EncDate:01/09/24 

EncSeq:1

Enc#:83

ObservBegin:07:40 AM

ObservEnd:08:34 AM

Vessel:Mike 1

Staff:Mark Malleson

Other Observers:Rod King, Cari Van Camp

Pods:Bigg's killer whales

 

LocationDescr:Race Rocks

Start Latitude:48 18.30

Start Longitude:123 35.18

End Latitude:48 17.57

End Longitude:123 31.88

 

EncSummary:

Mark and Fin left Victoria Harbour at 0700 after collecting Rod and Cari from Fisherman’s Wharf, eager to take advantage of the idyllic conditions in the Juan de Fuca Strait for a survey. As they entered Race Pass, Mark and Rod agreed that the strong ebb tide would likely drive killer whales eastward along the Vancouver Island shoreline.

Their instincts were spot on. Just moments later, Mark spotted a small pod of 3 or 4 individuals, including a mature bull, near Church Rock, heading east into Whirl Bay. The group was quickly identified as the T069 matriline: the matriarch, T069, accompanied by two of her three sons— twenty-nine-year-old T069C and fourteen-year-old T069F. The middle son, twenty-year-old T069E, has recently dispersed and has been seen several times over the last two weeks prowling the coastline between Sooke and Oak Bay on his own.

The Mike 1 team followed the trio along the Whirl Bay shoreline to Bentick Island, before crossing Race Pass and skirting the western and southern boundaries of the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve. No predation was observed during their 54-minute encounter, and as the team departed, the whales appeared to shift course to the 
Mark and Fin left Victoria Harbour at 0700 after picking up Rod and Cari at Fisherman's Wharf to take advantage of the idyllic conditions in the Juan de Fuca for a survey.
As they entered Race Pass Mark and Rod agreed that with the big ebb killer whales would likely be east bound along the Vancouver Island shoreline.
Sure enough! A minute later Mark spotted a group of 3 or 4 individuals, including a bull, at Church Rock heading east into Whirl Bay.
They were soon identified as the T069s; the matriarch, T069 along with two of her three sons, nineteen year old T069C and fourteen year old T069F. The middle son, twenty year old T069E has recently dispersed and had been seen a few times over the previous two weeks prowling around the coastline between Sooke and Oak Bay.
The Mike 1 team followed the trio along the shoreline of Whirl Bay to Bentick Island before crossing Race Pass and passing through the west and south edge of the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve. No successful predation was observed during the 54 minute encounter and they left them and it appeared they were leaving Race Rocks on a south east track.

*Two hours later they were relocated by a commercial whale watch boat who saw them prowling around in Race Rocks.