A rare, quiet night fell over the lab as the Northern Resident groups remained out to the west. The silence was broken shortly after 5am with chatty Pacific White-Sided dolphins, and a beautiful, clear dawn broke shortly after, bathing the lab in silky, orange light. The month of ‘Fogust’ seems to have ended, right on cue.
We received a report from Troy at Bere Point of some I15 and A clan calls between 4:43am and 6:45am, but unsure of their direction. We did not need to wait long as, fortunately, we began to hear the A30s first again in Blackfish Sound at 8am. Their calls didn’t last for long, and we received another report of them at the Egeria Shoals just off the NW tip of Swanson Island, a popular feeding spot for Northern Residents and humpbacks, too.
The orcas remained in Queen Charlotte Strait for some time, before finally heading back in our direction in the afternoon. At 1:58pm we heard their calls, and saw our first fins a few minutes later. The I04s, A23s, A25s and some of the A54s made their way into Blackney Pass from the north, and we were able to recognize several of their prominent fins. They made some beautiful vocals. We noted that they must have “dropped off” the I65s and I27 boys the night before (perhaps gone to join the I16s further west?).
Once they cleared our view, we continued to monitor them from the Parson Island hydrophone as they foraged and called in the boundary waters of Blackney Pass and Johnstone Strait from 2:30pm. We were ‘deaf’ in the Strait as technician Quin performed some much needed upgrades to our radio links between Parson Island and Cracroft, but we were still able to ascertain – through our ears and a smattering of reports – that the groups had all gone west. At 5pm, the I4s were off Blinkhorn, and the A23s and A25s were just ahead near Telegraph Cove. The A54s were the last to head west, favouring the Hanson Island side around 5:30pm. No rubs were on the cards today!
A brief lull in their presence allowed us to enjoy another of Helena’s fantastic dinners, before they made themselves known in Blackfish Sound again at 7:16pm. I15, A30 and A5 calls were all audible, and grew steadily louder over the next couple of hours. We wondered if – in the dwindling light – they might come by once more, but a starry blanket eventually enveloped the sky and their calls ceased shortly before 10pm.
