EncDate:21/06/24 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:54

ObservBegin:10:40 AM

ObservEnd:10:50 AM

Vessel:KCB III

Staff:Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss

Other Observers:Rachel John, Arlene Vargas, Alondra Caro Ruiz

Pods:Bigg's killer whales

LocationDescr:Boundary Pass

Start Latitude:48 40.53

Start Longitude:123 08.78

End Latitude:48 40.72

End Longitude:123 09.17

 

EncSummary:

We were working in the office when we heard that the lone adult male Bigg’s killer whale, T51, was found in Boundary Pass. While T51 has visited the area several times in the past, he isn’t in the San Juans all that often. He was heading southwest towards us, so we decided to go out and take a quick look at him. We headed down to Snug Harbor and left in the boat at 1114. After heading through Johns Pass, we arrived on scene just a little northeast of Johns Pass at 1040. T51 was traveling at a medium pace and had been heading southwest until he was about a quarter mile off the north side of Johns Island. He then turned northwest and began paralleling the John and Stuart Islands shorelines. We got one photo-ID pass on his left side and then ended the encounter at 1050 off Johns Pass.