Corky’s family visits Johnstone Strait – February 20th 2000

Hello everyone,

This afternoon, moments after we sent out our gloomy message about Belen, the Argentinian orca who died recently, Leo (our dog) pricked up his ears & we heard orcas calling on the hydrophone monitor inside our house! They were on the Parson Island station first, then on Cracroft Point, so we think the whales came through Blackney Pass, i.e. they passed by us, in daylight, without us seeing them! Drat. However, from the calls, we know that at some members of the “A5” pod, which is Corky’s family, were there, and most likely they included the A23s, Corky’s mum Stripe’s group. They headed east in the Strait. As far as we could tell, they didn’t go into the Rubbing Beach for a rub, which is normal for wintertime, and probably continued eastwards. There’s a good chance they’ll turn around and come back our way before long, so maybe we’ll get to see them then. This is actually the second time Corky’s family has visited our area this year, the first being on January 31st. Nice way to start a new millennium!

Our best wishes to you all,

Paul & Helena

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