EncDate:15/11/24 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:122

ObservBegin:08:50 AM

ObservEnd:12:30 PM

Vessel:KCB III

Staff:Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss

Other Observers:Monika Wieland Shiels, Jason Shields, Molly Henling, Sara Hysong-Shimazu

Pods:J, K

LocationDescr:Admiralty Inlet

Start Latitude:47 55.68

Start Longitude:122 28.95

End Latitude:48 04.04

End Longitude:122 37.60

 

EncSummary:The morning began with reports of Southern Residents heading north near the bottom of Admiralty Inlet. The team geared up and left Shilshole Marina by 0815. We headed north and saw our first whale by 0850 in Useless Bay, northwest of Maxwelton. This was J45 and he appeared to be foraging by himself. He was heading southeast when we first saw him but he soon turned around and traveled back north. We got another report that said whales had passed Double Bluff heading north so J45 must have been the trailing whale.  

We headed north and found the rest of the whales a little north of Double Bluff at 0905. J and K pods were spread out across Admiralty Inlet in singles and small groups. Several of the individuals appeared to be foraging while several of the groups appeared to be social as they headed north. J39 and other spread-out whales passed us on our east side while several small groups passed us to the west. One social group included J42, J46, K36, K43, and K45 and they rolled by us all tactile and splashing. The K16s were briefly with this group but they moved ahead to the northwest. We also had J19, J41, and J58 pass us in a group while J51 came porpoising by, by himself, a little later. J31 and J56 also passed us a short time afterwards.  

The J42, J46, K36, K43, and K45 group continued to socialize as they headed north up Admiralty so they were our best option for the drone and hydrophone project. The K16s had moved on but the group had acquired K27 and, briefly, K14, K42, and J49. The group remained active and vocal while we were with them. We ended the encounter at 1230 after taking a brief look at K33 as he headed north mid-channel off Lagoon Point.