Distant calls audible. We heard blows and calls at 10:54 pm in Blackney Pass. The orcas cleared north and moved west, as we heard them in Blackfish Sound. We could hear at least A30 calls, and the number of blows indicated all groups we have seen today were present. Lea and Max 29 Aug 2017 23:34:10 PDT No calls but orcas nearby What a busy day! After the previous update, distant I15 and I31 calls were heard on the Critical Point hydrophone from around 6:30pm, and at 6:56pm, distant A1 calls. We watched this group head into the Bight several minutes later. Only GI calls persisted for a while, along with some echolocation, but we believe some of the A23s/25s were here as an individual resembling A61 was seen on the Robson Bight camera at 7:06pm. At 7:30pm orcas came to the Rubbing Beach - at least a male & 2 small fins - but some stayed near the Bight (GI calls could be heard on Critical just minutes before their arrival). Those at the beach appeared to head east subsequently, but at least 2 turned back west, so this seems unlikely. At 7:59pm Marie reported 30+ individuals in a resting line, easting, 1/3 off Cracroft Island around the Swaine Point area, implying that most if not all groups had reassembled. At 8:25pm the group came close to CI, and turned west with about 150 PWDs. A30s made themselves known just before 9pm on Critical, and the most recent calls were GIs at 9:10pm. At 10pm Megan reported blows off CP, between the platform and Kaikash, so we are preparing for a stealthy attempt at Blackney Pass, just in case! Max 29 Aug 2017 22:45:32 PDT No calls but orcas nearby The A30s and I15s kept going west in the Strait. Some of them stopped at the entrance of Blackney Pass and had a bite to eat. Some orcas headed farther west, almost at Turn Point. At 4:10pm, some orcas (probably part of I15s) came into our view, moving against the flooding tide. This group immediately turned to the Strait and headed back to the east silently. We were following them on our Cracroft Point camera for a while. Some of them looked like crossing over to Vancouver Island side. Now we are waiting them to come into range of our Robson Bight camera and to make some noise! Momoko 29 Aug 2017 18:12:27 PDT Distant calls audible. Lots of action in the Strait today! The A1s and the A5s appeared to have traveled east in the Strait after our previous report. We followed the I15 and I31 groups since 10:52am when we received a report that there were orcas on the Vancouver Island of the Strait side heading east at little Kaikash. The I15 and I31 groups arrived and milled around Cracroft Point, mid-strait, until around 1:11pm. We think they began to travel east towards the Bight. We were expecting them on our Critical Point camera/hydrophone when we heard very loud echolocation and A30 calls! It sounded and looked like they had arrived from farther east down the Strait. Perhaps they had snuck into the rubbing beaches? Our suspicions were correct as we received a report from Eagle Eye that the orcas had been in for a rub at Strider beach from 12:29pm until 13:08pm. The A30's foraged briefly in the reserve and are now travelling west in the straight with the A5 groups nearby. We are currently hearing A30, A23/A25, I15 and I31 calls faintly on the Critical Point hydrophone. We will see what they do next! Dylan and Hanna 29 Aug 2017 14:49:17 PDT Distant calls audible. As the A30s and A23s/25s make their way west in the Strait (still just about audible on Critical Point), we have reports from Wayne of I51 and 3 babies heading east down Weynton towards them - this seems to be who we were hearing earlier in Blackfish Sound. There's some coordination going on, the exact nature of which we are not quite sure! Lea and Max 29 Aug 2017 10:03:56 PDT Superb sounds!! Sure enough, A1 and A5 calls can now be heard close on Critical Point, with lots of echolocation! Watch live here: https://explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-robson-bight Lea and Max 29 Aug 2017 09:25:59 PDT No orcas present. This morning we began hearing calls again at 6:40am, in Blackfish Sound. These were distant and intermittent, but G-clan calls could be made out (we believe I11 and/or I31 pods). These remained distant and were last heard at 6:55am. At 7:56am the A30s and A5s (A23s and A25s), who appeared to have traveled east in the night, came briefly into the Rubbing Beach. The light was stunning! They are now westing, so we are hoping to hear them soon in the Bight. Lea and Max 29 Aug 2017 08:42:00 PDT Orcas hunting fish. The orcas are in the Bight. Sounds like the A5s are in lead followed by the A30s. We are hearing their calls and echo location on our Critical Point hydrophone. Unfortunately there is a boat in the Strait. Momoko 29 Aug 2017 02:39:15 PDT Distant calls audible. Sounds like the A30s and A5s are slowly approaching to Robson Bight, against the ebbing tide. Momoko 29 Aug 2017 01:56:53 PDT