With winter coming to an end. Holly’s family got the message and figured it was time to move on from the Salish Sea where they had spent part of the past summer and the whole of the autumn and winter. They began their long journey north around the beginning of the month. On 1 March they were spotted in Calm Channel, well north of Campbell River. By perhaps as a staged coincidence, members of their pod, the A25s, were seen the next day up in Kingcome Inlet. Were they waiting for Holly? A week later, news came that Holly had reached Prince Rupert, fulfilling her habit of several years to return north just ahead of the Spring Equinox.
Being north now the chances are Holly and her family will have better chances to connect with other members of her Northern Resident community like Bend and Simoom. These must be exciting reunions! Simoom may have come close on 28 March when Northern Residents were suspected but not solidly identified off Port Hardy. Holly’s A5 pod mates, Fife’s A23s and the A25s were sometimes around in Johnstone Strait throughout the winter. The A25s even joined Holly in the Salish Sea at one point.
February had been unseasonably easy, often sunny, calm and warm. But March proved far more unsettled. Eventually though, the chilly stormy days were pushed aside to reveal the almost hidden spring with flowers dutifully popping up in the garden.
There were a few surprises. Rare unknown Biggs orcas turned up in Vancouver harbour and caused a stir and stimulated many questions as to why they decided to visit these inside waters adjacent to a very busy city. Jared Towers who keeps a close eye on the whereabouts of Biggs orcas made the following post on FaceBook on 8 March. Shortly after this sighting these whales were heard in the early morning hours closer to Port Townsend.
A single humpback was sighted nearby on 26 March. This was earlier than the more usual increase in sightings in April. Some humpbacks have been known to stick around or pass through in the winter. In January, Cam took a photo of the humpback, Smoke, off of Telegraph Cove on one of their trips to Alert Bay for groceries. A chance encounter but thrilling for Cam who had only admired this whale in the catalogue. This March sighting probably, however, signalled the beginning of the humpback return.
At the Lab, there were lots of changes. Winter caretakers, Cam and Mat took their leave before the middle of the month, welcoming Allison and James from nearby Alert Bay, before their departure. Like Cam and Mat, Allison and James were treated to encounters with Bigg’s orcas, both visually and acoustically.
As the days slowly improved toward the end of March, Quin and Jeff returned to check on the remote sites to ensure that systems were primed for the upcoming season. Allison and James went along with them to Cracroft Point and discussed the upcoming renovations slated there for June. Cracroft Point, or “CP” as we call the camp, is OrcaLab’s main “outpost”. In addition to being a key observation platform, it is also the hub for all of our visual and acoustic data transmissions from our Johnstone Strait remote sites, including the rubbing beaches. Sadly the small on site shack, rebuilt over 25 years ago, has fallen into disrepair and will need a major overhaul. Planning is underway. Here is a link to WDC’s Rob Lott’s account of his time at “CP”.
While at “CP” a group of Bigg’s orcas passed by and slipped into Blackney Pass ahead of the soon to be returning crew. And, It was familiar Bigg’s orcas who finished off the month when on 30 March the T019s also passed in front of the Lab.
Starting out as a lion, March, went out as a lamb.
