Summary of August 25th: A30s, A50s, A54s, A25s, A42s, I4s all coming through Blackney Passage! Some time before first light the orcas made it back to Johnstone Strait. Just before 6 am we heard distant calls on the Critical Point hydrophone on and off until we could see the orcas on the Critical Point camera in the morning light at 7.11 am. There were two groups - one headed further east from Robson Bight, the other group headed a little west. Just a quarter of an hour later a group of orcas had been seen foraging at the Boundary on our camera and heard with echolocation on our hydrophone. They were guided by some dolphins. Around the same time we also got a report from Jim Borrowman in Telegraph Cove saying that some orcas were entering Johnstone Strait through Weynton Passage. At 7.45 am we could hear resting calls from the A30s, probably the group from Weynton Passage, on the Cracroft Point hydrophone. Meanwhile the groups at Critical Point decided to go further east as we could hear them at around 8 am on the Rubbing Beach hydrophone and see them on camera in the Robson Bight Reserve, as well. At 9 am we could hear the A30s still on the Cracroft Point and also on the Parson Island hydrophone. About 3 hours later the orcas decided to finally come into Blackney Passage and in our sight at 12.30 pm. They were split into three groups, led by some of the A30s far side of the lab. The second group turned out to be some of the A30s, I4s and A25s. They all headed north at a steady pace. Just a few minutes later the third group, all of the A42s, entered Blackney Passage close to Gab’s Rock and along the Hanson Island shoreline. We could see them incredibly close to the lab deck and took some really nice ID photos of the family. When passing the lab the groups gave us a few calls on Local Left. After the three groups cleared into Blackfish Sound we could hear A30 and A5 calls on the Flower Island hydrophone. Just when we all turned our backs on the scopes the A42s suddenly decided to come back again for some last foraging in front of the lab mid channel before finally following the A30s, I4s and A25s into Blackfish Sound. Shortly before 15 pm we got a report that the whales in Blackfish Sound split up into two groups - one heading towards Pearce Islands and the other towards Weynton Passage. Half an hour later we got a report from the Ocean Magic saying that the orcas spread out around Stephensons and the bottom end of Weynton Passage, heading for Blinkhorn. We could hear their calls on the Critical Point and Cracroft Point hydrophone. At 4 pm some Orcas were reported to be seen at Big Bay, tight to the Vancouver Island shoreline. At 4.29 pm Megan and Shariana, who are staying at our outcamp at Cracroft Island, reported orcas heading into Blackney Passage mid strait. We spotted them shortly afterwards at 4:48pm on the Parson Island camera. The first group of them entered Blackney Passage at 4.53 pm: it was the A25s, A50s, A54s and I4s. They were traveling quite fast towards north and spread out into one large group covering Blackney Passage far side and mid channel. We got lucky to see lots of breaches, porpoising and tail slapping, especially from the juveniles and could record some nice vocalization on the lab hydrophone Local Left. The group had cleared Blackney Passage into Blackfish Sound by 5.11 pm and we began hearing calls in Blackfish Sound by 5.14 pm. During this time, we were wondering where the A42s went when suddenly they showed up at the south end of Blackney Passage! We were in for another treat watching them from the lab deck while they were quickly traveling north at mid channel, probably trying to catch up with their friends in Blackfish Sound. They were travelling close together and taking deep dives as they went through Blackney Passage. We couldn't hear calls until they had cleared into Blackfish Sound at 5.32 pm. The last call we heard on the Flower Island hydrophone was at 18.10 pm. At 19.33 pm Jared Towers reported to us that all northern residents that have been around today were off Blinkhorn after coming through Plumper Islands. We might have caught a glimpse of a call on the Critical Point hydrophone at around 19.40 pm but couldn’t hear more vocalization after that. Looks like the whales gave us a short break for dinner until we could start hearing them again on Critical Point at 21.30 pm. Here is hoping for an exciting night to come! Orcalab 25 Aug 2019 22:55:27 PDT