The day started with calls from A34, her two sons, A55, A80 and daughter A96 and her A132 and A34’s second oldest daughter, A67’s group, at 12:27am. The whales lingered off the eastern end of the Ecological Reserve, around Main and Strider Rubbing Beach, during the early hours of September 24th. Interestingly, they did not stop for a rub before eventually moving west. By 7am, their calls were heard west of Robson Bight as their westbound travels continued, about an hour later their calls were also picked up on Cracroft Point. Meanwhile, Alex reported the A62s, who had returned from Queen Charlotte Strait offshore of Donegal Head, heading into Blackfish Sound around 7:43am.
While the A62s (A34’s oldest daughter’s group) remained in Blackfish Sound, A34’s and A67’s groups entered Blackney Pass from the south by 8:46am. Slightly spread out, and headed north, with the A67s in the lead, they passed the deck in the bright glare of the morning light, their silhouettes just visible. By 9:25am, the last fin had cleared the Lab’s view to the north..
Meanwhile, the A62s moved south through Weynton Passage into Johnstone Strait, leaving behind the rest of their family to enjoy Blackfish Sound and Queen Charlotte Strait. The presence of the A62s, now in Johnstone Strait was confirmed by 10:44am. Continuing east, they paused at Kaizumi Rubbing Beach for a three-minute rub at 1:41pm before carrying on. By 3:21pm, they appeared on the Critical Point remote camera, lingering without clear direction for a while before resuming their eastward travel.
The rest of A62’s family were reported at 2:38pm offshore of Donegal Head, and after going through Weynton Passage, much as the A62s had done earlier, they were sighted between Weynton Island and Telegraph Cove around 3:30pm. So now all of A34’s family was in Johnstone Strait.
Shortly before 4pm the A62s reached Strider Rubbing Beach, where a series of rubbing sessions unfolded: a 27-minute rub beginning at 3:56pm, offering clear and beautiful footage both above and below water, followed by a four-minute session at Main Rubbing Beach at 4:32pm. Returning to Strider, they rubbed for two minutes at 4:52pm, and after a short pause began another seven-minute session at 5:14pm, which was eventually interrupted by dolphins before the whales turned west.
The A34s and A67s meanwhile elected to have turned around and move back north in Weynton Passage toward Blackfish Sound where their calls were picked up in Blackfish Sound by 5:41pm once again. Clear calls continued there until fading after 9:30pm. A single clear call close to Flower Island around 9pm confirmed their continuing presence. The A62s remained active past the Ecological Reserve in Johnstone Strait.
About two hours later, multiple blows were heard in Blackney Pass and then calls on Parson Island and the entrance to Blackney Pass as the A34 orcas previously in Blackfish moved toward Johnstone Strait. As these whales entered the Strait, calls grew more frequent and excited with all the A34s, once again, in Johnstone Strait. In the later hours, the final calls from this day came from Critical Point.
It was a fascinating day, marked by the interplay between the different A34 matrilines. Observing when they split apart and when they rejoined is always remarkable. Today seemed almost certain to bring a meeting in Blackfish Sound, yet instead the A62s travelled into the Strait while the A34s and A67s moved west. But by the day’s end, the groups had most likely finally reunited.
