After a quiet day on August 1, Northern Resident activity resumed on August 2 with word from Troy at 8:08am that the A23s and R18s were eastbound in Queen Charlotte Strait after A43 had a rub and then with A60 continued onward. They were followed by the rest of the A23s at 8:20am who also had a rub while the R18s remained offshore.
By 10:29am, the A23s and R18s were approaching Lizard Point, still following offshore of the Malcolm Island shoreline. As they neared the eastern end of Queen Charlotte Strait their calls were heard from the Flower Island hydrophone in Blackfish Sound at 11:05am. Olivia, on Donegal Head (Malcom Island) watched as they approached her vantage point just before Noon. They were now spread out but looking like they were headed toward Swanson Island and Blackfish Sound. However, an hour later the A23s had shifted in the direction of Fife Sound with the Rs still positioned nearer to Blackfish Sound.
While waiting at the Lab a group of dolphins were in Blackney Pass at 2pm, the same time as the A23s continuing to move northward in Queen Charlotte Strait and the R18s foraging between Donegal Head and the White Cliff Islets. The Rs continued to move closer to the White Cliffs over the next half hour.
When 3pm came and went whales were now near Bold Head and once again A23 and R calls were heard on the Flower Island hydrophone. The possibility that they would come east into Blackney Pass was looking brighter until Fife made his turn into Weynton Pass and was opposite the Plumper Islands by 3:47pm. Ten minutes later the rest followed his lead. By 3:57pm they were past the Blow-hole and committed to Weynton Pass. Olivia relayed earlier reports from the VHF radio that it was indeed the A23s who first changed directions, quickly opting to go through the Plumper Islands followed by the R18s. Both groups emerged from the Plumpers together.
In short order A23 calls were heard in Johnstone Strait at 4:09pm. Once in Johnstone Strait the two groups headed east. According to the reports, the whales were opposite Blinkhorn by 4:42pm in two parallel groups, one more mid strait (the R18s), the other (the A23s) closer to Vancouver Island. By 5:23pm, both groups, keeping the same positions relative to each other, were opposite Big Bay (mid Hanson Island). They then angled toward the entrance to Blackney Pass. The Lab, now watching the remote video camera at Cracroft Point, saw the R18s begin to file into Blackney Pass close to the Hanson Island shore. At first it looked as if the A23s would follow but before the R18s came into view of the Lab, the A23s remained in Johnstone Strait and passed close to the “CP” camera heading east at 6:14pm.
The R18s continued on their way north through Blackney Pass starting from 6:27pm. They travelled together mid channel, the three impressive adult sons bracketing their 58 year old mother in the bright, sunny early evening. They left the Lab’s view at 6:57pm, offered a few calls in Blackfish Sound before they filed back into Queen Charlotte Strait around 9pm going back from where they had come some 12 hours before.
The A23s, meanwhile, who had continued east in Johnstone Strait, passed Robson Bight along with a few dolphins around 8pm and began to rub at Strider Rubbing Beach from 8:16pm to 8:29pm. Most of the group carried on toward the Main Rubbing Beach while A43 lingered at Strider rubbing on her own from 8:37 to 8:55pm. Her group was last seen crossing over to the Cracroft Island side of the Strait a while later.
