EncDate:29/07/24 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:77

ObservBegin:04:49 PM

ObservEnd:05:58 PM

Vessel:Mike 1

Staff:Mark Malleson

Pods:J

LocationDescr:East Sooke

Start Latitude:48 18.47

Start Longitude:123 46.34

End Latitude:48 18.32

End Longitude:123 51.05

 

EncSummary:

Around mid-morning, Mark received a report that Southern Resident killer whales had been spotted in the fog north of Port Angeles, heading northwest towards Race Rocks. The commercial boat that sighted them believed they may have seen K26 in the mix. J pod had been reported the previous evening, heading south in the Strait of Georgia near East Point. It was possible that Ks, and perhaps even the Ls, had entered the Juan de Fuca Strait and met up with the Js. Alternatively, it was possible that with the poor visibility, K26 might have been mistaken for the fast-growing J38. 

Mark received a call from Michael, who inquired if he would be heading out on Mike 1 to confirm the identity of the group. By mid-afternoon, the fog had lifted, and reports indicated that the whales were now slightly south of Race Rocks, still heading northwest and angling towards East Sooke Park, so Mark quickly mobilized Mike 1. 

At 1649, while transiting through Race Passage, Mark spotted his first whales as one breached offshore of Church Rock. As he approached, he observed 3 or 4 individuals spread out, moving towards Becher Bay. The first whale he identified was J58, who was foraging alongside her grandmother, J19. At one point, it appeared that J19 caught something and shared it with J58 before they separated and continued westward. Mark then spotted J58's mother, J41, and her older brother, J51. He also noticed what he initially thought was a large male sprouter offshore, which turned out to be 21-year-old J39.  

With no further signs of whales on the horizon, Mark decided to head further south and west in the hopes of locating the leading group. Despite several miles of searching in the middle of the Strait and multiple binocular scans, he found no additional whales. While returning along the Canadian side, within a mile of the Sooke shoreline, he reacquired the original four whales and soon noticed more J pod members appearing offshore, beginning to group together. 

Mark successfully photographed additional individuals: J38, J45, and J37 with her two-year-old calf, J59. He confirmed the presence of J27 but was unable to get a clear photo before J27 went on a long foraging dive. Mark concluded the encounter at 1758, deciding it was time to return to Victoria. He was confident that the only Southern Resident killer whales in the area were members of J pod.