EncDate:05/11/24 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:114

ObservBegin:09:47 AM

ObservEnd:05:00 PM

Vessel:KCB III

Staff:Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss

Other Observers:Monika Wieland Shields, Jason Shields, Sara Hysong-Shimazu, Amanda Colbert

Pods:J

LocationDescr:Possession Triangle

Start Latitude:47 51.41

Start Longitude:122 24.88

End Latitude:47 52.00

End Longitude:122 25.00

 

EncSummary:

L pod was still in Saratoga Passage so we were planning on heading up there when we left Shilshole Marina in the morning. We had just gotten underway when we heard about a report of whales in the area south of Possession Point. We decided to go to the closest whales first. As we approached the area, we began seeing whales and the encounter began at 0947. J pod was extremely spread out and foraging-from the mainland to the peninsula side in the wide area south of Possession Point. We caught glimpses of various individuals as they foraged back and forth from almost shoreline to shoreline. J26 passed close by us heading south but most other whales foraged non-directionally in the distance in all directions. We ended the encounter in the middle of the triangle at 1355 after hearing that L pod was heading south down Saratoga Passage.  

After we left L pod later in the afternoon, we stopped by J pod again on the way home at about 1640. J pod was still spread out and foraging although many of them had moved closer to the mainland side. There was a general western movement although the whales were still milling and foraging. We ended the J pod encounter again at about 1700 pretty much right in the middle of the triangle.