The I15 group (the I65s) in Johnstone Strait continued calling through the early hours of the night. Calls were always distant and lasted until 2:49am. It was quiet after that and the 3 – 7am shift had nothing to report.
Daytime came with a sighting of four Bigg’s orcas making their way east past Alert Bay. This would turn out to be the T109A2s. We had just been discussing this family group the evening before when Claire recounted that on a recent trip to Sooke on the West Coast of Vancouver Island with Jérémie’s parents that they saw the T109s there. She had this confirmed by sending her photos to FinWave.
Any sightings of this family group are of great interest because of the saga of T109A3A earlier this year. The little whale had become isolated in a tidal lagoon near Zeballos in March following the accidental death of her young mother. A huge and successful effort was made by First Nations and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to encourage the little two year old to return to the open ocean. The Ehattesaht First Nation who were essential to the operation gave T109A3A her name,”Kʷiisaḥiʔis or “Brave Little Hunter“. For further details about Brave Little Hunter visit Bay Cetology.
Over dinner we continued to discuss how this family have been sighted on this “side” of Vancouver Island before but how the family have been more often seen on the West Coast. Jared has told us that “Brave Little Hunter” has not yet been re-sighted with any of her 5 extended families. She has been only seen once since her rescue and that was near Friendly Cove on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Kʷiisaḥiʔis was not seen with the T109A2s on this day either. The T109A2s carried on east past Alert Bay and into Beaver Cove by 9:40am.
Meanwhile, we turned our attention back to Queen Charlotte Strait where Troy at Bere Point reported eastbound Northern Residents at 8:20am. This sighting developed with additional reports. At 9:55am, fourteen to fifteen Northern Residents were counted passing Lizard Point on Malcolm Island.
While we contemplated the potential return of Resident orcas, the four Bigg’s orcas in Beaver Cove left to the west passing Hidden Cove at 10:08am. Between 10:45am and 10:50am, other Bigg’s orcas, the T060s, travelled silently north through Blackney Pass. The two brothers, T060D and T060E, were not with the other members of their family. As they most often travel independently.
Finally at 12:45pm we heard our first faint Resident calls as they neared Blackfish Sound. Not long after, between 1:30 and 1:37pm, distant then close I15 calls were heard off Strider beach. The I65s were returning from the east where they had spent the night and morning. They began a rub at 1:40pm. It was a short effort and they were soon on their way west.
The others had, by this time, dropped “down” from Blackfish into Blackney. The A25s came closer to the Lab with the A23s more mid channel. Four of the A54s were also closer but the rest were scattered to the far side. The I4s were identified on the far side.
The count was now 24!
When in the Strait these groups crossed over toward the Vancouver Island side from 3:38pm on. From there they followed the Vancouver Island shore to west of Robson Bight where they had a rub at Kaizumi from 3:51pm until 4:16pm. Although not everyone rubbed all the groups were heard in the vicinity during this time.
At 4:30pm, the A62s (of the A34 matriline) were seen travelling south through Blackney Pass. This was a return visit as they had been absent since August 31. They too were closer to the Hanson Island side. It took them until 4:46pm to manage Blackney Pass.
The count was now 29!
Others had already proceeded to Robson Bight by 4:48pm.
Afterwards, there was a succession of rubs at Strider as the groups kept intentions on travelling east. The first and longest went from 5:16pm until 5:53pm. At least seven individuals, including A61, were involved. Someone merely touched Main beach at 6:14pm. After this there were two more very short rubs, from 6:21 – 6:23pm and 7:28 – 7:29pm. Calls ended at 8:20pm as the groups went past the Ecological Reserve.
Two hours earlier, while in Alert Bay to drop off Jérémie’s parents and get groceries for our assistants, Claire and Jérémie were at the Government Dock getting ready to come back to Hanson Island when a giant fin appeared between the dock and the shore. This male had a very distinctive nick. They had seen him just a few hours earlier in Blackney Pass, and identified him with almost no doubt as T060C. He swam under the dock and resurfaced in the direction of the ferry terminal, along with the other members of his family. Their blows were so loud in this quiet evening in the Bay, and their proximity to the shore wasn’t unnoticed, especially by a dog who started barking at them!
With the Residents out of earshot the beginning of the night was claimed by a humpback who at 9:32pm began with some “warm-up” exercises that developed into some great sound. A hint as to what will be, come Autumn – No longer really that far away, less than two weeks now!
