This day began with the realization that the whales present the day before had not fully committed to Queen Charlotte Strait in the evening. Instead, around 1:46am A34 calls and echo location were heard once again on the Flower Island hydrophone located in Blackfish Sound. Then in the morning daylight at 7:15am Alex reported seeing the A50s off the western end of Blackfish Sound. It looked like they came from Weynton Pass. An hour later, in Queen Charlotte Strait two groups of whales, including the A50s, were spyhopping and slapping while moving west then lost in the mist.
A couple of hours later, at 10:39am, the Eagle Eye Cliff site opposite Robson Bight watched the A62s (part of the A34s) easting through the Ecological Reserve, not quite yet opposite the Tsitika River estuary which they reached by 11:27am. They were pretty slow & relaxed, resting in a loose group. The remote camera at Critical Point found them and just before 12pm they soon passed the Critical Point headland at the eastern end of Robson Bight. They then moved on toward Strider Rubbing beach where they rubbed at 12:23pm. While the A62s continued east from Strider the T046Bs (- the T046B1s and Bs) passed Eagle Eye mid strait at 12:22pm in the opposite direction.
Meanwhile, in Queen Charlotte Strait, the Residents seen previously, had turned and were moving back to the southeast by 1pm. The A62s, in Johnstone Strait, changed directions to the west and made another pass over Strider Beach at 1:11pm. After Strider they slowed right down, formed a tight group and kept close to shore. At 1:52pm they were west of Critical Point.
Some echo location at 1:54pm helped to understand that the whales coming from Queen Charlotte Strait had advanced eastward but fog swirling in Blackfish Sound was now confounding sighting efforts.
The Bigg’s orcas in Johnstone Strait, at this time, were continuing west along Hanson Island. They would end up going through Weynton Pass around 2:50pm and then would head west across Weynton Pass.
In contrast, the A62s were not making much progress barely up to the western boundary of the Ecological Reserve.
The fog cleared enough to see that the Resident orcas who had come from Queen Charlotte Strait were now in Blackfish Sound off Bold Head. They had no clear direction as of yet. It was now almost 3:30pm. By 4pm they were still close to the Swanson Island shore and moving eastward until one turn west at 4:10pm and then another turn east at 4:30pm. By now, it was clear that this was the A34s (- the A62s) with the A50s nearby. A55, A34s oldest son, led the group into Blackney Pass at 4:45pm. They all continued through toward Johnstone Strait where they would soon turn to the west, spread out along the Vancouver Island shore to Blinkhorn.
The A62s had finally left the Reserve at the Western Boundary by 5:30pm. They remained close to shore but still did not show any real intent on moving far. With the others further to the west of them “up the Strait” they were content back at Izumi Rock just a couple of kilometers from the Reserve. By 6:30pm they turned back to Robson Bight.
Their Resident counterparts, the A50s were busy socialising mid strait at 7pm pointing toward the entrance to Blackney Pass. By 7:38pm they and the A34s (-A62s) were back inside Blackney Pass headed north. This time A55 was quite far behind.
Those eastbound A62s made a quick passover rub at Strider at 8:15pm then were heard on the Main beach system to the east of Strider. At this point they may have been turning back to the west once more. One more rub at Strider at 8:48pm followed. By then, the A50s and A34s (-A62s) were going northwest into Queen Charlotte Strait favouring the White Cliff Islet side.
As 11:30pm approached, A34 calls (likely the A62s progressing westward)) continued to be heard in Johnstone Strait. Calls continued well past midnight.
