The Lab’s night shifts experienced a rare uneventful night! Regardless, the Residents found their way back to Johnstone Strait from Blackfish Sound. Nothing was heard from 8:41pm the previous evening until 6:10am when the A25s were heard. They had yet to reach Strider Beach but were headed that way. Calls toggled between the Vancouver Island hydrophones until 7:43am when the A25s drew near Strider and their calls grew louder. A rub seemed imminent but the first morning rub didn’t didn’t happen there, rather further west at 7:56am and involved some of the A23s. It was a fairly decent rub ending at 8:20am Meanwhile further east, off Strider, Surge or A61 was busy foraging offshore. His niece, Cordero and grand niece, Twilight were nearby. This little family shrugged off any desire to rub at Strider but halted off Main before continuing eastward leaving off the other Residents in the Strait to move away in the opposite direction.
Surge’s A25s would not return. They would pass, still going east, the Adam River at 1:26pm.
Around 9am while a humpback growled and grunted unseen somewhere off the entrance to Blackney Pass, the other Residents moved west. Most likely hugging the Vancouver Island shore as their calls were only ever faint on our hydrophones. These calls lasted until 11:34am when they journeyed into Weynton Pass. They would soon meet the incoming and returning I65s who had been seen travelling east along Malcolm Island’s north shore at 12:21pm. The A23s headed that direction at 1pm. The meeting of the I4s, A54s and A23s with the I65s would happen in Weynton Passage.
Alex, watching the whole scene described the spyhopping and quiet floating surface behaviours as these families came together before 2pm.
Some time would pass as the groups shuffled themselves off the western end of Blackfish.
Even though they gradually revealed an intent to head east in Blackfish Sound they would not make Blackney until 4:25pm.
The wait was well worth it. This was a beautiful pass through Blackney. It began modestly with 4 individuals on the farside. Two brief A30 (A54) calls hinted as to who they might be. But these calls were followed by A5 calls diverting attention back towards the north. We were rewarded by A60’s entrance not far off Burnt Point. He then turned and momentarily disappeared. A large group of over charged dolphins rushed mid channel and would be a presence during the rest of the day.
The I65s appeared altogether close to Hanson Island. When they moved opposite the Lab they stopped, floated and waited. It was a spellbinding and quieting moment. A60 then reappeared with his family.
The original four individuals, unnoticed by us, had gone back out of view only to reappear in their A54 family group even closer to Hanson Island. The others had by this time advanced further south and were beginning to go out of sight of the Lab.
Once in Johnstone Strait, even though spread out, collectively their focus was eastward. Some passed Robson Bight at 6:40pm while others, already ahead, neared Strider around the sametime.
Someone from the I65s had a short rub at 7:02pm before continuing east. This made room for A60, although surrounded by dolphins, to move in at 7:10pm. Other members of his family followed between 7:19 and 7:24pm. The A54s were staying offshore. Four minutes after the A23s, the I4s arrived in a very close group. Dolphins, still there had at one point moved offshore only to return in a rush.
The rub ended at 7:37pm with the whales going to the east. They made short work of the day when their calls ended at 9:14pm. They would return but only after midnight when another day’s story would begin.
