EncDate:05/04/24 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:30

ObservBegin:01:17 PM

ObservEnd:01:24 PM

Vessel:KCB III

Staff:Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss

Pods:Bigg's killer whales

LocationDescr:Spieden Channel

Start Latitude:48 37.67

Start Longitude:123 09.74

End Latitude:48 37.60

End Longitude:123 10.26

 

EncSummary:

Michael and Dave were working in the office when they decided to act upon reports of multiple groups of Bigg’s in Spieden and San Juan Channels. There were a pair of whales in Spieden and the the T124As with T87 were in SJ Channel. The T124As would be a good group to get the drone over but we needed another drone team person. Our plan was to drop by Friday Harbor on our way to the T124As and pick up Sara Hysong-Shimazu with the possibility of seeing the pair of whales in Spieden Channel (which no one was on at the moment) on the way. Michael and Dave left in KCB3 at 1300 and headed through Mosquito Pass. We turned east into Spieden Channel and Michael soon spotted the pair just a little east of the east entrance to Roche Harbor and the encounter started at 1317. The two whales were T19 and T19B and they were traveling slowly west. We were with them for two series of surfacings and got some rights on them but they were not arching much. We left them at 1324 off the west entrance to Roche Harbor heading west towards Battleship Island. After leaving the whales we headed down San Juan Channel towards Friday Harbor to pick up Sara.

Photos taken under Federal Permits

NMFS PERMIT: 27038/DFO SARA 388