After midnight the A42s with A94 travelled away from Strider Rubbing Beach and the Ecological Reserve and carried on to the east. They did not return to this area until around 9am. Again they went for a rub and this time they made a more concerted effort having several goes over the entire length of the beach. They were so engaged with the rub that they even used the Main beach to the east of Strider briefly. After 22 minutes they methodically travelled west close to the Vancouver Island shoreline. By 9:40am they could be heard on the Critical Point system as they neared the Robson Bight area.
Individually they filed westward. By 10:30am they were still east of Kaikash Creek and an hour later west of Kaiaksh approaching what is known locally as Little Kaikash.
Angling away from the Vancouver Island side they came to mid strait and at 12:15pm were opposite Blinkhorn on the Vancouver Island side and Turn Point on the Hanson Island side. Fifteen minutes later they were basically opposite Telegraph Cove. here they stalled for about an hour. At 1:41pm they were reported to have turned and were seemingly going back east. But in reality their intention was to eventually cross over to Weynton Passage.
Nothing about today was about hurrying. They took time to actually get through Weynton and at 6:25pm we heard them in Blackfish Sound. The calls sounded distant suggesting perhaps they were crossing the top end and headed to Queen Charlotte Strait. It was not to be. Just half an hour later they were making strong echo location on the Flower Island system. They were coming our way! Sure enough the first fins in Blackney Pass were seen at 7pm.
Then over the next 3 hours the A42s and A94 traversed back and forth in Blackney Pass disrupting our dinner plans (in the nicest way possible). Paul and Suzie therefore arrived from Alert Bay in time for both whales and eventually dinner.
We were pleased that our new Local Centre hydrophone was working so well and that the A42s and A94 were obligingly vocal for most of the time.
It needs to be explained that A94 actually is not part of A42s A5 pod. He is a young male who belongs to the A4 pod and specifically the A24 matriline. For some reason three years ago he decided to join the A42s and travel with them. He kept this up until last year when he took a hiatus and disappeared. He rejoined the group recently. There is enough distinction in his vocal to tell him apart from the others and when the orcas came in this evening we could clearly hear his voice.
The light was gorgeous as we watched the orcas and the humpbacks too. The sea was still energised from the day’s northwesterly winds so the scene was lively. Dall’s porpoise swam by the Lab and dolphins (just a few) swam next to some of the orcas. For the past couple of days the number of jumping pink salmon has been increasing and this evening they were everywhere. The orcas were intent on foraging – probably not on those pinks but more likely any chinooks. On one of the orcas’ forays south, near the south end of Parson Island, we could hear the distinctive sounds of an active and successful hunt evidenced by strong echolocation and crunching.
We were almost convinced that they were going to exit back to Blackfish Sound after that but no, they turned again. This time they were steadier (but silent) in their intent to head for Johnstone Strait. By 10pm they were seen on the Cracroft Point remote camera in the dusky hues of sunset.
They were not in a great hurry anywhere in particular. By 11:30pm they had turned once again and were in the entrance to Blackney Pass, audible on our Parson Island hydrophone. They made yet another pass in the dark, foraging slightly as they passed us around midnight, back into Blackfish Sound. We could not hear their blows with waves lapping at the shore, but it is always so very charming to imagine a family of orcas passing the deck under a blanket of stars.
With three days of consistent presence from the A42s + A94, we wonder (and dearly hope!) if this is the true beginning of our 2024 orca season.
