Orcas near mics. The A30s and the I15s have made their way through Blackfish Sound and into Blackney Pass. They are taking the slack tide into Johnstone Strait. And although we heard A5 calls at the top end of Blackfish Sound we have not heard them with the others. Helena 31 Aug 2012 23:26:16 PDT Multiple pod calls audible. Sounds like the I15s, A5s & probably the A30s are coming back down Blackfish Sound. Calla are on the Flower Island hydrophone. Blue Moon is high is the sky, gorgeous night here! Helena 31 Aug 2012 21:27:03 PDT Distant calls audible. Here is what has happened: the I15s indeed went west and ended up going through Weynton Pass to ward the top end of blackfish Sounds. Sounds like the A30s waited there for them. The A23s (and the A25s) did follow the I15s west and out as well. We just heard them head out from Weynton Pass. Now what will all these groups do? we thought we could still hear the A34s who went north earlier with the A35s. Perhaps they won't go too far away on this night of the Blue Moon. Helena 31 Aug 2012 19:40:59 PDT Superb sounds!! A busy day with whales everywhere. The A34s and A35s who we are listening to just went north through Blackney Pass from Johnstone Strait. The A34s came from the east, passed the Sophias at 3:30pm, then CP and finally Blackney Pass. We think the A35s came from the west along Hanson Island and followed the A34s into Blackney Pass. I15s could be heard in the Strait and there were blows opposite Big Bay that seemed to turn and go back to the west. A60 popped up in front of CP ahead of the A34s but perhaps continued west well behind the I15s. He was heavily foraging so we are not sure of his direction. The rest of his group were not seen so we will have to wait a bit for more info. Meanwhile the A8s entered Nodales Channel around 3:30pm when all this movement was going on in the Strait and Blackney. Helena  31 Aug 2012 18:10:18 PDT Distant calls audible. The A30s are almost through Blackney Pass. They were quite vocal for a time but are quiet now entering Blackfish Sound. We recently heard a few A34 calls in Johnstone Strait. Apparently they halted their western movement at 10:30am when mobbed by 300 dolphins and returned to Robson Bight. They are currently foraging opposite the Cliff slowly moving west again against the tide. The dolphins are vocal, faint but there in the Strait. Helena  31 Aug 2012 12:08:00 PDT Multiple pod calls audible. Looks like mos of the groups that went east last night are eturning to the west. The A30s are on the Cracroft side, except for 1 of their males, who is with a large group of orcas in Robson Bight, I15s + others, also westbound. Meanwhile, te A36s are at Naka Creek easting, and another group of 4 residents, possibly the A8s is at Humpback Bay heading east. Busy day already! Thanks to Marie on the Cliff for all the reports! Helena  31 Aug 2012 09:40:47 PDT No calls but orcas nearby The Cliff reports 9-10 orcas past the Cliff and now approaching the Sophia Islands. Possibly it is the A30s - was that who was heading east at 6am on the other side? Helena  31 Aug 2012 08:50:16 PDT Orcas near mics. The dolphins are stil going strong in Johnstone Strait as they were through the night. We heard orcas until just before 3am. At that time they were very distant and far away from the eastern end of the Reserve. We had the impression that they were still eastbound. This morning "CP" saw a group of orcas after 6am heading east from Kaikash. They were surrounded by dolphins. Helena  31 Aug 2012 08:23:02 PDT Superb sounds!! There has been wonderfully chatty dolphins. Helena  31 Aug 2012 05:02:02 PDT

Distant calls audible. I should add that tonight we have heard: The A30s, A5s, A35s, A36s,A12s, I15s and perhaps even someone else from G clan. Quite the list! Helena & Co 30 Aug 2012 21:38:37 PDT

Distant calls audible. For the time being most of the groups seem to have slipped eastward through or near the Reserve. The I15s are still clearly audible but everyone is very distant. We are not sure of the A30s because they disappeared from the mix a while ago. The tide is still in a strong ebb so this situation could easily change around on this Blue Moon night. Helena & Co 30 Aug 2012 21:36:09 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible. The A30s came back to make a southward pass in Blackney Pass. Quite lovely in the evening light. A39 was following his mother,Tsitika and the rest followed behind him all together. We now know that it must be A38 who stayed in the Strait. The A5s sound close to the Bight and a while ago we head the I15s cross the entrance to Blackney Pass on their way east. And the A35s? Where are they now? Helena & Co 30 Aug 2012 19:07:23 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible. Whew! The A30s came into Blackney but they were really spread out and took a while. There were some nice calls we can attribute to individuals. yea! BUT only one of the A30 males came into Blackney. The other has stayed in the Strait! We can hear him. He was headed east from Little Kaikash perhaps following the A23s and A25 who are off izumi. The A35s came up from the east during all of this and are passing the Cliff mid strait headed west. AND there are transients off the east end of the Reserve. Not sure where the I15s got to. Helena & Co 30 Aug 2012 17:45:30 PDT

Superb sounds!! The A30s are headed north in Blackney Pass. The A5s and I15s are near to Beaver Cove?Weynton Pass. Helena & Co 30 Aug 2012 15:42:01 PDT

Orcas near mics. The A30s seem to have stalled once agin off of Cracroft Point and the entrance to Blackney. It is still very misty and foggy. The I15s and the A5s might have carried on to the west. Helena & Co 30 Aug 2012 14:05:32 PDT

Orcas near mics. The A30s just passed Cracroft Point. At 11:27 there were other whales off Camp Point and Ripple Point headed west. Helena & Co 30 Aug 2012 12:50:23 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible. The A30s and the I15a have come up from the east to follow the a5s west. Calls are nice! Helena & Co 30 Aug 2012 11:36:14 PDT

Distant calls audible. We are now hearing both A1 and I15s at the east end of the Reserve.Also a report of 2 small fins and on large one off Parson Island. We have not been able to see anything unfortunately. Helena & Co 30 Aug 2012 10:29:01 PDT

Distant calls audible. There was a report this morning just after 9am of a group heading west past the eastern side of Boat Bay. The cliff then had then go under the Cliff at 9:55am. Marie saw the A23s, A25s pass while other seemed to be crossing toward Vancouver Island. We re recording calls. Helena & Co 30 Aug 2012 10:10:21 PDT

Boat noise There was not a lot happening after the last report. The dolphins continued and the whales were last heard a short while after at the east end of the Reserve. There were just resting calls so difficult to say who was involved in the move east. Foggy here but underwater stream is happening. http://orcalabunderwater.click2stream.com Helena & Co 30 Aug 2012 08:17:39 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible. The whales are picking up their calls again. Here is what we think has been happening. Some of the A5s came west past Critical Point when the A30s were not too far off coming from the west. While they were "meeting" another A5 group was still further east and closer to the Main rubbing beach. Later we heard the I15s chime in further west of the Bight. They may have even been closer to the Cracroft side. There are a lot of dolphins in the Strait as well. We have been trying to piece together the earlier movements of the A30s and the I15s. We think that Kingfisher's report of whales off Weynton at 7:35pm might have been the A30s returning to the Strait after circumnavigating Hanson Island. We heard their calls soon afterwards. The westbound at Big Bay at 7:53pm whales may well have been the I15s. The I15s may have continued and turned west of the A30s following them to the east and to the get together. We are still waiting to find out where the A35s,A34s and A36s might have gotten to. Our last impression was they went eastward with the A5s.  Helena & Co 30 Aug 2012 02:11:47 PDT

Superb sounds!! The A5s have arrived back in Robson Bight.  Helena 30 Aug 2012 00:23:10 PDT