EncDate:12/12/23 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:73

ObservBegin:02:50 PM

ObservEnd:03:56 PM

Vessel:Mike 1

Staff:Mark Malleson

Other Observers:George Hamilton

Pods:K

LocationDescr:Victor Golf

Start Latitude:48 17.1

Start Longitude:123 26.3

End Latitude:48 16.3

End Longitude:123 30.6

 

EncSummary:

Mark received a report from the Clipper heading to Victoria that five killer whales had been spotted at 0950 heading NW ~ 2 nm southeast of Eastern Bank.
Mark felt it was likely members of K pod, seeing as they were down in Puget Sound the day before, and he felt they would likely be on their way out by this time.
He left the dock at Victoria harbour with George at ~ 1110 and headed towards Hein Bank. The conditions improved the further east they got, and by the time they had stopped for their second binocular scan at the north edge of Hein Bank, the sun was shining, and the seas were less than a foot chop. After several minutes of scanning and no more seen than a pair of Steller sea lions basking in the sun on the north Hein Bank marker and a sea otter rolling around with a dead Common murre in its grasp, the Mike 1 crew pushed further to the southeast towards the original sighting stopping and scanning every couple of miles. With no sign of any killer whales and now within 3 nm of the original sighting, Mark felt they likely went west out of  Juan de Fuca rather than the reported northwest track. They headed past Romeo buoy on a line for Race Rocks and left the flat water and sun behind them. Mark called his friend Gord to let them know that they hadn't had any luck with their search efforts and were heading for the barn, so Gord had another Big Eye scan from his 23rd apartment "Crow's Nest.
Moments after Mike 1 made a turn for Victoria harbour, calling it a valiant effort as they passed north of Constance Bank, Gord called on the VHF to say he finally spotted some westbound killer whales way south of Victoria on the stern of the Coho ferry bound for Victoria!
Mike 1 turned south and bounced its way south with the moderate north winds and two-foot chop and headed toward the Coho, which was a small dot on the horizon.
At 1450 ~ 3.5 nm southeast of Race Rocks, Mark slowed the boat down when he got within a mile of where Gord figured he saw them last, and George soon spotted a bull on the horizon. Moments later, they saw several spread-out whales moving steadily westbound and confirmed the K pod. The first whale they approached was a young animal that Mark suspected was the newest member of the pod, K45, and a moment later, K20 surfaced alongside to confirm it was her. K20's nineteen-year-old son, K38, was close by, trailing behind them.
For the next hour, Mark and George worked their way to the south until they ran out of whales after locating K16 and her son, K35, well south of the group. As the light was diminishing, they ended the encounter at 1556, with K12 leading the western charge at the northern edge of the group ~1.5 nm southwest of Race Rocks, with the two lads K26 and K42 lagging behind.
To Mark's surprise, they were able to document all fifteen members of the pod in the hour they were on scene.