The early morning hours of August 22 were filled with humpback activity in the north of Blackney Pass, heard both on our remote hydrophone at Flower Island and from the rocks in front of the Lab starting at 12:30am. Between then and 4:17am, our hydrophones at Flower Island and Parson Island recorded not only the distinctive grunts, whoops, and bubble net feeding sounds of the humpback, but also the splashing of water and the unmistakable sound of a whale breaching.
These sounds were soon joined by the calls of the A25s in the east of Johnstone Strait at 1:20am, and later by A30 calls – most likely A50s – along with echolocation in Blackfish Sound at 3:57am. Their vocalizations continued faintly in Blackfish Sound until 6:32am, before fading into silence.
It wasn’t until 2:12pm that we received a report of orcas near Bold Head, heading east. Shortly afterward, our remote Flower Island hydrophone picked up their calls again. Around the same time, the A25s travelled westward along the Cracroft Island side of Johnstone Strait. By 5:13pm, the A25s passed CETUS’ camp at Boat Bay. Meanwhile, the A50s were reported moving toward the Holford Islands in Queen Charlotte Strait, briefly leaving our hydrophone network – only to return by 8:25pm.
The A25s remained in Johnstone Strait for the rest of the day. At 6:10pm, Scotty reported them inside the Robson Bight Reserve near the western boundary, before they continued westward. By 6:49pm, they had reached Izumi Rock, with A61 in the lead and A85 and A121 following close behind. Scotty also witnessed a school of dolphins trailing them, prompting A61 to charge back to his family, after which he stayed close at their side. Around 7:30pm, the A25s lingered just west of Little Kaikash, resting quietly in the warm glow of the sunset. By the late evening they reached Telegraph Cove and Beaver Cove, a repeat of the day before but we are not sure of their movements from there.
On another note, we enjoyed an extraordinary dinner tonight, highlighted by a salmon caught and kindly delivered by our neighbor Nicolette the previous evening, beautifully prepared by Helena. The handoff happened in true Hanson Island style: with the tide too low for a proper landing, the exchange of salmon and a bottle of wine was completed mid-water – Nicolette catching the bottle neatly in a fishing net.
The day came to a memorable close with an astonishing encounter: a humpback engaged in bubble-net feeding right in front of the Lab, in the very last light of dusk.
