Tuesday, July 31, 2018






Distant calls audible.

At least the A4 group came back to Robson Bight from the Rubbing beach. We caught them on our Robson Bight cam at 9:20pm. We lost track of them as we were losing light. Sounds like they are still near the Bight. 

Am
31 Jul 2018 22:05:44 PDT



Orcas hunting fish.

Today was full of orca movement. Although the different groups seemed to have separate agendas they somehow managed to keep in touch with each other at various different times through the day. Here are the various threads we followed. We previously mentioned that during early yesterday evening (about this time actually) some of the A30s tried to follow the A4s and A42s into Blackney Pass from Blackfish Sound but turned around and retreated. They were eventually joined once again by some of the A4s (1:18am)who had gone west in the Strait and slipped out via Weynton Pass. After a brief and distant exchange between the A30s and this A4 group, the I15s came out of Queen Charlotte Strait and followed the A30s to the Strait (4:44am. The A4 group followed suit but probably did not follow the A30s and the I15s very far eastward. The A30s and the I15s "met" up with the A42s when they were not far too far from Robson Bight between 7 and 8 am. There were a few dolphins nearby and caught on camera with the orcas. By 8:30am some of these whales were passing over the rubbing beach. Some whales seemed to continue east. Others headed west past Robson Bight by 9:15am. Generally, the collective movement continued westward over the next while. As this was happening we picked up the distant calls of the A4 group still to the west of Cracroft Point and noted the report (Lukwa) of whales up by Bauza at 10:19am. The A4 group (the A35s) then went through Weynton Pass again and into Queen Charlotte Strait. The A5s, A30s and the I15s continued west toward Cracroft Point and the entrance to Blackney Pass between 11:30am and 1pm and then on to Weynton Pass. They were off Stubbs Island (between Weynton and Blackfish Sound) by 1:40pm. The A35s (the afore mentioned A4 group) were by then off Lizard Point in Queen Charlotte Strait. The A42s probably stayed Strait side. We picked up their calls at 2:47pm from the Cracroft Point hydrophone. They were joined again in the Strait by first, the A30s and the I15s, and then the A35s once more. Around 5:30pm the I15s and A30s approached Blackney Pass entrance way from the west and began to travel north in small groupings spread out and mostly on the far side. Quite a few humpbacks had congregated around White Beach Pass while the orcas were passing. From then on we began to hear A30 and I15 calls in Blackfish Sound. The A4s (A35s and possibly still the A73s) and the A42s carried on toward the Ecological Reserve, through the Bight and on to the rubbing beaches. Around 8:25 and 8:30pm we watched as a few passed over the beach. This brings us pretty much up-to-date and we are waiting right now to find out if these orcas will return to Robson Bight.

Helena
31 Jul 2018 21:15:39 PDT



Orcas near mics.

I15's and A30's can be heared chatting away as they pass by the front of the lab!

Chenoah and Dylan
31 Jul 2018 17:56:06 PDT



Distant calls audible.

And the I15s are there too!

Tomoko
31 Jul 2018 05:31:21 PDT



Distant calls audible.

Sounds like the whales (at least the A30s) took Weynton Pass to enter the Strait. The calls are still very distant on CRPT hydrophone. 

Tomoko
31 Jul 2018 04:59:40 PDT



Boat noise

The A4's and A42's went south through Blackney Passage just after 7pm yesterday evening. During this time we also heard A30 calls on the Flower Island hydrophone. The A30's could eventually be heard on Local Left, but we only saw a few orcas enter Blackney Pass before turning back to the North. The A4's and A42's continued to Johnstone Strait and at least the A42's made it as far as the Bight. The A4's seemed to be a bit farther behind, still in the Strait. There were not many calls as the night progressed, but shortly after 1:00am we could hear very faint A1 and A4 calls on Flower Island. Perhaps they all took the ebb back to Weynton Passage as they returned to Blackfish Sound. We will wait to see what clues morning brings. 

Tomoko and Dylan
31 Jul 2018 04:06:25 PDT

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