August 31 2020: A30s, A25s, C10s,C06s, D01s, T18, T19s, T121A and other Bigg’s, Humpbacks, Pacific Whitesided Dolphins, Dallas Porpoise AND another jet-ski incident Even though the early morning hours were pretty quiet, and although a humpback called between 3:56am and 4:05am while in Blackney Pass, the promise of orcas was still in our minds. There had been lots of discussion the previous evening about the movements of the Cs and Ds in Discovery Passage. Would they try to make it back? How long would it take to come all that distance? And it was known that the A30s had been travelling east in the Strait late in the evening. Were they going to meet the Cs and Ds? How far would they have to go? And what about the I15s and A5s heard for a while in Blackfish Sound? Were they trying to make their way into Johnstone Strait ? After many uneventful hours Jenn began to hear orca calls in Johnstone Strait. She surmised correctly that the whales were still at some distance from the Ecological Reserve. At first she heard the A30s. The faint calls continued for a long time. At 9:36am, the I15s and A5s revealed that they were there too. A minute later, the long awaited C/D calls began. Meanwhile, the Cliff caught sight of 6 orcas just west of Kaizumi Beach on the Vancouver Island shore. Goodness how did they fit in the picture? Kaizumi is west of the Reserve nowhere close to where we thought the Resident orcas should be. The mystery was solved when it was learned that this was a group of Bigg’s orcas moving to their own drum and not involved with the parade of Northern Resident orcas that was about to come on scene. A couple of the whale watch boats followed the Bigg’s west. We alerted Jim Borrowman to see if he could keep an eye out for the Bigg’s as they were travelling west close to shore. If they kept this up it was anticipated that they would eventually pass Telegraph Cove where Jim was working on his house. Sure enough they passed by and Jim just had enough time to take a few pictures of these Bigg’s. He thought one picture clearly showed T121A and possibly her young one. Before 10am we had distant glimpses of orcas mid strait east of the Reserve on the remote cameras. At 10:07am we saw a male and others head east (!) toward the Main Rubbing Beach. Thinking back on this we later wondered if this was part of the I15s or A5s coming from the west to intercept the westbound orcas? Not long after we began to notice westbound whales coming closer to the Main Beach. Soon others were on the Strider camera as well. Strider Beach is west of the Main Beach. The scene began to unfold very quickly from there. Orca after orca passed by, some coming close enough for a quick perfunctory rub but the majority remained focused on travelling. Of note, we did catch a glimpse of A61 as he passed. This was helpful as it told us which A5 group(s) we had been hearing. The orcas were quite chatty and there was a nice mix of A30, C and D calls especially. The orcas advanced toward Robson Bight. An advance party of dolphins showed up first off Critical Point, the eastern headland of the Bight. They skitted west, then back east, then west again ahead of the arrival of the first orcas. Whales passed close to the shore. We heard A30s, Cs and A5s. Then at 11:10am a small group passed, paused to forage and made definite sounds of crunching tasty fish. Megan identified C13. They mosied on into the Bight still foraging. The Bight looked beautiful, calm and bathed in deepened colours cast by the shadow of the tall mountains above. The day had begun quite foggy, especially near the Lab and at one point we featured the impressive swirling rising mists and low puffy clouds near Kaikash Creek. At 11:45 am the “Cliff” research group informed us that they had counted 28 whales between Critical Point and the Western Boundary. As the whales continued west, spread out in their various groups, the research vessel the Steller Quest came on scene west of Kaizumi Beach. We had already begun to hear closer calls on the Kaizumi Beach hydrophone as the whales approached this site. The A30s actually sounded excited. We were treated to some very nice calls. So lovely to hear the Cs and Ds after such a long absence. The Cs and Ds are part of the same clan as the A30s and as such share many of the same call types. But there are dramatic differences and understanding that these families possess different dialects was never clearer. In the mix of calls there were incredible high pitched whistles sustained for quite a while. Whales at their most intimate! Whistles are one of the three types of sounds orcas can make. The others are, their discrete pulsed calls that form their dialects, and their echo location clicks used to navigate and find food. One hears the whistles only when the orcas are fairly close to a hydrophone. The I15s soon reminded us that they were still there and the C10s produced some lovely calls between 12:07 and 12:15pm. We kept track of how the whales were moving via the remote Cracroft Point camera. We had to zoom in quite far as the whales were still hugging the Vancouver Island shore as they travelled west. The Steller Quest was keeping up with the whales and in their attempts to tag individual whales they were often close as well. A low flying plane flew directly overhead at one point. Disturbing. It would not be the only disturbing occurrence of the day. Of course we hoped the whales would cross Johnstone Strait and come into Blackney Pass. Instead they angled over but carried on west mid strait favouring the Hanson Island shore once they were past the rip currents off the entrance of Blackney Pass. For their movements after this we relied on reports from those closer to the scene. The Cs and Ds carried on west with the A30s, I15s and A5s. They went into Pearse Passage where, perhaps, exhausted by their long journey, they rested. The A30s, however, went through Weynton Passage. The sleepy Cs,Ds and others would go on to Mitchell Bay, Malcolm Island. Later, after they woke up from their sojourn around 7pm they turned and headed out to Queen Charlotte Strait. By this time, we unfortunately witnessed yet another intrusion by the same jet-skis! This was the third day in a row. At 3pm, they turned up in Blackney Pass, coming from Blackfish Sound. We later learned that they had been seen near the Northern Residents in the Strait. They stayed the better part of 40 minutes in Blackney Pass darting around at speed, idling near a humpback near Compton Island. Enough was enough! The report of the first incident had been filed with the Incident Reporting Line. They had indicated that someone would be in touch in the next couple of days. The problem was this was happening right now and it was a repeated offense. We needed help. We called the RCMP who came out from Port McNeil and located the jet-skiers after their departure through White Beach Pass after 4pm. They issued a warning and told them to stay 200 meters away from marine mammals. We believe this may be helpful with regard to these individuals, however, we are still concerned about all those “selfies” taken while they were joyriding among the dolphins, sea lions, humpbacks and yes, even perhaps the orcas. Who will see those? Will others follow? More work needs to be done. Hopefully, the DFO will pick up the baton from here. We gave them another call. Meanwhile, Northern Residents were not the only orcas to grab our attention. We have already mentioned the Bigg’s earlier in the Strait but there were other groups of Bigg’s as well. At 4:26pm, just as we were recovering from documenting the jet-skiers, a group of 8 Bigg’s came into view on the Blackfish Sound side of the Pass. They never fully came into the Pass as something kept their attention in that area. They looked to be quietly foraging, not overly dramatically but persistently nevertheless. The many sea lions way over by Parson Light became quite attentive, stretching their necks and looking around. Several Dall’s Porpoises shifted to our side and the few seals who had been swimming around disappeared. Coincidence? Maybe but we noted these changes in behaviour all the same. As though this day was not complicated enough there were other events,which as evening neared, were revealed to us. We heard Bigg’s calling briefly at 5:15pm. The group of Bigg’s we had been watching were still in view. Then we heard that a different group, the T19s (with T18) who were at the Plumpers (not far from Blackfish) apparently became vocal too at 5:20pm. The group in Blackney had not yet departed by 6:50pm but by then the fog had begun to descend and it became difficult to see. Jackie Hildering (from the Marine Research and Education Society) later told us that, as she was conducting a humpback feeding survey, she and her colleague, Chloe, noticed a very young orca porpoising east in Cormorant Channel at 7:15pm. Cormorant Channel is between Alert Bay and Malcolm Island . Jackie believes she saw the same juvenile with two others in Cormorant at 6:05pm. Unusual to see such a young whale on their own. Andrew Jenning (AJ) mentioned to Jackie that he had noticed that a young whale had broken off from the T19s while they were at the Stephenson Islands and was headed in Jackie’s direction, then near the Pearse Islands. The photos will be studied early tomorrow and compared with the excellent Bigg’s ID catalogue to see if this mystery can be fully unravelled. To top the day, Boat Bay reported yet another group of Bigg’s in Johnstone Strait. They were headed west past their camp at 6:46pm. Gloria found them by looking on the remote Critical Point camera. They were still going west toward Cracroft Point. Kory at the Sophia Islands east of Cracroft Point clocked them there at 7pm. Gloria saw them again using the Cracroft Point camera heading west quickly at 7:20pm. So many of these events were happening within the same hour or so: the Northern Residents had decided to move on to Queen Charlotte Strait; the little whale was trying to get back to where he/she belonged; the whales in Blackney were still shuffling around; and even more Bigg’s were present in Johnstone Strait. Whew!! One final note (promise) the camp at Boat Bay heard a fairly large group of orca heading east at 10:07pm. Bigg’s or Residents? Anyone’s guess. OrcaLab 01 Sep 2020 00:27:36 PDT No orcas present. We have orca moving south through Blackney Pass. We are not currently hearing any calls. Follow them live with Explore.org https://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base Orcalab  31 Aug 2020 16:37:19 PDT Multiple pod calls audible. So after a relatively quiet night this morning has certainly kicked it up a notch. We are currently hearing calls from multiple groups of whales. By the sounds of it we are hearing the return of some of the Cs and Ds that spent most of their day yesterday south east near Campbell River! We have also heard calls from the A30's, I15's and A5's. At present we are trying to decipher the location and direction of all of these groups using our camera network, with quite the foggy morning its a challenge for sure! Ohh and there is a group of Bigg's in the area as well! A lot going on thats for sure! Follow online live on explore.org https://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base Orcalab  31 Aug 2020 10:22:20 PDT

August 30 2020: A30s, I15s, [Cs/Ds Discovery Passage], Humpbacks, PWD, more Jet-skiers! Before we get to the orcas we have to discuss the jet-skiers who were back in Blackney Pass harassing dolphins and other marine mammals again this evening. Seemingly oblivious of us (or just don’t care) two jet-skiers drove around a small group of dolphins close to Parson Island. It was difficult to say if they were the same persons as yesterday. The colours of the skis were similar and one of the men resembled the younger man from yesterday. But they were further away today and we could not read the license number of the black ski. The behaviour,however, was the same. Four jet skis were seen leaving Telegraph Cove this morning. After harassing the dolphins, they joyrode around Blackney Pass, going through the little pass between Hanson Island and “Little Hanson”, straight out to the entrance of Blackney Pass where they paused before turning back and skirting over to Parson and Harbledown Islands where they paused again,and then sped along Parson Island to the Parson Island Light where Steller Sea Lions were hauled out. The Sea Lions were agitated by the closeness of the boats. Some went into the water and splashed about. The skiers left our view into Blackfish Sound. This occurred from 6:40pm to 7:13pm. Once was disturbing enough but watching for a second time is extremely worrisome. We had just sent our report to Fisheries and Oceans Canada and will now do a follow-up report on today’s incident. Backtracking to the night’s events: After midnight Pacific White-sided dolphins were clearly heard in Blackney Pass (12:13am). Their calls shifted back and forth between Cracroft Point and Parson Island over the next 11/2 hours. A humpback chimed in at 1:39pm in Blackfish Sound. Then just before 2am there were a few sounds of rubbing on Kaizumi Beach. The dolphins grew faint but the humpback continued in Blackfish Sound from time to time. By 2:24pm the rubbing sounds became more pronounced and there were close A30 calls by now as well. They seemed excited. A surprise was in the works! Orca calls and echo location were heard in Blackfish Sound. Jenn was surrounded by calls! Humpback, dolphins and orca! It turned out to be the I15s arriving in the area. Tomoko in Japan helped Jenn with the identification of the I15s. At first the I15s were distant but gradually they got closer just as the A30s were moving away from Kaizumi Beach and headed west. Then came a rash of boats transiting Johnstone Strait, creating a fairly noisy environment and making it difficult to hear fainter calls. The I15s fell silent in Blackfish Sound. At 3:42am the A30s, still in the Strait, were heard briefly and faintly. Just before 4am (3:47am), the I15s resumed calling. They most likely had travelled south through Blackney Pass. Their calls and echo location became stronger by 3:56am. Over the next hour or so, the I15s and dolphins carried on calling while in the entrance to Blackney Pass. By 4:38am, both were loud and clear. Afterwards they moved into Johnstone Strait. But wait! At 5:04am, there were more I15 and dolphin calls in Blackfish Sound. Two groups! The advanced party, who had gone into the Strait to perhaps connect with the A30s, shifted over closer to Cracroft Point and once again back into the entrance of Blackney Pass. Lovely calls! Unbelievably, a humpback joined in as well not far away. Surrounded by calls once again! Pretty sure the I15s and the dolphins backtracked north through Blackney Pass, maybe even the humpback along with them. And indeed, they had also gathered up the A30s. As a faint light in the sky began to show the calls in Blackfish continued till about 6am. Several boats, coming in both directions at one point, made hearing next to impossible. By the time the noise settled down to reasonable levels the whales had moved on. They didn’t go far and we caught snatches of reports over the VHF. After Blackfish they moved toward the White Cliff Islets and strayed not too far. At 9:30am, the “Cliff “ researchers relayed a report of the A30s off Spring Passage headed to Bold Head. At 11am, the A30s and I4s were off the Egeria Shoals, really still the same vicinity as earlier. The humpback in Blackfish called for an hour between 7:05 and 8:06am. Pippa recognised Argonaut a short while later in Blackney Pass. Inukshuk was possibly there too. Both these males may have been the humpbacks who were vocalising earlier. Suzie offered a report of possible Bigg’s orcas in Christie Pass. She saw two large males. Meanwhile, we began to also hear about the Cs and Ds who, as you may remember, travelled through Johnstone Strait two days ago and disappeared eastward. At 8:50am they were off Granite Point in Discovery Passage, south Chatham Point. Rather unusual but not unheard of for Northern Resident orcas. The Cs and Ds continued to move south toward Seymour Narrows. They went through the Narrows and rested in Menzies Bay from 11am to 4pm. From there they headed south to Campbell River passing in front of the fishing pier at 6pm. They then turned to the north and crossed over to Quadra Island. They were last reported at Whisky Point which is opposite Campbell River. It may take them a while to get back this way! It was a very rainy day here and setting aside all the outside chores wanting to be done, most of the day was spent quietly inside. Then the intrusion of the jet-skis around 6-7pm, then the sounds of a humpback in Blackney Pass and the calls of the I15s and later the dolphins in Blackfish Sound starting at 9pm. Just recently the A30s began calling too not long before the Wardens in Boat Bay reported hearing blows heading east past their camp. This brings a rather soothing end to a day for which there were mixed emotions.  OrcaLab 30 Aug 2020 22:34:37 PDT August 29 2020: A50s, A54s: humpback: jet skiers harass PWD, The night was silent of orcas and dolphins, only a humpback calling for almost an hour near Flower Island, and it was beautiful. The quiet night turned into a calm morning with the fresh air of Fall settling in and a mesmerizing sunrise on Strider rubbing beach. And that's all there was until 1:05pm (talk about a slow morning!) when Helena heard distant Pacific white-sided dolphins from our Flower Island hydrophone. She had a feeling that along with the dolphins would be some action, and she was right. At 1:32pm, the A30s were heard faintly on our Kaizumi rubbing beach hydrophone! The strong northwest wind made it hard to locate the whales visually in between the choppy waves, especially with this hydrophone covering a lot of "ground," but we finally spotted the whales east of the Main Rubbing Beach by 2pm moving together against the choppy waves. As they passed along the shore one or two had a quick go at this rubbing beach and then all made their way west toward Strider rubbing beach, calling with excitement and jumping out of the water. Several angled offshore but then turned in for a rub between 2:37 and 2:45pm. We spotted A72 and A84, confirming the A50s were there. After clearing the beach they continued west. As the whales were making their way through Johnstone Strait, we became aware of two jet skiers driving fast in Blackney Pass alongside Pacific white-sided dolphins. It was 2:55pm. The two men were deliberately speeding towards and turning into the dolphins. The more persistent younger man was driving with one hand while filming the whole event on his cell phone. They were in complete violation of the regulations which clearly state: “ The rules for whale watching and approaching marine mammals, which are now in effect, provide a minimum approach distance of 100 metres for most whales, dolphins and porpoises to legally protect these animals from human disturbances. If dolphins or porpoises ride the bow wave of your boat, avoid sudden course changes. Hold course and speed or reduce speed gradually. Do not drive through groups of porpoises or dolphins.” https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/species-especes/mammals-mammiferes/watching-observation/index-eng.html No doubt about the harassment we were witnessing. Marine mammals are supposed to be leading their lives without humans interfering with them, let alone chasing them on jet skis. With no other way to contact the men involved we tried shouting from the lab deck to get their attention, but our voices didn't carry. Additionally, we contacted two of the nearby whale watch boats and one thankfully was eventually able to grab their attention and speak to them. It was now 3:02pm. Although we didn't hear the conversation, the two men slowed down and eventually left through White Beach Pass at 3:10pm. Megan filmed the entire incident, and Helena called the Incident Reporting Line and left a phone message about the incident. We will follow-up with additional calls. We have photos and video to offer as evidence. This flagrant incident left us feeling very unsettled about the vulnerability of cetaceans. With all of our attention diverted to the joy riding jet skiers, we had lost track of the orcas. At 3:55pm, the ever vigilant “Cliff” reported that the A30s were past the western boundary of the Robson Bight (Michale Bigg) Ecological Reserve - they had kept heading west. By 4:33pm, the whales made it to Kaizumi Rubbing Beach, where they enjoyed another quick rub, and then off they went, once again, quietly. It did make us wonder, why all the short rubs today? Suzie,reported over six whales in Christie Passage heading south at 3:07pm, two of which were males. From the photo we suggested the I15s. Suzie left OrcaLab yesterday for God's Pocket, leaving a beloved empty spot after a year of calling this place home. But we know she'll be back soon! It was now 5:30pm, and Pippa noticed the two jet skis had reentered Blackney Pass from Johnstone Strait. Curious if they were in proximity to marine mammals once again, she took a closer look. And there were the A54s, traveling north! The whales moved quickly through the Pass while the jet skis kept their distance. We do not know if they had followed the whales into Blackney Pass or been on their way elsewhere and happened to cross paths. We couldn't help but wonder if their more reserved behaviour was the result of knowing we were watching, or if they had been interacting with the whales before entering Blackney Pass. Before entering Blackfish Sound, one of the younger whales (either A120 or A118) breached twice through the waves. We continued to hear the A54s as they echolocated near Flower Island until 5:54pm. From then on, it was quiet again, just as the day had begun. Never two without three: at 6:11pm, the jet skiers were back in Blackney Pass. This time, they stopped right next to a Steller sea lion, and then speeded through Blackney Pass and left into Blackfish Sound. It should be noted that a strong Northwest wind had blown all day which made us further question the rationality of these guys on their contraptions. The rest of the night stayed quiet, leaving us with more unanswered questions. Where did the A50s go? And with no sign of the Cs and Ds, did they quietly leave last night, or can we expect them for a visit in the next few days? Only tomorrow will tell.  Gloria 30 Aug 2020 05:35:15 PDT

Superb sounds!! A30s approaching Strider Rubbing beach. They sound excited! Check it out here: https://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base Gloria 29 Aug 2020 14:22:50 PDT No orcas present. We are watching the most beautiful sunrise at the Stider rubbing beach as we await patiently the return of the whales that headed east last night! Watch live at Explore.org: https://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base Orcalab  29 Aug 2020 07:06:49 PDT No orcas present. August 28 2020: A50s, A54s, C6s, C10s, C31, D9, D13s (D19), D11s, Rs and others, Humpbacks, PWD, Uni Here was a “daytime beginning”. The night had been pretty uneventful. The A30s had gone to the east. The whales lurking to the far west had retreated. Dolphins began the show at 7:54am. They were on the Kaizumi hydrophone but not close and very soon the A30s were heard on this same hydrophone, also quite distant. We are on a seemingly endless quest to determine the range of the new hydrophones. The old ones are a challenge too as we figure out the overlapping ranges and get comfortable interpreting what is going on. This morning was no exception. We have pretty much figured out that the new Kaizumi hydrophone reaches quite far to the east, way past Boat Bay, with a bias for the Cracroft Island side. So when we heard these distant A30 calls on Kaizumi we alerted the camp at Boat Bay to expect orcas passing soon. At 8:27am, there were calls on both the Kaizumi and Main Rubbing Beach hydrophones. This prompted a scan with the Main Rubbing Beach camera. Zooming in to the east yielded a look at a large group of dolphins heading east quickly mid strait. What were they in such a rush for? The answer came 5 minutes later when orca were spotted coming west. The orcas angled toward the shore on the Vancouver Island side, some of the dolphins came with them. Barely touching the beach the orcas carried on to the west and soon appeared on the Strider camera where they performed in much the same perfunctory way. We surmised that these were the A54s. A short while later, the Wardens, on the other side of the Strait, reported that the A50s (the other half of the A30s) were travelling west too and closer to the Cracroft Island side. These then would have been the whales we heard on the Kaizumi hydrophone and the ones on the Main Rubbing Beach hydrophone, were the A54s. We are learning! In the mood of the morning the A54s only briefly rubbed at Kaizumi Beach west at 10:50am. The A50s were still keeping up with them on the opposite shore. From Kaizumi, the A54s headed toward Cracroft Point. The A50s, surrounded by dolphins, likewise. But this is where it got interesting. The A54s prepared themselves to come into Blackney Pass but the A50s turned east momentarily at 11:39am. Making deep dives they turned west again and then back east. They could not shake the dolphins. As the A54s proceeded into Blackney Pass at 12:18pm, the A50s made one final turn in earnest. They formed a resting line between Cracroft Point and the Sophia Islands before continuing east in the direction of Kaizumi and the Western Boundary sign of the Ecological Reserve. But stop the presses! Our beloved seagull, Uni, returned! Pippa who was on shift in the Lab, noticed this Glaucous gull eating urchins on the rocks. She made a note and casually mentioned to Megan what she saw. Megan knew immediately that this could only be Uni! We all came to have a look and unabashedly cheer. Uni has been coming to the Lab for around 30 years each summer, arriving late August,and remaining through the winter into the early Spring. She has particular habits which make her stand out among the other birds (actually she prohibits other gulls from occupying her special rocks). She is the only gull we have seen to make a regular habit of cruising the kelp beds for green urchins which she then plucks and carries to shore. She was still wearring her breeding colours of mostly white. Just as we were admiring Uni, word came from Dylan of a very large group of orcas (several different families) incoming from the Port Hardy airport area spread to the western end of Malcolm Island. The rumours must have reached the A30s. At 1:11pm the A54s came northbound through Blackney Pass. They were all together and silent until just before they reached Blackfish Sound at 1:32pm. The A50s still moving east were now opposite the Western Boundary. The A54s, despite heavy boat noise, kept calling, loud and clear. They became quite excited at 1:58pm. As they moved forward their calls became more distant for us and then stopped altogether at 2:21pm. This is when the A50s turned and began to retrace their steps. By now we were getting an inkling of who were “out west”. Dylan, in his research boat the Pinnegar, was with the C10s, C6s and Ds. The Vancouver Aquarium boat doing the drone study on the condition of the Northern Residents was with R clan groups about 4 miles from Malcolm Island, and the UBC research boat the Gikumi was with others at Malcolm Point. At 2:48pm, we could hear the A54s once again. The lead incoming groups, the Cs and Ds, were near Bere Point. Kate mentioned a brief rub with others offshore headed east. The A54s became excited again at 3pm just as the Cs and Ds approached Lizard Point. The two groups would have been in acoustic range of each other by now. The A54s then stopped calling at 3:22pm as the A50s (still in the Strait) crossed to Cracroft Point. Doing 6 knots the Cs and Ds carried on from Lizard Point. You could just sense the excitement of these whales as they drew nearer and nearer. At 3:41pm, the A50s turned into Blackney Pass. The Cs and Ds were just 2.5 km from Donegal Head. Between 4:07 and 4:17pm we watched the A50s travel fast through Blackney. Still taking deep dives they covered a lot of “ground” in very quick order. Not to be outdone, a large (probably the same large group as this morning) of dolphins rushed into Blackney Pass at 4:21pm. They followed the wake of the whale watch boat, the Mayumi, through the Pass. The big meeting of the orcas occurred just before 5pm off of Stubbs Island. We knew then that the whales, after their greetings were done, would probably go through to Johnstone Strait via Weynton Pass. Our excited anticipation subsided. The chances of seeing the new groups was slim. But what of the others further west. Apparently they turned around just not ready to come all the way to the Strait. Perhaps the Cs and Ds were tuckered out from their long journey, perhaps the A30s were exhausted from their encounters with the dolphins, but whatever the reasons, the whales when they reached Johnstone Strait were not very vocal. Heading eastward, some closer to Hanson Island, the lead D/C group had a good rub at Kaizumi at 6:54pm. At 7:21pm, Jenn noticed, in the diminishing light, a very large group lined up along the Vancouver Island shore. From the number of males we guessed that this was at least the C6s. This was practically our only look at these whales. Later we saw a few fins belonging to the Ds eastbound from the Main Rubbing Beach. We figured the C10s, who we heard briefly in the distance, were following. Dylan had mentioned earlier that as the whales entered the Strait that the C6s were the trailing group in company with the A30s. We did not hear any A30 calls during the whole time whales were moving east. We still have not heard them and it is now past midnight (August 29). The vague, sometimes distance calls of both orcas and dolphins continued past 11pm. The calls by then seemed to be coming from somewhere east of the Ecological Reserve. Tomorrow will probably bring more clarity and perhaps even those other families in for a visit.  OrcaLab 29 Aug 2020 01:32:27 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby A30s heading north through Blackney Pass https://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base OrcaLab 28 Aug 2020 13:19:35 PDT

No orcas present. August 27 2020: A50s, A54s, R18s, R13s, T60D, T60E, Humpbacks, Argonaut and Inukshuk, PWD “Two households, both alike in dignity” When we left off we were hoping the A30s were to come into Blackney Pass soon. However, this endeavour took a little longer than expected because the A30s had split up into their two matrilines. So as we listened to the grou,p who had passed Boat Bay at 10:25pm, and were heard on the Kaizumi Rubbing Beach we became aware of the other side of the family still nearer to Robson Bight just around midnight. It was momentarily confusing because, and we remarked in a previous report, that the A30s were spending a lot of time as a close knit group. It took a few hours but they did succeed in a union at Kaizumi Beach by 3:40am. The whales became excited and then began to travel together once again toward Cracroft Point just after 4am. Within the half hour they were all headed north through Blackney Pass. The note in the book said simply ‘magic”; calls, blows and a cloudless sky overhead of a calm ocean. Throughout the early morning hours a humpback or two called in Blackfish Sound intermittently. And not to be outdone, there was dolphin chatter as well. Later there was a report of 100 dolphins off Kaizumi Beach in the afternoon. The A30s continued west through Blackfish Sound and later in the morning were found and reported just north of Donegal Head. They were still not far from there when next reported at 9:46am. Meanwhile in Johnstone Strait, two Bigg’s orcas were spotted heading west. By 9:55am, T60D and T60E had crossed over to the Cracroft Island side and were heading west at the Sophia Islands. They were pretty relaxed but steadily travelling. They passed CP where they were identified. Good thing too because Blackney Pass was shrouded in fog for much of the morning. It cleared sufficiently for us to track their movements half way through the Pass from 11:11am till 11:54am. They made no calls and despite the fact that the Pass was packed with marine mammals of every description, seals, Dall Porpoise, sea lions, humpbacks, they showed little interest except to carry on travelling north. Fog descended once again and we gave up trying to locate them, which we never did. The A30s, meanwhile, had shifted to the Plumpers from the White Cliff Islets and Penfold Island area. They began to go through Weynon Pass from 1pm. Unbeknownst to us until much later there was a lot going on west of the A30s in Queen Charlotte Strait. At 2:15pm, well after the A30s had decided on Weynton Passage, the R18s and R13s “peeked”, as Kate put it, around the corner of Malcolm Point. They were relaxed and milling before they mosied down to Bere Point. They turned around at 4:15pm and went west. At 4:35pm, they were between Malcolm and Greame Points. An hour later, pointed to the Mastermann Island. (Thanks to Kate, Dylan and Lance for their information). Had the A30s heard the Rs despite the long distance between them? For some reason,both groups eventually left off from the chance to come together and went their own way in completely opposite directions. The A30s were totally silent as they returned to the Strait. At 4:19pm they were easting along the Hanson Island shore, and by 4:24pm their distant blows could be seen travelling close to one and another towards Vancouver Island. Still silent. Such a long time passed before they started calling in Robson Bight at 7:19pm. Their calls broke through all the other noises as they travelled slowly, the A54s first, past Critical Point. The A50s passed the same way at 8pm. Both groups came into Strider Beach for a rub between 8:28pm and 9pm . They left off there to head to the Main Beach for a rub at 9:05pm. They were still calling closely at 9:14pm but afterwards their calls began to fade as they continued east. That was it! Who knows what tomorrow will bring. Were the Rs waiting for others? Will they return? Jared Towers, who took over from Lance after 4:30pm, left them at 8pm still moving west off the Port Hardy airport.  OrcaLab 27 Aug 2020 23:41:09 PDT Orcas rubbing on the shore bottom. Orca rubbing in live at Strider Rubbing Beach Cam, come and see https://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base Jennifer 27 Aug 2020 20:17:29 PDT No calls but orcas nearby Two Biggs orca in Blackney Pass, heading North Gloria 27 Aug 2020 11:39:59 PDT No calls but orcas nearby Two Biggs killer whales in Blackney Pass! Gloria 27 Aug 2020 11:39:31 PDT No calls but orcas nearby August 26 2020: A30s,T18,T19s, Humpbacks,PWD Daylight greeted us with a few humpback groans in Blackfish Sound just after 6am. Then blows were heard at 6:40am. There were no accompanying calls and the event lacked description as nothing was actually visible at the time. A mystery. The early morning hours had been uneventful save a few possible dolphin calls just after midnight. By late morning, 11:21am, things picked up. Somewhat by chance a visual scan of the area east of the Reserve using the remote Main Rubbing Beach camera yielded a very distant look at a group of orcas heading west along the Cracroft Island shore well east of Boat Bay. We had been anticipating the A30s to return from the east. However, this was not was happening. The boat following turned out to be the research vessel, Pinnegar whose task is to follow whales and pick up their poop. Yes, you read that correctly. This humble job yields some of the most interesting information about the whales, their diet among other things. The boat usually follows at a reasonable distance. The Pinnegar informed the Cliff researchers and ourselves that the group of Bigg’s orcas was the T19s travelling as they usually do with T18. The Bigg’s carried on travelling the entire length of West Cracroft Island. By 12:55pm they passed the Cliff Research site (opposite Robson Bight). At 1:17pm (21 minutes later) they were off the Sophia Islands making way to Cracroft Point. By this time they had excited several boats, research, whale watching and recreational boats too. This flotilla followed the whales into Blackney Pass. All came into view at 1:42pm. The large male, T19B, with his ever so distinctive fin, came in first. T19C next along with T18 and T19. The whales were spread out and flanked and followed by the boats right through the Pass. T19B chose mid channel and at one point he slowed down completely. When submerging he left just the tip visible. Before the whales cleared our view at 2:02pm they were together in mid channel. They continued travelling through Blackfish Sound. Around 5:33pm, dolphin chattered livened the hydrophone near the Bight till around 6:17pm. They may have been the advance party. At 8:22pm, Jenn thought she heard faint calls on the Critical Point (Robson Bight) hydrophone. At 9:09pm, she noted echo location on Main Rubbing Beach. At 9:32pm, a few distant calls were heard followed by a faint A30 call 5 minutes later. The Wardens, back in camp at Boat Bay, reported orcas passing to the west at 10:25pm. Then finally, the A30s declared themselves on the Kaizumi Rubbing Beach hydrophone around 11pm. There were dolphins too (and a humpback briefly in Blackney Pass). The calls, not particularly close but clear nevertheless, suggested that perhaps they were still nearer the Cracroft Island shore. Perhaps like this morning's Bigg's they will choose to come through Blackney Pass too.  OrcaLab 27 Aug 2020 00:04:53 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby The T19s with T18 are travelling north through Blackney Pass. https://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base OrcaLab 26 Aug 2020 13:53:13 PDT No calls but orcas nearby The T19s with T18 are travelling north through Blackney Pass. https://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base OrcaLab 26 Aug 2020 13:53:05 PDT No orcas present. August 25 2020: A50s, A54s, T055s, singing Humpbacks, Dall's Porpoises and PWD We left off with the A30 matrilines (the A50s and A54s) heading North through Blackney Pass with the ebbing tide and a flow of exciting calls. From Blackfish Sound, they made their way to the Johnstone Strait throughout the night. Tomoko heard faint A30 calls at 3:18am. It was a quiet night all in all, other than for a humpback (or two) occasionally singing between Blackfish Sound and Johnstone Strait, and dolphins swimming and calling by Main Rubbing Beach and in Blackney Pass. Quin, who was on the early morning shift, intuitively checked the Strider Rubbing Beach camera in the morning, and there they were! The A54s were rubbing along with the sunrise. This time he adjusted the audio stream to include the Strider Rubbing Beach hydrophone. We had previously been relying on the Main Beach hydrophone for sound at Strider but using the hydrophone at Strider meant we could hear the immediate sounds of the whales while they rubbed. And it was great! Quin also readied the underwater camera. We were in for over an hour of rubbing, calling, resting and milling offshore. The A50s came around the corner from Main Rubbing Beach initiating the A50s and A54s coming together for even more rubbing, spy hopping, and resting at Strider Rubbing Beach. One beautiful moment had both matrilines lining up in the kelp together. They kept returning to the kelp and the beach. The underwater scene of the orcas tumbling over each other, criss-crossing paths, was mesmerizing. We had the complete picture: surface,underwater and sound. Finally, A50 closed the hour and a half rubbing with one last go, and the whales were off, heading west for good. It was now 8:08 am. Still together, they tightly rounded the corner of the Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve at 8:52 am. We watched them head deep into the Bight, not making a sound. Eventually, they spread out by the estuary, playing and breaching. They picked up the pace at 09:26 am, still without any calls or echolocation, and moved leisurely towards Robson Point. While the whales were quiet, a humpback groaned near Flower Island. Humpbacks usually stop vocalising when boats pass them by but this one didn't let the loud speeding boat interrupt. By 10:21 am the A50s and A54s arrived at Kaizumi Rubbing Beach. Judging by the sounds they clearly enjoyed their late morning rub. By 11:19am, with their vocalizations getting further and further away, they were continuing west along the Vancouver Island shore. We got a report at 1:22 pm that the whales had made it to the Bauza Islets, and surprisingly we could still pick up some faint calls from our Cracroft Point hydrophone even though they were that far west. After a while, with the A54s in the lead, the whales turned around and headed back east. It often seems like when the whales are quiet the humpbacks are ready to take the stage. While the A30s silently made their way east, a humpback began to call near Flower Island. At one point the boat noise became so loud we could not hear the humpback. When the boat had passed, the humpback was silent. But nearby, close to Parson Island, some echolocation was audible. At first faint and all of a sudden, very clear and close. It was now 3:24 pm. The A30s were off the entrance to Blackney Pass and headed North. They breached, tail slapped, foraged and milled through the Pass, accompanied by Pacific White-sided dolphins swimming alongside them. The orcas continued to head west in Blackfish Sound, calling beautifully and intermittently with a humpback. It seemed as though all the whales had cleared Blackney Pass until Pippa noticed some splashes. She went outside for a closer look and saw that A50 and her baby had turned back around. Dall's porpoises and Inukshuk, the humpback whale, who was slapping his pectoral fin, were close by. Could it have been Inukshuk calling? Back north, A50 and her baby went. Unfortunately, a boat ripped by in Blackfish Sound and stopped the intertwined orca calls. The A50s and A54s slowly, and quietly, continued to head west in Blackfish Sound. It should be noted that the T55s were spotted at White Cliff at 11:33 and later part of the group, T55B and T55C were seen travelling from Crib Island to Fife Sound and back again managing to kill two seals along the way. They were last seen heading south at 5:30 pm. Day done? Not quite. At 7:39pm, Just after our dinner time, orcas were reported between Flower Island and Burnt Point heading south (thanks AJ). It was the A30s, silent, all together and mid channel. The glowing evening light flooded Blackney Pass as the orcas rolled forward. A few became engaged in fishing before everyone, now very vocal, moved toward the entrance of Blackney Pass. The bright sunset in Johnstone Strait competed for our attention before the whales turned east and moved past Cracroft Point gradually but steadily crossing to mid strait, past Kaizumi Beach, towards Robson Bight. Before 10pm they were back in the Bight once more, their 14 hour circuit complete. After calling and echolocating in the Bight for 10 minutes, the A30s slipped eastward toward and beyond the eastern end of the Reserve. The last calls we heard were at 11:47pm.  Gloria 26 Aug 2020 09:23:44 PDT

Superb sounds!! Lovely calls from the A30s on the Parson Island hydrophone! Orcalab 25 Aug 2020 20:19:50 PDT Orcas approaching Orcalab. The A30s are heading south in Blackney Pass in beautiful evening light, Orcalab 25 Aug 2020 20:03:09 PDT No calls but orcas nearby Come to see the orca in live Orca Lab Base Cam. https://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base Jennifer 25 Aug 2020 19:45:38 PDT Orcas approaching Orcalab. The A30s are heading north in Blackney Pass. They look excited! OrcaLab 25 Aug 2020 15:41:44 PDT