July 12 was an uneventful day for the most part but on July 13 things began to stir starting with a lone Bigg’s orca sighting in the early afternoon. At 1:18pm the Cliff research site saw a mature male opposite the Main Rubbing beach heading west. This individual would later be identified as T051. All attention was on him as he carried on up the Strait, featured on the Strider Rubbing Beach remote camera at 1:16pm and passed the Kaikash Creek area by 2:40pm. He kept going from there.
It was not until evening when the A50s were observed just before 6pm. They went in for a rub at Bere Point and both Kate and Troy independently watched and reported that the group left to the east. This heightened anticipation but their progress proved slow. At 7:35pm they were still in the Black Bluff area (mid Malcolm Island) just east of Bere Point. Finally, at 10:22pm, the Double Bay hydrophone picked up calls. Still moving slowly, calls were next heard “down the line” on the Flower Island system in Blackfish Sound at 10:57pm.
They would not book passage through Blackney Pass until before 2am, July 14, evidenced by calls on Parson Island when in the entrance to Johnstone Strait. From there they went east with their calls registering in sequence on the different hydrophone systems. At 2:10pm, when supposedly mid strait, they were on the Kaizumi hydrophone and we could hear the delayed echo to the Strider system. Tomoko, listening in Japan, noted they were making a lot of calls normally associated with the A34s. This too would be of interest later in the day.
By 2:49am the Lab was convinced they were definitely going east, evidenced almost an hour later when calls were heard off the Robson Bight system at Critical Point. They navigated their way through the Ecological Reserve and began their approach to Strider Rubbing beach around 4:40pm. Sure enough at 5:01pm they began a rub. It was now light enough for a recording from the remote camera. Bend (A72) and her little group, A108 (Jameson) and A131 (now two years old) were most prominent. A few of the A50s slipped along to nearby Main Beach while others began a turn to the west. Those off Main followed suit. Pretty soon they were starting westbound while edging mid strait. The entire rub had lasted until 5:11am, just 10 minutes. The last of the group made a quick pass over at 5:24am as they followed in the footsteps of the others.
There was purpose in their not lingering at the beaches and their intent to turn west. After they had negotiated their way past the Boat Bay and Robson Bight between 5:53 and 6am, and had approached Cracroft Point by 7am including the entrance to Blackney Pass at 7:16am, they found themselves once more in Blackney Pass proper by 7:22am. In the next twenty minutes they cleared the Lab’s view then carried on into Blackfish Sound. By the time they approached Queen Charlotte Strait on the White Cliff Island side, Elizabeth had already reported, at 8:24am, seeing an incoming group of 8 between Donegal Head and Lizard Point. The incoming were identified by Elizabeth as the A34 (- the A62s).
Over the next while the groups (all members of A1 pod) took time to meet. First task was to be all going in the same direction. The A50s continued west, the A34s (-A62s) turned west. Just before 10m, Scotty had become convinced they had collectively turned back east. By 10:11am, they were all going east from the Lizard Point area. The A34 group was closer to Malcolm Island while the A50s were still further out. The A34 group formed a resting line stalling off Donegal Head at 11:13am then moved far enough east for calls to be heard on Flower Island.
Over the next while, the scene was one of many whales and many lovely calls.
The whales came into Blackney Pass starting at 1:06pm. Remember how Tomoko had previously noted earlier when the A50s were on their that they were making many A34-like calls? It was almost as if a foretelling.
As these A34s and A50s made way through Blackney Pass, some of the A50s were still off the western end of Blackfish Sound between Bold Head and Double Bay according to Scotty at 1:18pm.
The entire passage Blackney consisted of waves of small groups. The first group cleared the view to the south by 1:29pm. The 2nd group was not far behind By 1:39pm the 2nd and 3rd groups both cleared. With groups already past, calls were now beginning to be heard in Johnstone Strait after being heard first on Parson Island. Both the A50s and A34s contributed to the mix of calls.
Calls were still heard in Blackfish Sound so not all had yet come through. At 1:48pm, with whales already heading east in Johnstone Strait, Scotty reported that Bend was still in Blackfish Sound with A108 and A131.
A final group eventually transited Blackney. The spaced apart groups then made their way eastward in Johnstone Strait. By 2:38pm whales were already off Robson Bight while others were still making their way east from Cracroft Point. The combined total of the A50 and A34 groups is 21, enough reason to cause a fair amount of excitement among those watching.
Some of the whales had progressed far enough east now to be on the Strider Rubbing Beach remote camera. Sure enough the sounds of a brief rub followed at 3:52pm. Bend then went in for a three minute rub starting at 3:52pm after being seen on the Critical Point/Robson Bight camera further west at 3:30pm.
What follows is a description of the subsequent activity at Strider and Main beaches.
At 3:51pm, someone made a quick pass-over while heading east. At 3:56pm whales engaged in a minute rub from 3:56 to 3:57pm at Main Beach. The Cliff counted at least five and watched as whales turned west back to Strider. This was followed by another one minute rub between 4:16 and 4:17pm at Strider Beach. From then on the movement was trending to the west. As they moved out and away calls could still be heard on the Main system.
The A62s made a better effort when it was their turn at 4:40pm. Their rub lasted five minutes after which they carried on to the east to Main where they did an additional two minute rub.
The research vessel Achiever observed the A50s crossing to the Cracroft Island side and going west at 4:51pm.
The A62s soon turned west as well to make another four minute rub at Strider which ended at 4:58pm.
So now all the whales were westbound, very spread out from the Cracroft Island shore to Vancouver Island. Calls were intermittent during this western movement. By 6:59pm whales were approaching the Kaikash Creek area. They passed the area adjacent to the entrance to Blackney Pass and at 7:48pm Barbara reported the whales were approaching the entrance of Weynton Pass. Then sure enough, Olivia saw the whales emerging from the Pass at 8:09pm. Between 8:38 and 9:04pm the reports suggested that the whales were crossing the western edge of Blackfish Sound, even tending to angle eastward, but by 10:02pm, Olivia assured everyone that they were all in Queen Charlotte Strait heading north-west out from Swanson and Wedge Islands.
This jammed packed day was finally drawing to a close. It was lovely to see these two A1 families in the area and it was a bonus to see all the A34s gathered. The whales were then either out of range of on silent mode the rest of the night.
