EncDate:18/06/24

EncSeq:1

Enc#:51

ObservBegin:10:27 AM

ObservEnd:10:57 AM

Vessel:KCB III

Staff:Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss

Other Observers:Rachel John, Taylor Redmond, Alondra Caro-Ruiz, Arlene Vargas

Pods:Bigg's killer whales

IDsEncountered:T65B, T65B1, T65B2, and T65B3

LocationDescr:Haro Strait

Start Latitude:48 34.34

Start Longitude:123 14.54

End Latitude:48 34.97

End Longitude:123 13.72

 

EncSummary:

After receiving reports of what we thought might be residents heading north off the County Park, the team met at Snug Harbor and left in the boat at 0938. The whales had been reported to have been taking long dives and the water was a little on the lumpy side so we were not seeing anything out front at first. Seeing as how they were being hard to find, we now suspected the whales were Bigg’s. We were looking to the north off Kellett Bluff when we received word from Tom Cogan that he had re-spotted them from shore back in the direction of Kelp Reef. We headed back that way and eventually spotted the whales a little to the north of Kelp Reef. The encounter started at 1027.

The whales were the four T65Bs and they were headed slowly northeast on a line towards Battleship Island in a tight group. We got one photo-ID pass on their right sides and then called it quits. We ended the encounter at 1057 mid-Haro Strait off South Kellett with the whales still traveling slowly northeast.