Following reports the previous evening of A, G, and R pods in Queen Charlotte Strait, we anticipated their arrival in our hydrophone network. At 11:26pm on August 18, we listened to distant A4 calls in Blackfish Sound. About an hour later, their calls were joined by I15 calls. By 1:51am on August 19, we heard the first blows in Blackney Pass. The number of blows, combined with a chorus of overlapping calls, revealed that a great number of orcas were passing the Lab during the night. The leading calls were from the A4s, most likely the A35s which we first heard on Parson Island at 2:16am. Meanwhile, A34 calls came through Blackfish Sound, following the leading group by 3:19am. The A50s passed soon after, followed by the I16s, closing this remarkable parade by 4:21am.
Once in Johnstone Strait, the groups spread across nearly the entire Strait, filling our hydrophone network with their distinctive calls as they travelled east. By 4:49am, the A35s – still in the lead – reached Strider Rubbing Beach, stopping briefly for a rub before continuing east. The A50s followed eastward, while the A34s (including for the first time the A62s) entered the Robson Bight Reserve before turning back west. At 8:18am, we followed the A34s along the Vancouver Island shoreline with our remote Cracroft Point camera, accompanied by a school of about 100 Pacific White-sided Dolphins. By 9:33am they had reached the entrance to Weynton Passage, where they spent the afternoon milling, fishing, and resting. Scotty later confirmed all the A34s, including the A62s, were present.
At 11:45am, the I65s were off Donegal Head, moving through Blackfish Sound and Weynton Passage into Johnstone Strait. By 1:24pm, the I65s, I16s, and A34s were traveling eastbound together, with the I65s close to the Vancouver Island shore. On their eastward return, the I16s stopped for a brief “fly-by” rub at Kaizumi Beach around 2pm. After another hour, the A34s turned back west, reaching Cracroft Point at 4:13pm before continuing toward Blackney Pass. At the same time, the I16s stopped for another rub at Strider Rubbing Beach. Meanwhile, we received a report of the A25s near Sonora Island.
Jared Tower observed the A50s resting and travelling slowly westward at Boat Bay around 4:40pm. By 5:15pm the I16s were again west of Strider Rubbing Beach, resting as well. The A50s reached Cracroft Point by 5:35 pm, followed shortly after by the I65s. The A50s travelled, spread out on the far side of Blackney Pass, while the I65s passed mid-channel in tight formation, giving us glimpses of their full beauty. Both groups then continued west through Blackfish Sound towards Queen Charlotte Strait.
At 6:24pm Jared reported the I4s travelling close with the A34s off Stephenson Islet, adding yet another nuance in I4s story since the death of her son. Not long after, they were seen heading north from Weynton Island. Sporadic I16 calls continued on our remote Kaizumi Rubbing Beach hydrophone in Johnstone Strait as these whales continued past the Ecological Reserve.
At 10:37pm, we were treated to a powerful chorus of A50s and A34s calls in Blackfish Sound. Blows indicated that some whales carried into Blackney Pass from the north, though the whales never fully committed to the Pass. Their excited calls, mixed with some sporadic I15 calls, remained in Blackfish Sound until the end of the day.
On a different note, we are in the middle of a week full of birthdays. Because of that we all gathered in the evening to enjoy not only another delicious meal prepared by Fiona, but also some fabulous birthday cakes prepared by Lea, Indica and Freddy.
