Calls were heard just after midnight in Johnstone Strait. By 12:38am, the sense was that the A62s were moving west past Robson Bight. As these calls became increasingly distant the assumption was that the A62s were continuing to weave their way west after having spent a lacklustre day hardly moving. This contrasted with the rest of their A34 family along with the A50s who managed a fairly good tour through the area ending up in Queen Charlotte Strait once more by day’s end.
Daylight found the A62s between the Pearse Island and Mitchell Bay at 8:35am perhaps drawn through Weynton Pass by the potential return of the other Residents whose distant calls were heard between 6:48 and 9:03am. By then, the A34s(-A62s) and the A50s were far enough east to be faintly heard on the Flower Island system as they continued slowly through eastern Queen Charlotte Strait.
Around 10am Scotty left the A62s off the Pearse Reefs to look for the other Residents. By 10:40am, the A62s had shifted closer to Donegal Head and changed their direction to easterly. Scotty found and reported at 11:12am the other Residents between Donegal Head and the Penfold Islands. From her vantage point on Donegal Head, Olivia, could also see the A62s who were now in Blackfish Sound off Bold Head, Swanson Island. They were still pointed eastward.
As the other Residents finally came into Olivia’s view at 12:20pm. They were daily spread out at this stage, one group near Wedge Island and a second group between Donegal Head and the White Cliff Islets. The A62s, meanwhile, had spread themselves along the Swanson Island shore.
With everyone shifting eastward, the A62s came into view of the Lab at 12:51pm. Still not very energetic (or perhaps waiting on the others). All but A91 rested mid channel opposite Parson Bay and the Lab.
The A62s then took on some initiative and continued through Blackney Pass and into Johnstone Strait between 1:19 and 1:23pm when they were seen milling from the Cracroft Point remote video camera. As calls from the others were heard more distinctly on Flower Island the A62s began to move eastward in the Strait.
At 1:42pm, and close to the Lab (less than 50 metres), the A50s and some of the A34s (A80 and the A67s) came into the Lab’s view, moving slowly in a tight group. They headed off to Johnstone Strait by 1:55pm. A few minutes later the rest of the A34s (A55, A34, A96, A132) passed by and cleared by 2:07pm. A55 had been slightly behind the others.
By 2:15pm, the preceding group was now spread from the Cracroft Island side to mid strait and going east. Strengthening calls made by the A62s on the Critical Point system came in advance of seeing them passing to the east on the Critical Point remote video camera. After some directional echo location the A62s passed the headland and carried on toward Strider beach. They appeared on that remote video system by 3:35pm. A couple of minutes later they made a flyover rub of the beach. Determinedly they headed to Main Beach and rubbed for a minute more there at 4:13pm. Afterwards they were content to mill around offshore until 4:32pm when they turned back toward Strider. Their new rub at Strider, starting at 4:33pm, was more energetic, lots of slapping and many chuff (rub) sounds. The rub ended at 4:48pm.
The A50s and the rest of the A34s had still not made it as far as the Reserve. Some attempted to cross toward the Western Boundary and the A50s almost made it to the Cliff before turning back west around 3:15pm. The Cracroft Point remote video could see their struggle to make much headway. They made several direction changes and had resting stops on the surface. At times it looked as if they were even headed back to Blackney Pass. Finally, at 6:22pm they turned back into the Strait and started to go west along the Hanson Island shore having never actually joined with the A62s although they did, of course, share the same acoustic space for those few hours.
Meanwhile, Olivia, at 5:43pm, noticed a group of four more orcas heading southeast off Donegal Head. She deduced that this was a group of Bigg’s orcas. They headed into Weynton Pass and by 6:39pm their calls were heard in Johnstone Strait around the same time that the A50s and A34s (-A62s) were still west bound toward the Weynton Pass entrance. The Bigg’s calls lasted until 6:52pm.
Eagle Eye were still keeping watch on the A62s who by 7:11pm were quickly headed west to Robson Bight. This would be the last direct observation of the A62s and it is not clear what they decided afterwards. There was just one faint call at 9:21pm. Then nothing more.
We do know, thanks to Barbara, the A50s and the A34s (-A62s) cut close to Weynton Point as they entered Weynton Pass at 8pm. Olivia watching from Donegal Head saw them emerge from the Pass at 8:54pm. Their calls were heard on Flower Island as they crossed the western end of Blackfish Sound on their way toward Bold Head. They made lots of calls. It was getting too dark for Olivia to see much more. Their calls and echo location ended by 9:53pm.
It would be another six hours before any of the Residents made their presence known – a story for another day!
