EncDate:06/10/23 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:65

ObservBegin:11:58 AM

ObservEnd:12:50 PM

Vessel:Orcinus

Staff:Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss

Other Observers:, Federica Spina, Florian Graner

Pods:Transients

LocationDescr:Haro Strait

Start Latitude:48 32.79

Start Longitude:123 12.06

End Latitude:48 30.12

End Longitude:123 13.54

 

EncSummary:

The team was working in the office when we heard that the T137s were off the south end of Henry Island. Since the boats present were leaving, we quickly headed down to Snug Harbor and left in the boat at 1147. We re-found the T137s about a half mile southeast of Kelp Reef and the encounter began at 1158. They were in a tight group moving slowly southeast about 500 feet from the border. We tried to get the drone up while the whales were still on the U.S. side, but they soon angled south and crossed into Canada. We then tried to get some ID photos but the T137s were not arching as they skulked along so we ended the encounter at 1250 with them on a line for Seabird Point.

The T18s were reported to be in two different pairs in SJI area and we went on a search for one of the pairs reported to be last seen heading up Stuart Island. We headed up Haro Strait, around Turn Point, along the north side of Stuart and Johns Islands, around Green Point, and back west through Spieden Channel but could not find the pair of T18s.