EncDate:05/11/24 

EncSeq:3

Enc#:116

ObservBegin:01:57 PM

ObservEnd:02:53 PM

Vessel:Mike 1

Staff:Mark Malleson

Other Observers:Brendon Bissonnette

Pods:Bigg's killer whales

LocationDescr:Oak Bay Flats

Start Latitude:48 23.28

Start Longitude:123 16.82

End Latitude:48 24.94

End Longitude:123 11.46

 

EncSummary:
On his morning whale-watching trip, Mark had spotted a group of Bigg’s killer whales and, taking advantage of the unusually calm and sunny November weather, decided to head out for an opportunistic encounter with the whales as they passed along the Victoria waterfront.

Brendon met Mark at the dock, and they departed from Victoria harbour aboard Mike 1 shortly after at 1343. Within ten minutes, they spotted the dorsal fins of several killer whales spread out to the south of Discovery Island. The whales were identified as the T035As and T046s, two matrilines of Bigg’s killer whales that have been travelling together consistently since October 21st.

As the team approached, they found T122 and T046F leading the charge eastward, with the remaining seven whales trailing about 300 metres behind. At 1411, the lead whales quickly altered their course, doubling back to rejoin the others in a single, tight group. Moments later, Mark and Brendon picked up the faint scent of a predation. However, with no noticeable shift in behaviour, it was hard to say for certain whether the whales had actually stumbled upon something. After their brief interaction, the group quickly scattered again, dispersing as abruptly as they’d gathered.

The team pressed on, paralleling T122 from a distance as she once again led the way, this time joined by T046E. Meanwhile, T046F veered off on a more southeasterly course. At one point, he was briefly seen chasing a murre near the surface, but he abandoned the pursuit after a single strike. 

Mark and Brendon decided to end the encounter as the whales began their approach towards Beaumont Shoals, on a northeasterly track up Haro Strait. They departed for Victoria at 1453.