It is a delight to be able to report that Northern Residents returned to the area July 7. Up until then, and since the last report, there had been just the one encounter with the T060s on July 5 when they passed through Blackney Pass at 3:50pm. The Lab had been anticipating the T060s’ arrival after previous reports from sightings in Queen Charlotte Strait, first from Troy at Bere Point just before 1pm, then later from Olivia at Donegal Head at 2:22pm and then from Alex at 3:24pm as they moved through Blackfish Sound toward Blackney Pass. The Lab watched them until they cleared their view at 4:10pm. From there they went east at 4:23pm in Johnstone Strait following the Cracroft Island side.
July 7 started off fairly uneventfully. Lots of work happening all around though. Kelsey at Cracroft Point has made serious progress on the new shelter and it is looking great; The BCHN crew were about to fix the ailing Flower Island hydrophone (just in time!); and Quin made a trip there to the Reserve to work on the Main Beach system.
Then in the early afternoon, just after 1pm a report from James Wilson was relayed via Scotty that the A50s and R18s were off the Polkinghorn Islands which are on the Mainland side opposite Malcolm Island in Queen Charlotte Strait. They would take the rest of the afternoon and evening to make their way into Blackfish Sound.
Meanwhile, the Lab’s Sonic made a mad dash back from the Reserve at 7pm but got caught anyway by an unexpected squall backed by a downpour of rain. They got back in time to hear that Double Bay’s newly reinstalled hydrophone was picking up very faint calls at 7:29pm. By 8:59pm, Olivia on Donegal Head caught sight of orcas heading east toward Blackfish Sound. And at 9:24pm, the Flower Island hydrophone in Blackfish registered its first calls. The two hydrophones both cover Blackfish Sound and the interplay between them was interesting with louder calls at first on Double coinciding with Carlos observing fins in fading light around 9:45pm. The calls soon became louder on Flower Island as the whales continued eastward.
Flower Island with its fixed cable sounded great!
It was far too choppy to hear blows in Blackney Pass but their passage was certain. At 10:58pm, the first faint calls came up on the Parson Island hydrophone as the groups made their way through Blackney Pass. By 11pm, the A50s were loud and clear as they neared the entrance to Blackney Pass. Despite the ebbing tide which began at 10:23pm, they made steady progress. “Rs” were behind, some still on Flower Island but by 11:30pm the mixture of the “A” and “R” calls strengthened as the two groups moved together toward Johnstone Strait. Just before midnight they achieved this goal. But the ebbing tide may have finally played a part in discouraging a long stay in the Strait, At max ebb the two groups would turn around and head back to Blackney Pass after not venturing very far. Details best left for the next summary!
