A singular report from yesterday stood out. Troy at Bere Point reported at 6:56pm seeing a large group of orcas inbound. We were not sure how to originally incorporate this report which seemed, because of the timing, to be unrelated to the A54s and A62s who we had been listening to for most of the day and into the evening further east in Blackfish Sound. Troy’s report, the location and time of the inbound whales really suggested that another group was in play. We were later certain the A54s passed through Blackney Pass into Johnstone Strait between 8 and 9pm. But the A62s never came through. Had they gone to meet up with the inbound group? Because of events that were to follow we wondered if Troy’s group might just have been the I16s who are part of the I15 acoustic group like the I4s and I65s.
But this is getting ahead of what happened on September 15th.
The A54s and I15 groups were in Johnstone Strait come midnight. It is still too hard to tell the four I15 matrilines apart acoustically but we know that at least the I4s and I65s were already in the Strait. One of the groups went for a rub west of Robson Bight between 1:16am and 1:20am. From there it was Critical Point by 2:28am and Strider by 3:07am. Not particularly fast going. Another rub, this time very short, involved both the A54s and some of the I15s who continued east for a while longer before turning around. The A54s reapproached the Strider area from the east between 4am and 4:30am. Within two hours the A54s were nearer Robson Bight once more. Another hour brought them and the I15s closer to Kaizumi. It was closer to 8am when the groups drew nearer Cracroft Point. Within a half hour the A54s along with the I4s and I65s began to traverse Blackney Pass together.
This was Olivia’s last morning at the Lab and as she was to depart soon this seemed fitting. Olivia has been a great help as our trusty boat driver and much, much more. Her lively good humour and kindness will be missed. We were all there on the shore to have a hug and wish her well before the Sonic departed.
Olivia was gone long before the A54s and the I15s reached the western end of Blackfish Sound. We listened to their calls grow faint by 10:51am.
We had not long to wait before we heard the whales come out from Weynton Pass at 11:18am. The Ambient Light informed us at 11:33am that the orcas were already at Blinkhorn. By 12:40pm, the first of the A54s were already crossing the area adjacent to the entrance to Blackney Pass. The advantage they had found with the flooding tide then worked against their efforts to move into Blackney. They clustered, broke free, turned, tried harder. The first four finally made it by 1:07pm. While some I15 individuals continued with the current making three “chuffs” on Kaizumi Beach at 3:14pm as they went east, the rest of the A54s still struggled determinedly to get into Blackney Pass. They made beautiful calls and clear echolocation in spite of the strenuous effort. Just before 2pm, more of the A54s arrived in Blackney, followed by more at 2:06pm. Once in, the way seemed a little less arduous but it still took the A54s an hour to get to Blackfish Sound.
The I15s had Johnstone Strait to themselves and as the A54s continued to call in Blackfish Sound the I15s went for a rub at Strider at 3:52pm. The underwater footage was stunning, the rub over far too quickly. After 3:58pm the I15s continued to call and echolocate and someone made a quick pass over Strider at 4:23pm.
The A54s were still a presence in Blackfish at 5pm, the I15s were so in Johnstone Strait. I76 and I45 were among five who had yet another rub at 6:08pm. This one lasted seven minutes.
Developments in Blackfish Sound looked promising when Nicolette reported at 7:13pm that 4 – 6 orcas who were off Bold Head were moving east. But nothing came of this, at least not immediately. From 10pm until 11:45pm there were only faint I15 calls in Johnstone Strait.
Everything changed two minutes later when Bigg’s orcas began to vocalise in Johnstone Strait.. We will have to save the details for tomorrow’s report as what followed was after midnight. Hint, it was amazing!
