There were two orca events, three if you count the A25s sighted in Discovery Passage on November 8, during this period. On November 9 the A23s came out from the east in Johnstone Strait in the morning around 8:30. They were first heard simultaneously in the house and guest house. In the Lab they were located on the Strider Beach remote camera. A single whale was seen approaching Strider Beach. In short order this whale went in for a solo rub then as she moved offshore was tentatively identified as Ripple, A43. Her brother Fife (A60) was soon identified mid strait and heading likewise steadily west. All calls had dropped by this time. Even the crowd of dolphins to the right (north) of A60 were quiet though energetic.
While all the excitment was unfloding in Johnstone Strait a few dolphins calmly swam about in front of the Lab.
As A60 was followed by the remote camera a few other members of his family were in the distance further west, too far for any identification. The family continued west. A60 angled slightly to the Vancouver Island shore as did the others. They swam parallel to this side reaching the Kaikash Creek area by 11am. From there they attempted to cross over to the rip tide flowing past Cracroft Point. A60 broke with the others and for a while went back toward the east following the Cracroft Island shore. Another mid strait did the same. The dolphins gave us a clue about eventual intentions when they were seen darting westward at 12pm not long after A60’s turn.
In the confusion all the A23s eventually turned and resumed their westward trek. Jared Towers was keeping track and at 1:54pm reported that they were eastbound off Bauza just east of Telegraph Cove. By 2:11pm they were opposite Blinkhorn Peninsula. Sadly, this is where their trail became cold. They had maintained their silence and had become impossible to track from this point on.
With that report of the A25s, and then this A23 sighting the impression was that the A5s are still very much involved in this area of the coast. There have been no fresh reports of the A42s, the third A5 matriline, who had been present in the Salish Sea since July. There are two camps, those who think they must still be there and those who think that the lack of reports means that they have snuck past and gone back to the north.
The timing of the A23s off Strider Beach was very special as this was to be the last day that the remote camera was operational. We took advantage of the weather and a visit from Suzie, Megan and Quin to dismantle this and the Main Beach site in anticipation of the upcoming winter storms which in the past have caused so much damage when these sites were left intact. Erring on the side of caution seemed like a much safer strategy. No regrets, we had already accumulated so many amazing images and information about the use of the rubbing beaches throughout the Summer and early Fall. So as the A23s went west and were well beyond the Ecological Reserve, the gang (including Jérémie and Claire) worked efficiently to secure the solar panels, turn off power and retrieve the surface camera. The underwater camera had already been removed. It was a beautiful day to conclude this chapter of the season.
The next day, November 10 had a different feel. The weather closed in becoming November gloomy once again. A good day to stay inside and talk!. But again in the morning (about the same time the A23s were seen the day previously) a small group of Bigg’s orcas turned up in Blackney Pass. They were on the very far shore from the Lab and quite hard to see in the waves. Claire braved the outside and took pictures. The whales were a bit erratic, stopping, going, shifting at first, mostly by the Parson Island Light at 8:48am. Then within ten minutes they were off Swanson Island and about to clear quickly into Blackfish Sound. Alex found them at 9:17am still travelling at speed on a trajectory for the northshore of Malcolm Island. One of the group of three was later identified from our submitted photos to Finwave as T065A5.
The other days not mentioned were full with the presence of humpback whales, either visually in Blackney Pass and/or acoustically elsewhere. Hard to describe the experience of always being aware of these huge beings. More than “wallpaper” they occupy the ocean spaces so well. It will soon be time for them to move on and the ocean will feel much emptier. In the meantime, their incredible presence and their amazing voices keep us company day and night.
More work was done on the systems by Quin and Jérémie during the next weather break and Megan and Nicolette did a local dive to retrieve the second half of the “Stethorca” hydrophone array assisted by Claire, Suzie and Jérémie. Nicolette stayed on for lunch and it was good for this group to catch up and enjoy each other’s company.
The weather on the 12th really kicked in with dramatically high winds reminding everyone of just why it is good to prepare for winter!
