No orcas present. July 21 2020: A30s (A54s, A50s), among the Southern Residents Jared Towers identified: K16s,K21,L55s, L87 Right now the the beautiful evening is peaceful, colourful and serene and belies the great excitement of the day - another visit from the Southern Resident orcas! This time it was mostly the Ls, whereas, previously it had been the Ks. One of the Explore audience commented “who is next, the Js?” So what did the Northern Residents do today? We became aware of the A30s around midnight after they passed south through Blackney Pass, past Cracroft Point and then to the Ecological Reserve. Just before 1am they were close to Robson Bight. They did not hesitate but kept going east from there. Unfortunately, after 1am their trail went cold for us. We did not pick up on any activity at the rubbing beaches. We only picked them up again at 4:07am when we clued into their calls. They were still in the vicinity of the Ecological Reserve. But the calls were distant. Were they crossing over closer to the Cracroft Island shore?, or perhaps heading east in the middle of the Strait? It was a long time before their presence was known again. At 11:53am the Cliff reported that the A30s were passing Boat Bay on the Cracroft Island side and travelling west. By this time Paul and Megan had already left for the Ecological Reserve to work on the cameras at Strider and Main and check on the equipment at Critical Point in the Bight and visit Cracroft Point. It was great that the whales had chosen the opposite shore for their travel and so there was no chance of Megan and Paul’s activity disturbing them (or vice versa). There was a singular report from Queen Charlotte Strait that a young lone Bigg’s orca was there. Jared Towers had a couple of guesses who it might be as a couple of individuals are known to travel on their own. Last year we became reacquainted with Sam (T46C2) who ever since her escapades years before has tended to travel on her own from time to time. Not sure if there was any clarification about the identity of this errant orca but we will try to find out. By this time the activity in the Strait was beginning to warm up. The A30s were split into their two groups, the A50s and the A54s. The A50s were the first “up” the Strait getting as far as the Sophias before crossing over to Kaizumi, the little rubbing beach west of the Reserve on the Vancouver Island side, at 12:50pm. While they enjoyed the beach starting at 1:54pm, the A54s were crossing the Bight. The A50s made some very beautiful calls while at this beach around 2:17pm. The A54s, meanwhile, followed the Vancouver Island shore line and went into Kaizumi by 3:21pm. They became quite excited. What was up? Did they suddenly hear the Southern Residents, who had travelled past Alert Bay, and had entered the Strait? Was that possible? One of the whale watch boats mentioned that the Southern Residents had been vocal. Jared Towers had seen the Southern Residents pass his house in Alert Bay. By 4:17pm, these visiting, or more accurately passing through orcas had reached Blinkhorn Peninsula. Blinkhorn is west of the most western part of Hanson Island and in range of our hydrophone network. We did not hear any calls. Likewise, the Northern Resident went quiet as well. The Southern Residents were steaming, averaging a steady 10 knots as they followed the Vancouver Island shore east. We could just make out their distant blows on the remote camera as they were very close to the far shore. They were unimpeded by the A30s who smartly crossed back to the Cracroft Island shore and set about going east as well. The parade of two different orca communities continued right on “down” the Strait. They were running pretty much parallel to each other the entire time and still no calls. The Southern Residents passed Kaizumi at 4:55pm and the Western Boundary of the Reserve by 5:11pm. The A30s passed under the Cliff at 5:15pm and continued on to Boat Bay. The Southern Residents passed Critical Point very close with their dorsal fins and blows highlighted by the late afternoon light at 5:44pm. By now the A30s had already passed Boat Bay. We turned on the Strider Rubbing Beach camera and waited. We could see that the Southern Residents were holding their course close to shore and their distant blows steadily came closer and closer. The whales were in two closely formed lines and surfacing at the same time. About 25 in all. It was impressive. Their pace had slowed somewhat but still no calls, just a bit of echolocation. From 6pm on they passed by the Main Rubbing Beach. No rubs, of course as the Southern Residents do not have this behavioural tradition. Truly, they were on their way along with their distant Northern Resident escorts who were still on the other side. We have not heard the A30s return and suspect the Southern Residents will eventually return to the San Juan area. What a day! You new know what or who might come around the corner! OrcaLab 22 Jul 2020 22:24:07 PDT No calls but orcas nearby Watching the Ls head east in Johnstone Strait very quickly along the Vancouver Island shore. The Northern Resident A30 matriline are on the Cracroft Island shore opposite also going east. No calls from either. Helena 22 Jul 2020 17:21:45 PDT