September 19 started off with a humpback whale very active at the entrance of Blackney Pass, its slaps and grunts picked up on both the Cracroft Point and Parson Island hydrophones. Close to 2:00am, the A34s entered the hydrophone network once again, returning from the east. Their calls remained faint and infrequent in the early hours, heard on both Main and Strider Rubbing Beach. Around 5:00am, the beautiful vocals of a humpback were picked up again in Blackfish Sound, resonating through the Lab.
Meanwhile, A34 calls continued faintly in the east of Johnstone Strait until the A67s came to Strider Rubbing Beach at 7:40am for an eight-minute rub. Continuing westward, they moved deep into Robson Bight about 20 minutes later before carrying on along the Vancouver Island shoreline. With the A67s in the lead, the rest of the A34’s lagged behind. A34, her sons, A55 and A80 and youngest daughter, A96 with her little one, A132, stopped for a six-minute rub at Strider Rubbing Beach at 9:36am. The A62s were not seen yet although it was believed they had gone east too. At the same time, four Bigg’s, maybe the T060s, passed the Lab at 9:26am, clearing the view by 9:54am.
The A67s continued west, reported off Little Kaikash by 11:20am and reaching Blinkhorn half an hour later. As their calls faded with distance, clearer calls were picked up again on Strider Rubbing Beach, suggesting the group had spread out. By 2:39pm, 14 orcas were reported off Telegraph Cove, very spread out and travelling west. This number of orcas suggests that the A62s were now there as well.
The whales eventually turned around and their calls grew louder again on Kaizumi Rubbing Beach shortly after 3:00pm. With the groups spread out, their exact movements became harder to follow: at 3:35pm someone was seen heading east on the Cracroft Point remote camera, while about 40 minutes later a fin passed west at Cracroft Point. Most likely, A34’s group and the A67s continued east, while the A62s struck out on their own once they reached the entrance of Blackney Pass. They then passed the Lab northbound at 7:13pm and soon after, Blackfish Sound filled with their clear, close calls – with not a single boat around.
Around the same time, the other groups reached Strider and Main Rubbing Beach. With A34 calls both in the Strait and in Blackfish Sound, their voices were joined by the I16ss returning from the east around 8:00pm. After going quiet briefly, they were heard distantly about 50 minutes later. The A62s remained loud and clear until 9:00pm, then faded by 9:36pm as they possibly moved through Weynton.
While the I16s and A34s grew very clear on Strider Rubbing Beach, a humpback came close to the Lab under cover of darkness. Its trumpeting and whooping shook the entire building. A second humpback entered from the north, breaching as it moved east. Feeling their power and strength from shore left a lasting impression on everyone.
At the same time the I16s and A34s became very excited, with the I16s clearly heard on Main Rubbing Beach around 10:00pm before getting more distant once again. Around then, the humpback’s whoops were finally picked up on the Parson Island hydrophone as one shifted into that area. Sporadic A34 and I16 calls in the east of the Strait carried into the night.
On a different note, this day also brought goodbyes. Olivia – our amazing boat driver and Lab assistant since the very start of the season – departed, along with Karien and Thomas, returning to Belgium. Their warmth, energy, and humor will be deeply missed. Paul and Helena also left the island to attend a Potlatch in Alert Bay, leaving behind a smaller group to carry on.
Words by Freddy
