After midnight, at 12:49am, we heard a brief bout of calls from the A34s in Blackfish Sound, before they fell silent. From there, however, our day truly started early (and with great excitement), as we began hearing B sub-clan calls in Robson Bight shortly before 3am. This group of calls includes members of the A clan whales whom we see here much less frequently than the well-known A1s, A4s and A5s. They include the Bs, Cs, Ds, Hs and A-Is, and are set apart by their characteristic N16 call, which the A sub-clan whales do not make. By the “flavour” of their call, Tomoko, listening now from Japan, could identify them as the C8s. So much information from one short sound!
We surmise that the Cs (later identified as C8s) had come in through Weynton Passage, accompanied by the A23s and A25s who were audible with them by 3:30am. They rubbed briefly at Strider Rubbing Beach at 4:30am, then at Main Rubbing Beach a few minutes later, before heading on to the east and out of our range. They produced some beautiful calls, a brief but certain delight in the early hours!
At 7:35am, we received a report of the A34s again at Bere Point on Malcom Island, heading east after an early morning rub. By 10am, they were around Donegal Head, audible and visible by those with eyes and ears on that part of the Sound.
Meanwhile, Bigg’s orcas passed Cracroft Point heading east at 7:45am, and we heard a humpback bubble-net feeding close to our Flower Island hydrophone around 8am, then again at 9:15am. A busy morning already!
The A34s did not travel far for the majority of the day, audible on and off in Blackfish Sound from 2:30pm to around 7pm. By 8:30pm, Olivia up on Donegal Head could see them tracking west into Queen Charlotte Strait and out of their view in the dusk light.
The A5 and C8 groups had travelled speedily east, as no one caught up with them for the rest of the day. We would have to wait until tomorrow to see where they cropped up next!
