncSeq:1

Enc#:06

ObservBegin:02:43 PM

ObservEnd:04:40 PM

Vessel:Mike 1

Staff:Mark Malleson

Other Observers:Joe Zelwietro

Pods:Transients

LocationDescr:San Juan Channel

Start Latitude:48 35.52

Start Longitude:123 03.64

End Latitude:48 37.18

End Longitude:123 12.31

 

EncSummary:

Mark and Joe were surveying the recent hot-spot of Haro Strait and Boundary Pass when at 1418 they received a report of killer whales exiting Friday Harbor, northbound. They turned south from the north shore of Stuart Island and met two young male killer whales travelling north in San Juan Channel, just north of Point Caution at 1443
The two animals were travelling in tandem, slowly tracking up the east shore of San Juan Island, and entered a long dive sequence that lasted nearly eight minutes. When they reappeared, the pair were approaching Rocky Bay, and the Mike 1 crew were able to confirm their identity as T060D and T060E.
The teenage brothers have been Salish Sea regulars over the past few years, since they dispersed as a pair from their parent group in summer 2019, and have also been seen along the coast as far north as Prince Rupert and SE Alaska. Now nearly 19 and 15 years old, they are growing quickly; both Mark and Joe noted T060E looking noticeably larger in each of their past two encounters (see Encounter #02) than when the pair were last seen in the region in September 2022.
The whales made their way to the junction of San Juan and Spieden Channels before opting to travel west with the strong ebb current toward Roche Harbor or Battleship Island. To that point there had been no sign of predation, but as they passed Limestone Point the pair fanned out, putting perhaps 200 yards between one another in an apparent foraging effort. Spieden Channel itself was full of life, with many gulls, seals and sea lions feasting on baitfish in the strong currents and eddies, and within five minutes the whales had zeroed in on some prey. The predation was clearly successful, and though the guys on Mike 1 were not able to confirm species, a harbor seal seemed probable.
The next several minutes saw the two prey-sharing as they plodded on toward Haro Strait, pausing only briefly to forage through the Barren Island kelp before continuing west. Just west of Battleship Island were approximately 60-80 foraging harbor porpoise, but the T060 lads did not seem interested, turning southwest instead, aiming for D’arcy Island or thereabouts. The encounter ended there at 1640 and Mike 1 made tracks for Victoria Harbor.