Summary for September 23rd 2019: A42s, I15s September is a favorite month for many here at the lab. Dramatic sunsets, fewer boats and of course: the humpback whales. Although they are around all summer, September does seem to be when they are at their most vocally expressive - and yesterday we were reminded of that! The A42s, stayed in Johnstone Strait during the later part of the evening. Meanwhile, at 11:49pm a humpback whale began calling in Blackfish Sound for about forty minutes. Then at 1:00am, there was one clear G clan call, a long pause, and then more distant G clan calls again at 1:52am in Blackfish Sound. At this time we also had a humpback calling right outside the lab. The A42s must have continued east past Robson Bight eventually as we could hear distant echolocation on the rubbing beach a little after 2:00am and then at 2:30am a brief spell of distant calls. A calm, early morning commenced with the presence of longing moans from a humpback in Blackfish Sound around 3:00am which eventually turned into the most beautiful song by 5:00am. The humpback continued to sing until just before 7:00am as the sun began to rise. All else was quiet in the Strait. No further orcas were heard in Blackfish Sound or Johnstone Strait. As the light crept in both the A42s and I15s finally announced themselves off Cracroft Point at 7:55am. Then, at 9:15am, we spotted the orcas traveling east, close to the Cracroft Island shoreline. The vocalizations became clearer as the orca passed “CP”. At least five individuals were seen heading due east - but likely there were more because we were hearing both A and G clan vocalisations. As they approached the Sophia Islands, their calls became distant and inaudible. They were followed all morning by a determined and reckless small white whale watching vessel. What a disappointing way to start the day. The calls, predominantly G clan, drifted in and out over the course of the afternoon on Cracroft Point. We caught them on our camera foraging and milling still in Johnstone Strait near Kaikash beach at 1:34pm. The orcas went silent after 2:00pm, but soon after around 3:00pm Korry from Discovery Expeditions reported seeing orcas milling between the Sophia Islets and the western boundary of the Ecological Reserve. At 3:48pm, we could hear distant G clan calls at Cracraft Point. The orcas moved into the entrance of Blackney Pass around 4:08pm. The orcas went silent after this, and then at 4:16pm it appeared that the A5s (the A42s) were starting to catch up with theI15s. Once all together, they began to move north through Blackney Pass. The first wave of whales were split into two groups, and the second wave had only one large group. This large group included members of the A42s, including A66 and A79 with her baby. They silently cleared to the north from Blackney Pass at 5:06pm into Blackfish Sound, and immediately started calling. The calls lasted until 5:28pm. At 6:05pm, we could hear distant G clan calls in Blackfish Sound and a bit later, at 6:12pm, the A42s were also audible in Blackfish Sound. We continued hearing both clans in Blackfish Sound until 6:41pm. In the meantime, technical difficulties disrupted our hydrophone in the Robson Bight. Sadly, the connection cut out and we were not able to connect properly. At 8:00pm, there were again A5 calls in Johnstone Strait. The A42s must have swung back through Weynton Pass and on reaching Johnstone Strait continued eastward. Their calls continued into the evening. Our chilly, yet action packed day ended with gratitude for the beautiful ecosystem we are a part of here on Yukasam.  OrcaLab 24 Sep 2019 22:29:58 PDT