Calls in Johnstone Strait after midnight were almost inevitable. The A54s, A23s, A25s and I4s had stalled in Blackfish for quite a while but as their calls faded they were preparing to make passage through Weynton. When they were barely into Johnstone Strait their calls were, of course, distant from any of our hydrophone and therefore very hard to hear. They stayed that way until nearly 3am. But we sensed they made progress during those hours. The gradual shift into the Critical Point hydrophone range allowed us to place them past Cracroft Point and on their way toward the Ecological Reserve. But it was not until 5:22am that the whales were actually close to Critical Point. Then their calls were loud. This means it took them from midnight to almost 6am to come abreast of Robson Bight. Mighty slow and no particular rush would characterize their movement. By now we knew for certain we were listening to the A54s. As a precursor to the inevitable rub there were loud A5 and A54 calls as the orcas neared Strider Beach. Joined by some of the A54s, the I4s had a six minute rub beginning at 5:59am.
Finished at the beach the orcas packed up off to the west. Their calls grew faint quickly but still lasted until 8:41am. Their journey to the west was much more efficient. By 9:07am orcas were reported off Telegraph Cove. For us distant A5 calls registered at 9:21am.
As a point of interest, the A42s were at Rebecca Spit (mid Quadra Island) heading east toward Marina Island at 10:53am.
Hearing that the I4s were easting along the Vancouver Island shoreline near Kaikash Creek by 11:26am we began to anticipate a possible entry into Blackney Pass. Sure enough, the A23s came in first. It was foggy. Alas, we had spoken too soon of the clearing September skies. The afternoon sun and heat have just been too effective and a morning, lingering fog has been the result.
Because of this all our pictures of the whales were shrouded in fog. But still because the A23s chose to travel mid channel we were able to do some identifications regardless. The A25s and I4s followed the A23s into the fog and Blackfish Sound. Once again calls lasted in Blackfish Sound, this time until 1:10pm. And once again the orcas circled around Hanson Island and back into the Strait by 3:58pm.
But this time, the whales did not take forever getting to the Ecological Reserve. The A25s were there first by 4:30pm. Specifically young Cordero and Twilight had first try. They were followed by Uncle Surge after a few minutes. He too pulled away to the west when done at 4:44pm. The I4s began their own session at 4:56pm and when the Pacific White-sided dolphins came in they finished up and left to the west too. Now it was the A54s turn. Making funky N12s they rubbed until 5:26pm and then, like the others, left to the west. So all were done and going in the same direction.
Back when the groups were in Blackfish Sound in the afternoon and decided to go back to the Strait, the A23s stayed. That changed around 5:50pm when they too went toward the Strait via Blackney Pass. When they reached the Strait after 6pm they angled eastward then changed their attitude to the west. This gave time and room for the A54s, A25s and I4s to approach Blackney Pass by 7:54pm. The A23s then backtracked and entered Blackney too.
All for one, the A54s, A25s, I4s and A23s families ended up in Blackfish Sound. Calls were short lived and ended ten minutes after the last whale entered Blackfish. This day ended with these calls at 8:41pm and the whales headed to the setting sun.
