Previously the A34s had ushered the A50s successfully into Johnstone Strait and then had left. The A50s dutifully carried on to the Ecological Reserve while the A34s remained, waiting apparently, in Queen Charlotte Strait. From midnight until 12:41am we were still able to hear the A50s as they presumably slipped past the eastern boundary of the Ecological Reserve and out of range. How amazing for them to be back after two years away. In that time Bend (A72) has had a new baby A131, a sibling for her ten year old A108. This is a place they certainly know well. Hopefully, it felt like coming home.
Nearly two hours went by before we heard calls once more but this time it was from the other direction and would turn out to be the A34s completing their second task of accompanying the A23s and A25s into the area. As so often happens with orcas that are already in Johnstone Strait, they will seemingly prepare for the new arrival by turning and swimming back to a more convenient meeting place just as the A50s appeared to do on this occasion. Not sure how they know to do this but it happens so often that it no longer seems uncanny.
So it was that we heard at 2:40am the A50s once again on the Strider system as they started coming back to the west. This was still happening at 3:11am only by then we had the impression that they had come even further west. In plenty of time for the A23s to go south through Blackney Pass and into the Strait. As the A23s did so at 3:12am their loud beautiful calls were on the Parson Island station as they and possibly the A25s approached the Strait. Tomoko who was listening had the thought that the A34s might have taken Weynton Pass. This guess was based on hearing very distant calls that contrasted with the much louder and closer A5 calls happening closer to Cracroft Point.
Whatever the scenario all four groups were now in the Strait. Between 3:25am and 3:55am there were both A5 and A50 calls on the Cracroft Point system. CP, awake, listening and peering into the misty, foggy night first heard two groups of three pass by and later another group of three pass even closer. This led to the thought that perhaps both the A23s and the A25s had come through from Blackney Pass.
The A50s, who were also heard on the Cracroft point system by now, may have turned back east on arrival of the incoming whales. By 4:12am, the A50s, A23s, A25s and the A34s were heard in the Strait and their calls began to register on both the Strider and Main rubbing beach systems. By 4:36am the A50s were far enough along to jump in for a brief rub at Strider between 4:36 and 4:44am. At 5:07am the loud calls on the Kaizumi system further west spoke to the eastward advancement of the A23s and A25s. The three groups were destined to catch up with each other.
And there was no better place to do so than at Strider beach. At 5:42am the three groups began a long, relaxed rub that only ended at 7:17am. During the 11/2 hour rub a few managed to squeeze some time at Main beach even as the action at Strider continued. In the end the majority went off to the west. The A25s, perhaps the group who had gone into Main, eventually crossed over to the Cracroft Island side from the eastern boundary. The confusing reports originally described the number of whales seen at the eastern end as anywhere from 5 to 7. Possible, but only the A25s clearly made it across to Cracroft Island where they then went west.
So what of the A34s? We know they made it to the Strait. We assumed they did not use Blackney Pass. We know they did not go in for a rub. More likely they came through Weynton Pass and once assured the new groups were in and together, the A34s approached Blackney Pass which they entered by 6:45am answering to their own agenda. Despite the confounding fog CP managed to estimate the number of whales as at least 5 entering Blackney and saw a small whale that looked very much like A125 in tow of a large male. This suggested that it was the A34 group.
Like most summer mornings it was very foggy in Blackney Pass also. Nothing could be seen of the A34s as they travelled north. Their progress was only determined by their blows. It took them just over twenty minutes to travel through to Blackfish Sound. They did not begin calling there until 7:25am.
Back in the Strait, the Boat Bay camp on Cracroft Island across from the Ecological Reserve saw the A25s pass at 8:39am. The A50s and the A23s were ahead of the A25s and at 8:54am calls on the Parson Island station as well as blows heard through the fog by CP indicted that orcas were approaching Blackney Pass. They came through and by 9:13am they had cleared into Blackfish Sound. The assumption, although only A50 calls were heard, was that both groups made it to Blackfish Sound.
Further behind came the A25s who at 9:23am were seen between the Sophias and CP having travelled along the Cracroft Island shoreline. They entered Blackney Pass at 9:29am and by 9:56am they too moved into Blackfish Sound.
The next radio report at 11am mentioned Northern Residents off Bold Head on Swanson Island heading in a southwest direction.
Meanwhile, the T036As were identified travelling mid strait towards Alert Bay and a short while later at 11:36am actually passing Alert Bay.
Back around 9am we also heard that the A42s plus A94 were still near Quadra Island, so far away from all the activity here.
The restless groups in Blackfish Sound were not content to stay put. Some A5 calls at 11:36am followed by lots of echolocation kicked started the action again. Scotty who was on scene was able to say that the three groups, the A50s, A23s and A25s were beginning to move east from Bold Head. Sure enough they were in Blackney Pass by 12:32pm. An annoying fogline that had persisted obscured them almost completely from our view. The A25s, the last group to go through in the other direction earlier, was now in the lead and arrived off CP by 1:02pm. A61 led while his niece, A85 and her little one A121, followed dodging the humpback Ridge who was very close by at one point as they moved east. The A23s came out of Blackney next and passed close to CP at 1:16pm. The A50s, the last group, had entered Blackney Pass by 1:06pm, By this time the fog obligingly lifted enough and we were able to clearly watch these orcas pass. They were all together and moved fairly quickly. Unlike before, we could reassuringly see Bend’s new baby. In fact we actually got our best look at the whole group and noticed Bend’s young A108 eagerly taking the lead several times. They travelled for the most part mid channel but shifted somewhat over to Parson Island before leaving at 1:29pm. By then Cetus was reporting that the A25s were passing the Sophia Islands and the A23s were off the Baron Reefs, all headed east.
The A50s chose a similar path and passed fairly close to CP at 1:32pm after entering the Strait. Now all three groups were in the Strait once again, moving in the same direction and calling all the while as they did so.
Before 2pm the Naiad Explorer reported that the A34s were still in Queen Charlotte Strait on their own, westing near Lizard Point. Then by 4pm the A34s had moved to Bere Point. Kate provided details about some of the unfortunate behavior of people at the beach which is one of the orcas favorite, but unprotected rubbing beaches. The A34s did not go for a rub but carried on toward Malcolm Point where Kat lost sight of them at 4:30pm. They later turned back and went past Bere Point again by 5:42pm.
Things were shifting in Johnstone Strait as well. At 2:40pm we were seeing whales on the Critical Point camera and there was a rub between 3:16pm and 3:35pm at Strider. Soon after we ran into some technical issues and our monitoring of Johnstone Strait was compromised. While we struggled to find the cause we learned that just before 5pm the groups had turned back to the west. Jared stopped by CP and mentioned that the A23s were spread out in contrast to the A50s, who following, were all still bunched up as they had been in Blackney Pass earlier. The A25s were now last with A61 slightly separated from A85 and A121.
The next few hours saw the usual travel progressions. Calls around the time Jared paid CP that visit were on the Kaizumi hydrophone. Soon there was some toggling of calls between the Strider and Kaizumi systems. The whales were fanning out. Ocean Magic II said that while Fife (A60) on the Vancouver Island side, others were on the Cracroft Island side further east of the A23s’ position. CP spotted a male near to Kaikash on the far side, possibly Fife. Calls on Kaizumi continued during this general but scattered movement to the west.
Just before 7pm CP notified that orcas were approaching Blinkhorn now. As they continued west the calls were predominantly being picked up on the Strider hydrophone which has an impressive range. Even as the whales drew even with Telegraph Cove at 9:09pm Strider was still picking up their calls. We had to strain at times but the now generally faint calls lasted until 10:21pm. There was then a break and a brief flurry of calls at around 11:30pm that were not sourced. Had they finally gone through Weynton Pass and back to Blackfish Sound or merely shut down for a rest?
This busy day, which had its frustrations, felt like a complete and normal orca summer day.
We welcomed Momoko Kobayashi back to Hanson Island. It happened to be her birthday and even though she was jet lagged from her long journey she was able to enjoy a small birthday celebration before retiring to her tent, something others would soon have on their minds as well!
