EncDate:09/07/24 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:69

ObservBegin:10:38 AM

ObservEnd:12:08 AM

Vessel:Mike 1

Staff:Dave Ellifrit, Mark Malleson

Other Observers:Joe Zelwietro

Pods:L

LocationDescr:west of Swiftsure Bank

Start Latitude:48 26.86

Start Longitude:125 04.47

End Latitude:48 30.07

End Longitude:125 06.52

 

EncSummary:

On the final day of CWR’s outer-coast survey, Mark, Joe and Dave departed Bamfield early in hopes of beating the incoming wind to killer whales. Using their hydrophone, the team were able to detect Southern Resident calls near where they had been left the afternoon prior. After a few movements east and south, they were able to roughly triangulate and spot several northeast-bound killer whales along the horizon.
The whales appeared to be approaching – from the south – the same area they had been feeding at for the last two days. Perhaps they had moved off to the southwest overnight and were now returning to a fruitful area? In any case, the first whales photographed included the bulky L115, and L88 with a few tagalong males many years his junior, L122 and L123. The whales were generally heading northeast, back to the spot the team had observed them on each of the two previous days.
It was nice to document L88, after having not observed any of the L54 subgroup the previous day, but given that he had been observed near members of K pod, rather than his typical companions L54, L108 and L117, the guys could not be sure that any other L54s were present. Fortunately, after some tail-lobbing from a distant female, L88 and a nearby bull bolted off to the east, taking Mike 1 and crew to L54 (the tail-lobber) and L108 (the nearby bull).
As the whales continued their progression up-swell into building a northwesterly breeze, and seeing no sign of yet-unidentified whales, the team ended the encounter at and began the near-20 nautical mile journey back to the coast. Given the whales observed, it can only be concluded that the 18 Ls and the L54s were present, but given the encounters the previous two days, the team was reasonably certain the others were not far.