The Northern Residents have continued to remain elsewhere through the 10th and 11th of August. However, life still continued on both in the Lab and in Blackney Passage.
The 10th both started and ended with humpback vocalizations, as bubble net feeding was heard at 6:03am and repeated “whooping” echoed from the speakers at 9:27pm. In front of the Lab, Blackney Passage remained veiled by fog all morning. It was so heavy at times that the other side of our small bay was not even visible. Many of the Lab Assistants used this quiet time to give our boat, Sonic, a thorough cleaning on shore.
The main excitement of the day was a visit from the Coast Guard. Since they are who we call in any emergency situation, we like to extend an invitation for them to visit the Lab each year and learn about the work we do here. This time, they offered us a ride on their boat in return. Since we conduct all of our work from land, it is always a nice experience to be able to see the landmarks of Blackney Passage from the water’s perspective.
At 3:30pm, a humpback traveled close to the Lab, a moving experience in itself, but this visit was particularly exciting because this whale is an individual who has not been documented yet in these waters! Later on, Argonaut, one of the humpbacks out in Blackney Passage almost every single day, also decided to pay a close visit when he came just around Burnt Point at 8:13pm.
The morning of the 11th was marked by three instances of bubble net feeding on the remote hydrophone stationed in Blackfish Sound. This year has had a significantly higher amount of bubble net feeding events, both in what the Lab has witnessed and in what the researchers at Marine Education and Research Society (MERS) have seen.
After another group dinner in the main house, Paul and Helena hosted another storytime, as they shared details of the capture of Corky, the last captive Resident orca, and how they have worked in the following Free Corky movement for several decades. It is truly inspiring to witness the amount of hope they both hold that Corky will be able to return home to these familial waters one day after 56 years living captive in a small tank. This persistence is a good reminder that hope is a choice, even in the face of such enduring tragedy.
Words by Mary Margaret
