Multiple pod calls audible. Right now we are listening to the A5s, A30s, I15s and the I35s up in Blackfish Sound. It has been quite the day with these groups. After they headed west to Blinkhorn and the entrance to Weynton Passage this morning they eventually turned around about 3:40pm and got as far as the entrance to Blackney Pass and the Cracroft Point area. There they stayed, milling, foraging, socializing allowing time to pass. Four hours later they finally decided to move north into the Pass. They were remarkably quick too once the decision was made. The two A5 groups entered first. They were followed by the I15s, I35s and finally the A30s. The orcas were not all in their respective groups - a result perhaps of all the great socializing they are involved in recently. They were all through by 8:21pm and their calls grew quickly less frequent and more distant. But after a gap of an hour they began calling once more. This brings us to where we started.  OrcaLab 05 Aug 2019 22:51:59 PDT Multiple pod calls audible. We are watching the various groups make their way toward the entrance of Blackney Pass, they are spread right out across the Strait from west of the Sophias, Kaikash to Blackney. Jared fillies us in just before Noon that the A50s, I4s and the I35s were together off Swaine Point close to the Cracroft Island shore, others were still across the Strait in the Bight. Probably then we had the A54s when we heard calls round Critical Point at the start of this session. We have heard A5 calls since and have had reports of A61 travelling west. Not sure at this point where the A23s are and the who their I15 companions were last night and early this morning. This may get cleared up soon. OrcaLab 05 Aug 2019 13:10:35 PDT Orcas near mics. And they are back. An A30 group has headed into the Bight on their way west. OrcaLab 05 Aug 2019 11:20:19 PDT No orcas present. Here it is past 9am and foggy still though the sun is trying. Through the early morning hours the groups finally caught the flood tide and moved toward the Reserve area. The A5s and an I15 group continued to lead the way (they had been first through Blackney Pass earlier). They were followed by the first A30 group, the rest of the I15s, the I35s and finally the other A30s. Before and by 3am these groups were in the Bight and approaching Critical Point. The A5s and their I15 group had already slipped to the Main Rubbing beach. It did not sound like they had a rub to us but were more offshore. We could still hear an A30 group off Critical Point but the majority were following the A5 path east. An A30 group came in closer to the Beaches before passing beyond by 4:20am. We believe the groups continued east from there. OrcaLab 05 Aug 2019 09:39:58 PDT Multiple pod calls audible. That sunset was lovely Megan! It took a while but the whales, determined, finally made it to Johnstone Strait. The movement (against the current) started with the A5 who as we suspected rounded Hanson Island by going through Weynton Passage in advance of the others (the A30s, I35s and I15s) who were making their way toward Blackfish Sound from Queen Charlotte Strait. We had few acoustic clues until the stronger A5 calls in Blackney Pass indicated that there was some progress. One of the I15 groups accompanied the A5 group through to Johnstone Strait by 12:40am. It took the others longer. Blows lingered in the Pass until the push. At 12:55am the A30s, I31s (I35s), the rest of the I15s and A5s became suddenly vocal as they negotiated their way toward the entrance of Blackney. The first group may have shifted slightly to the west to give room for the others coming in. CP could hear multiple blows at 1:11am and by 1:16am everyone was in the Strait acoustically and busy sorting out their order. The current will change to flood in about twenty minutes and that may further encourage an eastward direction. They and we worked hard during these last several hours to get to this point! OrcaLab 05 Aug 2019 01:40:54 PDT