Superb sounds!!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!

Paul & Helena

31 Oct 2011 22:12:53 PST


Distant calls audible.
We've been hearing transient orca calls, but aren't sure where they're from.

Helena

31 Oct 2011 00:12:25 PST

No orcas present.
There were dolphin calls throughout the early morning hours starting from about 2:30am. The calls became closer around 3:30am - 4am. This was the first dolphin calls in a while - wonder if the dolphins who have been east are arriving back here.

Helena

30 Oct 2011 08:06:21 PST

No orcas present.
All's quiet out there today. Business as usual for the sea lions. Watched an eagle snatch a big chum salmon from a sea lion and then try to figure out how to hang on to it as it struggled. The sea lion looked seriously miffed. Humpbacks went back an forth but at a distance. The ocean was calm for most of the day with a lovely gentle very high new moon tide. All in all a nice day in Blackney Pass.

Helena

28 Oct 2011 22:08:23 PDT

Superb sounds!!
Too bad about the boat noise... the transient calls continue. Judging by the echo location and whistles they may be close to Robson Bight.
Helena
27 Oct 2011 05:48:13 PDT

Superb sounds!! These transient calls are happening in Johnstone Strait! Helena 27 Oct 2011 05:05:28 PDT

Orcas near mics.
Boy things can happen quickly around here! We spotted a group of transients coming in from johnstone Strait. They were close to Hanson Island. They made the sea lions very nervous as they gave them a really close look. They continued along Hanson and as they rounded the corner a humpback began calling over on the other side! Whew! The transients are in Blackfish and the humpback....?
Helena
26 Oct 2011 12:12:00 PDT

Distant calls audible.
Thought the humpbacks had quieted down - not quite! There is someone making a few calls in Johnstone Strait. There is also a very slow boat headed east making a lot of noise. Heard dolphins in the night around 4:20am.
Helena
25 Oct 2011 06:33:37 PDT

No orcas present.
We had a couple of humpbacks pass the Lab this morning heading south with a group of dolphins all around. This is the first dolphins we have seen for a while. 3 dolphins headed in the same direction earlier by themselves. The humpbacks (were there actually 3?) were our side of Blackney Pass but did not present their tails. One of the humpbacks looked like "Nick" BCX0565. They were vocal in Blackney and again as they got into Johnstone Strait. Last night's humpbacks off Critical Point were spectacular. Thanks "Haywire" for the report on the dolphins - simply amazing!
Helena
23 Oct 2011 12:22:22 PDT

Orcas near mics.
Close and wonderful humpback calls continue near Robson Bight and transients are vocal in Blackfish Sound at the same time.
Helena
22 Oct 2011 23:51:21 PDT

Orcas near mics. The humpbacks are busy tonight both in Johnstone Strait and Blackney Pass. The tug has moved into Blackfish Sound. Helena 22 Oct 2011 21:15:02 PDT

Superb sounds!! Fabulous humpback calls! This time near Robson Bight. Helena 22 Oct 2011 20:24:59 PDT

Orcas near mics. For much of the later part of the afternoon we were aware of a rather breathy humpback in Blackfish Sound. Just a short while ago we heard calls in Blackney Pass. We believe these were also humpback sounds. Helena 22 Oct 2011 19:48:55 PDT

Orcas near mics. These transients have not gone away! They are still vocal in Blackfish Sound. Helena 22 Oct 2011 15:05:15 PDT

Distant calls audible. We had a short power outage and when we turned the scanner back on there were transient calls in Blackfish Sound! Helena 22 Oct 2011 13:22:10 PDT

Superb sounds!!
We're hearing occasional and very lovely humpback vocalisations in Blackfish Sound!
Helena
20 Oct 2011 03:12:10 PDT

Superb sounds!!
The transients continue in Johnstone Strait and a humpback is warming up near Parson island.
Helena
19 Oct 2011 20:41:31 PDT

Orcas near mics. The transients may have moved further east. Very clear calls on the Critical Point system. Helena 19 Oct 2011 19:07:30 PDT

Orcas near mics. The transients have moved on on further into Johnstone Strait. They are still close enough to the entrance to be heard also on Parson Island but most of the calls and the loudest are offshore of Cracroft Point. Continuous calls. The humpback scene in front of the Lab has calmed down. There was a lot of feeding going on much to the excitement of the birds! Helena 19 Oct 2011 17:44:28 PDT

Superb sounds!! Humpback and transient calls in Blackfish Sound - what a day! Helena 19 Oct 2011 14:32:08 PDT

Superb sounds!! The transients were very interesting. They came into Blackney Pass and went all the way past Parson Island and then turned. This was the group of females and "kids". The "kids" turnde first but were joined by the "Mums" by the time they were back opposite the Lab mid channel. T20 was seen coming into Blackney Pass as the turn was in progress. He was mid channel as well. The other group passed him, breaching as they went north. T20 then turned and followed them out. T21 may have been there as well. A humpback came into Blackney Pass parallel to the transients. Tried to see who this was because this may have been the vocal humpback from earlier. The HB did not oblige. The transients are in Blackfish now. Helena 19 Oct 2011 12:15:53 PDT

Orcas near mics. We have been listening to transient calls in Blackfish Sound and humpback calls in Blackney Pass. Both at the same time! Helena 19 Oct 2011 11:11:21 PDT

Superb sounds!! The humpback calls have moved from Blackney to Blackfish Sound. They are lovely and continuous. Helena 19 Oct 2011 03:36:48 PDT

Superb sounds!!
So incredible! Humpbacks in the night! Moving around the entrance to Blackney Pass.
Helena
18 Oct 2011 20:34:15 PDT

Superb sounds!! Humpback calls in Blackney Pass close to Parson Island. Helena 18 Oct 2011 19:09:01 PDT

Orcas near mics. The calls were on Flower Island in Blackfish Sound. Now boat noise! Helena 18 Oct 2011 13:46:28 PDT

Orcas near mics. Interesting, day time and humpbacks chuffing away! I'll let you know where when we locate the sounds. Helena 18 Oct 2011 13:42:25 PDT

No orcas present. We actually had a quiet night (at least we were not aware of any calls). Did wake up around 2am because someone was breaching and tailslapping continuously and at the start, close to the house. before we went to bed two humpbacks passed very close to the Lab so they are using this side quite often now. This morning, there were humpbacks close and distant spread out around this part of Balckney. Interesting they have grown quieter since the transients the other day. The sea lion numbers are down as well. Coincidence? Helena 18 Oct 2011 11:03:10 PDT

Distant calls audible. The transients are in Blackfish Sound now, perhaps after going out through Weynton Pass. They have been vocal for hours now. There were humpback calls again as well.Helena 16 Oct 2011 23:26:40 PDT Distant calls audible. We think the transients headed off to the west keeping to Johnstone Strait. Helena 16 Oct 2011 22:35:55 PDT Orcas near mics. These transient calls are on Critical Point (near Robson Bight). Earlier today we had a group of transients in Blackney Pass They looked like they killed a sea lion in Parson Bay (opposite the Lab) and it looked like the same group who has been around for the last several days - the T46Cs, T49Bs and T49As. They were quite far away from us but the profile was very similar. Also, when these calls started we heard humpbacks as well. Both may be in johnstone Strait. Helena 16 Oct 2011 19:38:44 PDT

Performing maintenance We've shut the encoding computer down, so we can continue a job in the lab, hope to be back up in a few hours... apologies for the inconvenience! Helena 16 Oct 2011 11:12:55 PDT

Superb sounds!! Fabulous humpback song again in Blackfish Sound! Helena 16 Oct 2011 04:37:11 PDT