Please DONATE

EncDate:03/11/23 

EncSeq:01

Enc#:68

ObservBegin:04:00 PM

ObservEnd:04:45 PM

Vessel:Mike 1

Staff:Mark Malleson

Other Observers:Joe Zelwietro

Pods:Transients

LocationDescr:Coyote Bank

Start Latitude:48 18.42

Start Longitude:123 14.16

End Latitude:48 18.63

End Longitude:123 13.52

EncSummary:

Mark and Joe departed Victoria aiming to catch up to a small group of Bigg’s killer whales southeast of Constance Bank. Challenging seas made for slow progress, but a recently departed commercial whale watch vessel communicated that the animals were slowly working northeast along Coyote Bank. As they neared the Bank, they spotted a few distinctive killer whale dorsal fins cresting the horizon around a mile and a half ahead.

The animals disappeared for nearly five minutes as Mike 1 slowed, and the guys began the encounter at 1600. When they reappeared, the whales – quickly confirmed to be T137 and her offspring – were travelling northeasterly in a tight group. The four whales continued along the northern edge of Border Bank for another ten minutes before erupting to the surface after a prolonged dive, apparently hunting.

It took a few moments for Mark and Joe to spot the unfortunate prey, a large harbour seal. The killer whales wasted little time getting to work, ramming the small pinniped repeatedly, the matriarch even launching it into the air with the crown of her head. Though the seal survived this early onslaught, it proved no match for the hungry Biggs; the fresh, sweet smell of pinniped oil soon filled the air above a small slick at the surface, and the predation was deemed ‘successful’ at 1635, just 20 minutes after it began.

Mark and Joe ended the encounter at 1645 and made for Victoria, leaving the whales drifting toward Middle Bank as they shared the spoils.

​

​

Photos taken under Federal Permits

NMFS PERMIT: 27038/ DFO SARA 388