Even on the days when nothing seems to be happening there are events which grab our attention and make us realise that not everything revolves around the Northern Residents. Most days they are our focus and drive our activities around the Lab. This year we have had the privilege of observing Northern Residents ever since early July. Such a contrast to last year when we had to wait until mid August for the orca scene to develop. It sadly lasted for such a short time. This year has seemed much closer to the historic normal we had come to expect.
So what about this day? The A34s still had a presence. After midnight they began calling while off the entrance to Blackney Pass. They had spent just a few hours in the Strait before they turned and came back through Blackney Pass. The sea was calm, the calls beautiful and their blows pierced the night. It was a perfect pass. By 1:17am they were gone. Through the night they would continue westward.
The morning was blanketed with deep fog once again and so at 8:30am when they passed Bere Point Kate heard them call but did not see them. This was the last we knew of their whereabouts. Unlike other recent days they did not return.
The morning shifts rolled by without any word. However, Bigg’s orcas, the T069s went west from Bere Point at 11:45am. Later in the day, the T060s showed up off Jumble Islands in Knight Inlet around 7:48pm.
It is so interesting that it is often the case that we experience the coincidence of seeing and hearing dolphins in the area followed up by sightings of Bigg’s orcas.
The Minke Whale “Bolt” came into Blackney Pass from Blackfish Sound around 5pm. Uncharacteristically, Bolt surfaced repeatedly while supposedly foraging back and forth in front of the Lab mid channel. Usually, Minke Whales take long dives, sometimes up to 20 minutes, so sightings are often sporadic and opportunistic. It helped that the skies had cleared and the seas were calm – Made for a nice moment on the deck as everyone gathered to watch.
There are only about eight Minke Whales that regularly inhabit this area.
Not a lot of humpback activity occurred but Argonaut was in Blackney Pass once again while Corporal was off Cracroft Point.
And so went this last day of the month. It has been a wonderful month and we can hope that August has some other surprises in store.
