August 31st was quite a busy day – not so much because of the whales, but because of the many different visitors coming and going, bringing with them great conversations, good food, and full hearts.
The day began with the film crew packing up after spending a full month with us on the island. When they first arrived, it felt a bit awkward having cameras around. But just as Jacques predicted in the beginning, they soon blended in, becoming part of the furniture and integrating not only into the daily Lab routine, but also into our island life as a whole. It’s been a real pleasure having them here. Knowing that their backpacks are now stuffed with stories, footage, and captured moments makes us all excited to see the results of their work!
Whale-wise, the morning started off slowly. Around 8am, Megan reported the A23s and A25s outside Gooding Cove, heading very slowly north through Seymour Narrows with the A23s in the lead. Later, at 11:24am, we received a report of most likely of the A50s north off Bold Head, just by White Cliff, as they made their way down east toward Blackfish Sound.
Not long after, we welcomed some friends from DFO (Fisheries and Oceans Canada), as well as Jared Towers. Over coffee andf tea, we learned more about their fascinating work collecting orca scat to analyze hormone levels. While our visitors were still with us, the T055s passed the Lab – remarkably slowly for transients – moving south at 12:45pm in tight formation and offering us some beautiful views. Just after they disappeared to the south, they seemed to change their minds, turned around and passed the Lab northbound instead, clearing the area by about 2pm.
Meanwhile, the A50s continued east off Donegal Head, making their presence known in Blackfish Sound an hour later at 3pm with echolocation clicks. By 5:30pm, their calls had become more frequent, before fading again as they left our hydrophone network. Our final report of the day placed the A23s and A25s south of Chatham Point around 4pm, and we’re hoping they’ll make their way toward us soon.
The day ended with a communal dinner shared with friends from Double Bay, who had come over to join us. More lovely people, more meaningful conversations, more shared values – and, of course, lots of whale talk.
What a way to close out August 2025: a month full of stories, [new] friends, many whales, welcomes, and goodbyes. A perfect wrap to a rich and memorable month.
