And now for something a bit different. As may of you may have surmised, OrcaLab has someone at its site year round because the site itself needs to be taken care of and we don’t want to miss any activity happening nearby and through the surrounding area. Our year round records go back decades.
Of course, the summer and autumn months of June through November are the most intense due to the whale activity. We keep our fingers crossed that Holly, Bend, Fife and Simoom and their families turn up during this time so we can update everyone as to how they are faring. This busy time demands we acquire help from many. But this does not mean we value what the winter and spring months any less and so we have come to rely on special persons to caretaker the site and keep an eye and ear on any thing or anyone who comes in for a visit.
Most often this involves Bigg’s orcas but sometimes surprise visits from the like of Fife, Simoom and Holly happen too. So far Bend has proved elusive. As we edge towards the summer solstice we always anticipate hearing more and more resident orca activity on the north coast and before long they are back in our neck of the woods too.
Being at OrcaLab in the winter and spring requires a very particular kind of effort. Living conditions are more challenging – lots more wood to get, stack, chop to keep warm, there’s a boat to keep safe, and patience needed to wait out heavy storms etc. Above one needs to keep safe as it is remote and help not always immediately on hand.
Those moments when whales pass can have an other worldly feel; often happening without much warning, often brief and intense. The caretakers have learned to quickly abandon whatever they were doing, refocus and simultaneously take pictures, make recordings, handle the remote video cameras. Where in the summer there are many, in the winter there are normally only two. Despite the hard work they would probably not trade places with anyone. Living within the rhythms of tides, moon and weather suits them and Hanson Island becomes their unique and precious home.
Mat and Cam have now returned for three years. They have never experienced the hectic summer scene. Once they depart mid March others step in for shorter stints. This year Fabrice and Maude have made the commitment. They will be there long enough to experience the beginning of summer.
Maude offered the following description of her and Fabrice’s time at the Lab so far:
“This is our first field season with the organization. I first heard about the Lab through several friends who spoke highly of both the importance of its work and the incredible wild setting in which it operates.
Fabrice and I are both naturalists and field assistants. Most of the projects we have worked on in recent years have focused on birds, and we wanted to broaden our experience by studying marine mammals this time. We also work as expedition cruise guides, so we are used to observing cetaceans. However, this is usually done from a vessel. We were interested in experiencing a different way of observing wildlife from shore, without any risk of disturbing the animals.
After one month at the Lab, we are more aware than ever of the noise and presence disturbance caused by boats. This experience will certainly encourage us to be even more cautious when navigating in areas frequented by cetaceans.
Since our arrival, whale activity has gradually increased. At the beginning of May, we would only observe a humpback whale about once every two days, and often they were simply passing through. Since mid-May, however, we have been seeing at least one per day, often more. Many of them have been spending time feeding in the waters of Blackney Pass. The well known Guardian has shown up with a second baby. Her first no longer swims with her.
The resident orcas have not arrived yet. However, Bigg’s orcas treated us to our first vocalization recordings in Johnstone Strait. During the second half of May, we observed several pods passing through the area. We witnessed two probable hunting events, with frequent changes of direction and bursts of speed, as well as one successful hunt on a pinniped. Unfortunately, the animals were too far away for us to identify anything beyond the presence of blood.
Pacific white-sided dolphins were seen several times at the beginning of the month, including one memorable occasion when they were surfing the bow wave of a large cruise ship. Porpoises, although discreet, also made regular appearances around Parson Island. As with the humpback whales, their presence increased steadily throughout the month.”
