The whole night was filled with calls from the familiar groups, the A30s, I15s, A5s and the A34s. One had to only imagine what was happening with a swirl of orcas, occupying space, shifting around, foraging, even rubbing. The A23s and A34s had started to come from the western part of the Strait the previous evening. They met up with the A30s, the I15s and A25s somewhere between CP and the eastern end of the Reserve. Generally, once the meeting was sorted, the movement was to the east and somewhat closer to the Cracroft Island side. At 1:24am someone found time for a five minute rub. Right up to 8am we were still hearing faint calls only now instead of going away from the Ecological Reserve the whales turning around moved back to the Boat Bay area by 8:15am. At first staying closer to the Cracroft Island side, the A34s made it to the Sophias before 9am. The Achiever moved mid strait with these whales. The A34s crossed and by 9:43am had passed Little Kaikash on the Vancouver Island side.
In the meantime, in the course of the afternoon, the Lab had five separate Bigg’s encounters. The Bigg’s action had begun earlier near Donegal Head. The Achiever, Seasmoke and Sailcone all reported seeing Bigg’s and later Jared Towers. Sailcone described a group of three Bigg’s (T117,T120 and T146D) engaged in killing a sea lion near Donegal at 12:34. Scotty even recorded some of their sounds.
Our first encounter was when a small group of Bigg’s orcas went through Blackney Pass to the south. They showed up at 10:39, took incredibly long dives and swam the entire length of the Pass by 11am with only a few surfacings. This was likely the T046B1s with T046C2. At CP, two of the Bigg’s orcas passed within two meters of the shore below the platform, turning on their sides looking up at Jordan and Olivia – they will never be the same!
The second was so quick and this time the Bigg’s (T146As) were headed north and gone by 1:03pm. Jared meanwhile observed that T146D split from T117 and T120 off Donegal in order to meet her sister’s group the T146As in Blackfish Sound where they milled off Double Bay. What T146D and the T146As did next is recalled more fully by Jared in his Instagram post.
T117 and T120 went east to Blackney at 2:06pm. We soon had our third encounter at 2:06pm when T117 and T120 surprised us without warning by appearing right at Burnt Point. They moved out from the point, travelled through and were no longer seen by 2:18pm.
The fourth encounter was when T146As and T146D went past the Lab. at 2:48pm. Jared who was following reported later “I was following them but they made a long dive from west of Burnt point then popped up at sea lion rock before going around the corner to the south.” They cleared Blackney Pass at 2:59pm
The fifth and final encounter came shortly after. The T46B1s with T046C2 came into Blackney Pass at 3:18pm. They passed in front of the Bell Rocks, along Parson Island, took a long dive when opposite the Lab and were gone into Blackfish Sound by 3:48pm.
T46C2 or Sam as she is affectionately known is a special whale to many. She was discovered alone in Weeteeam Bay, on the outer coast of remote Aristazabal Island in 2013. After two weeks Sam, who was visibly growing thinner, was coaxed out of the bay. Sam was re-sighted as she made her way alone “down” the coast. She had a few more adventures along the way. One occasion was when a lone orca was seen near Minstrel Island in Knight Inlet not too far from OrcaLab. There is always concern when orcas become separated and seemingly alone. So three boats went to check out the situation. The whale could not be found even though the area was searched widely. The day was getting on. We had to leave. Jared in his own boat wanted to get gas at Minstrel Island before heading back too. He found T46C2 (Sam) near the gas dock not far from where she was first sighted. Over the years she has explored and hunted on her own, thrived and even joined family others as she did this day.
Resuming the afternoon story of the residents in the western part of Johnstone Strait. Whales were reported going west on the Vancouver Island side near the Eve River at 12:15pm. That is quite far east so we wondered about that but would pick up that thread later in the day.
This was at the same time the A34s were leaving Beaver Cove (much further west) and heading across to Weynton Pass. By 1:18pm they were in Weynton and by 1:32pm Alex, from her vantage point on Donegal Head, was reporting that they were going north fast. They completed going around Donegal Head by 1:41pm and got to Lizard by 2:30pm.
Much of the afternoon for the other residents, the A50s, A54s, I4s, I27s, and I65s was about travelling west in the Strait. As they did so there were two short rubs at Strider, from 2:02 – 2:09pm and from 2:36 to 2:30pm.
Resident and Bigg’s stories were destined to collide. At 2:42pm when both types of orcas were in the Strait they became vocal almost at the same time on the same hydrophone. This acoustic happenstance does not often occur but it is another example where Bigg’s and Residents’ use of the area has been overlapping frequently this summer.
The A50s took the Cracroft Island side. This was confirmed by the Cliff when they saw Bend’s distinctive fin. It sounded like the I15s were coming along on the Vancouver Island side. There were several whales mid strait as well.
When the A34s were off Lizard Point around 5pm, the A54s and Pacific White-sided dolphins entered Blackney Pass followed by the I65s, A50s, I4s and I27s. The I27s were travelling in close with the A50s not far off the Hanson shore. I77 (of the I27s), his brother I107 and A84 (of the A50s) would continued to associate all the way to Weynton Passage. At 7:38pm Scotty saw them and the rest of the A30s and I15s enter Weynton Pass.
The humpback Inukshuk galvanized our attention from 6:20 to 6:26ppm. He had been in the rip at CP with Freckles and her baby around 5:30pm. A while later he was in Blackney Pass. He travelled toward the lab surrounded by dolphins and a growing number of sea lions. It was a frenzied scene. Dolphins leapt, sea lions porpoised, Inukshuk bellowed out some sounds and a hefty growl after which he continued north and the dolphins, still leaping and the sea lions cavorting, went south together in an energetic rush. Inukshuk fluked off Burnt Point and was gone.
The Bigg’s orcas were not yet done for the day. T117 and T120 returned close to CP from 7:47pm to 7:54pm and at 9:22pm Bigg’s were vocal in Blackfish Sound.
We are not sure if all the I15s came back or just part of the group because by 8pm it was darkening and super foggy. However, close I15 calls and echolocation were heard on the Parson Island hydrophone as this group navigated the entrance to Blackney Pass. The I15 group was still calling at 8:15pm when a short while later incredibly faint A5 calls were heard. The A5s had missed all the day’s activity. It made sense that they were probably the group seen much further east, off the Eve River, at 12:15pm. It had taken them time to come within reach of our hydrophones.
The A5s gradually got louder and closer after 9:15pm. Boat Bay finally heard their blows at 10:53pm and confirmed that they were going west. The I15s, further west were between them and the A54s, who were even further west, seen in Beaver Cove at 9:15pm.
The day had less than an hour to go when calls and echolocation on Critical Point indicated that the A5s had made up some of the distance. At least the A23s would eventually come into Blackney Pass, go north, and enter Blackfish Sound.
Best to leave it there. It was a complicated day with so many interesting facets, twists and turns. But by day’s end all the resident groups we have become familiar with were more or less together once more and the Bigg’s dispersed to other parts unknown.
