No orcas present. July 22 2021 Orcas: A35, A117, A77, A90 & baby, A56 Humpbacks: Stitch, Argonaut, Black Pearl and maybe Quartz Patterns repeating; the small group of 6 A4 pod family members, who have been in the area for several days now, left the Strait via Weynton Pass as evening closed in on the 21st, only to return the next morning once again, coming into Blackney Pass after first being heard in Blackfish Sound at 7:43am. Like the days before, the ocean was calm, the skies overcast with low cloud with the promise of either rain or a soon to be brighter prospect. One whale, A56 Nahwitti (A5), came into view first at 9:05am. She was mid channel all alone, swimming slowly on the soon to be flooding tide. Her dives were deep and long. The rest of her companions arrived travelling both close together and close to the Hanson Island shore. Roller (A77) was slightly in the lead. After days of travelling spread out it was a treat to see them all together. The slight back eddy along the shore gave them advantage and they made their way easily through the Pass especially as the tide turned. They were all out of our view by 9:25am. The flooding tide then carried them all into Johnstone Strait where Megan, at “CP” on Cracroft Point watched them head east at 10am. We tracked them as best we could on the remote cameras and welcomed the reports from the Wardens who informed us of their progress from time to time. Just before 10:30am the Wardens saw the lead female (perhaps A56) pass Izumi Rock while the rest were nearer Kaizumi Beach. Then at 11:07am we were informed that the orcas were in the Reserve, still with a female in the lead, and heading to Robson Point. By 11:27am they were past Critical Point on their way to Strider Rubbing Beach where unbeknownst to us an intense 2 ½ hour session was about to begin at 11:42am. It is hard to describe in adequate detail all the activity we witnessed at this amazing site. All of the individuals participated and because we have an underwater camera (which is featured on www.explore.org) we got to see the whales in this most intimate of settings. A90’s baby was keen to join in, most times close to mum but venturing out with the others as well. Impressive A77 slid in and out of view, right side, upside down, slow and fast. No one forgot to rest between rubs. The sound of rubs, chuffs, pebbles moving were continuous and unlike their passage earlier through Blackney Pass the whales were vocal as they enjoyed the beach. Just before 2pm, we thought they had finished and were looking to go west but seven minutes later they returned for another 20 minute session. Finally, the decision was made to abandon the beach and move on. They passed Critical Point once again at 3:11pm (Warden’s report). After which they moved away from the Vancouver Island shore to mid strait giving Kaizumi Beach a pass around 4pm. We then found them on the remote cameras and watched as they travelled quite quickly westward eventually approaching Cracroft Point where Megan was watching as well. Megan at first thought they might head into Blackney Pass as A77 indicated some intention to do so but after A35, A56 and A117 passed CP the direction was decidedly west. We last saw them in the distance at 4:42pm but we continued to record their distant calls until 6:38pm. While Katie made a delicious dinner with the help of Dante, we got a report from Prince of Whales that the A35s had chosen to continue west in Cormant Channel. What might this mean? The day still has three hours left, the light is fading, we remain listening and waiting. Interestingly several G clan groups have been off the west coast of Vancouver Island near the Swiftsure Banks. Seen on July 15 and 20 were the G31s, some of the G37s,G16s, G48s and I93. The Northern Residents’ range seems to be stretching!  OrcaLab 22 Jul 2021 22:15:19 PDT

July 20 2021 Orcas: A42s, A94, A35s, A56, A73s, T018s, T019s Humpbacks: Stitch, Quartz, Argonaut The night and subsequent morning were fairly quiet, with no cetaceans heard on our hydrophones at all. We received a report of some Biggs heading through the Òblow holeÓ at the north end of Hanson at 8:49am, but direction unknown. Possibly the same group, another sighting of BiggÕs was reported at Berry Island aat 11:49am, and a little while later the T018s and T019s were identified off Mitchell Bay, at 2:02pm. No reports of residents came throughout the day, and we surmised that the A35s likely continued west, after the A73s. Quin and Mattis took the opportunity to head to Cracroft Point and the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve to work on our radio links. As they were finishing up at Strider Rubbing Beach around 4:35pm, Mattis spotted a large dorsal fin way offshore, heading west. Quin turned to look and heard the ÔpfooÕ, ÔpfooÕ, ÔpfooÕ of blows much closer to shore. There were orcas right there at the rubbing beach, and they were caught totally by surprise. Fortunately, they had tucked our little boat ÒSonicÓ round the corner, and both handled the situation very calmly. They sat patiently up on the cliff and watched this incredible event, knowing not to disturb these whales. But who were they? Had the A35s headed east overnight completely silently? It seemed a little unlikely but not impossible, and seemed our best fit given the male offshore and an open saddle patch seen at the beach - possible A90 (Pine). The rub was very brief, lasting only 6 minutes, and they continued decidedly to the west. Back at the lab we were scratching our heads a little, but at 5:54pm all became clear. We picked up crisp calls on our Kaizumi Rubbing Beach hydrophone - they were A5 calls, not A4! A little penny dropped in SuzieÕs head and she figured that these must be the A42s, who were seen down in Gibsons just two days ago. Quin agreed that the group composition and dorsal shape of the male matched the A42s, as opposed to the A23s or A25s. What an incredible odyssey they have undertaken since we saw them on July 5th. They continued on their westward mission and by 8:02pm they had reached Blackfish Sound. We were hearing one distinctly A4-ish call (but did not sound like the A35s) and our most reasonable estimate is that A94 (of the A24s) is still travelling with the A42s. At 8:55pm we heard two A4 calls overlaid, and a little while later some Springer-esque calls. Possibly the A35s and A73s had joined the A42s in Blackfish Sound. Incidentally, we then received a report from Kate at Bere Point that the A35s, A56 and A73s had gone west past Bere Point at 7:40am, then back east again at 2:08pm, travelling slowly. This rounded things off very nicely, explaining the calls we were now hearing. Their calls tapered off as they likely wested in Blackfish Sound altogether, and we last heard them at 9:36pm. A very satisfying end to a surprising day! Two of our new lab assistants - Shelby and Vanessa - have their first night shift tonight. We hope the whales return, so that they can experience the magic of listening to calls under a starry canopy.  OrcaLab 21 Jul 2021 09:22:32 PDT Superb sounds!! Beautiful A4 calls right now in the darkness! OrcaLab 21 Jul 2021 04:54:34 PDT

No orcas present. July 19 2021 Orcas: A35s (minus A52s, 70s), A90s, A56, A73s Humpbacks: Argonaut, Ripple + calf, Stitch At midnight a second rubbing event featured a different group of individuals. Both groups having seemingly sated their interest in the distinctive stones and beach topography for the night, by 12:48am we tracked them all moving together, eastwards, through the inky night sea, receding into silence. The morning broke clear and bright, with a hot sun that could be felt even in the dawn’s first hours. Perhaps spurred by this infectiously joyous weather, starting at about 6:30am, two of our volunteers had the good fortune to observe Argonaut (a humpback who, when in Blackfish Sound this summer, is generally seen calmly milling back & forth as he feeds) breach repeatedly and effusively, in arcing crescendos we certainly haven’t previously had the pleasure of seeing him engage in this season. Argonaut’s aerial bodily projections resulted in landings that echoed thunderously across Blackfish Sound. This is the definition of ‘sublime’! A glorious, and unimaginable hugeness that both challenges and affirms existence! A little later on this spectacular morning, by 8:13am we were treated to faint A4 calls on the Strider Rubbing Beach hydrophone: the orcas had returned from their nocturnal sojourn east and were now returning west, a quiet echo of the sun’s morning trajectory. Slowly working up to a session, almost two-and-a-half hours later, today’s rubbings had begun at 10:38am. Identifying individuals through their distinctive calls and markings, we confirmed A35 and her baby, A77, A90 and her baby, and A73s. A35 passed through first followed by A77 who turned back with A117 for the rub. Eventually, A77 led the way west after moving further offshore. A90 and her baby followed suit and lastly the A73s passed very close to the shore with Spirit (A104) rolling right next to the shore rocks. Our underwater and aboveground cameras both picked up lovely footage of the action, allowing us as always to share it with enthralled watchers. By 10:48am the groups had finished their rubbing, and were heard heading westward led once again by A77. On to the west. Just after 11am the Wardens let us know that the orcas were still close to the Vancouver Island shoreline and passing the eastern headland of Robson Bight. An hour later at 12:05pm they had passed the western boundary of the Ecological Reserve. Between 1:13pm and 1:17pm they continued west past Kaizumi Beach. They did not rub but A90’s little baby breached continuously for a while. This group of orcas was then observed heading west in Johnstone Strait with a smattering of calls heard throughout the afternoon. They were opposite Blinkhorn by 2:58pm. The A73s continued into Weynton at 4:51pm and later into Blackfish Sound, and then west into Queen Charlotte Strait, while the A35s turned around, coming back east through Johnstone Strait. Carefully attuned to their possible movements, we heard only a few calls on our hydrophones at Cracroft Point. At 6:22pm, with the slowly setting sun, suddenly and silently the A35s, including A90 and her baby, appeared in Blackney Pass, led by 31-year old A56—known as Nahwitti. The new volunteers were delighted to be treated to their 2nd OrcaLab orca sightings, as A77, A35, and A117 were also observed stopping to forage in Parson Bay. Scotty caught us up as to the whereabouts of the A73s at 6:43pm—they were now off Lizard Point. Meanwhile, the A90s were off Swanson Island, with the A35s in tow, all moving into Blackfish Sound. A90’s baby breached repeatedly, as the Prince of Whales whale watching boat trailed their movements. A notably glorious sunset marked their movement into Blackfish Sound. It was to be another late dinner (mixed vegetable curry with seasoned rice!) as we waited for Mattis to return from Alert Bay in the Sonic. He had earlier dropped Suzie off at Cracroft Point to ready the camp for Megan’s return. While she was there, Squiggle the humpback came in close to the camp: Suzie was hesitant about telling Kamilla, our resident “humpback person,” about this ever-so-close encounter, lest she be disappointed! Mattis, delayed by helping a broken-down boat with a tow to Alder Bay, was late getting to Telegraph Cove to pick up Megan. Megan had been away for two weeks, but did not mind the wait, being pleased to be back on the North Island! After dropping her off and picking Suzie up, Mattis returned to the Lab armed with stories to tell, and groceries for the new volunteers: with his return, we broke for dinner, sharing a meal together and learning a little more about Dante, Vanessa, and Shelby. By 8:36pm, A77 was now discernible on our Flower Island camera, while A4 calls could be heard on the corresponding hydrophone. These calls, along with N4 calls, and some echolocations continued intermittently, until they faded into the night, thus concluding a long and varied day filled with human comings-and-goings set to the rhythms of the orcas and humpbacks.  OrcaLab 20 Jul 2021 16:33:57 PDT No orcas present. July 18 2021 Orcas: A35s (minus A52s, 70s), A90s, A56, A73s Humpbacks: Argonaut, Ripple + calf, Stitch July 18th was a day of departures and arrivals, both of the human and whale kind. Our day began early in the morning at 2:03am when calls were heard. We were not sure of the location. The previous evening the A4 groups went into Johnstone Strait around 9:30pm. But the next morning we had a report at 6:40am of whales seen heading west after a brief rub at Bere Point—a clue that the whales had moved away from Johnstone Strait This was confirmed when we heard a report that described orcas off Port Hardy Airport at 10:46am. At 1pm, Kate Braur let us know that the A35/A73 group were now spread out off Malcolm Point and heading east. Later in the now clear and sunny afternoon at 2:50pm they briefly rubbed at Bere Pt. continuing east, back towards us. Meanwhile, as we waited for their arrival, we were disturbed to see two Jet Skis travelling fast through Blackney Pass. After last year’s experience when we saw Jet Skiers joyride too close to dolphins, we were nervous that we would witness a similar situation. Daughter Anna who had come up for her birthday on the 16th with her husband, Tony, and four-year-old son, Jamie left the island to return to the Lower Mainland. Before they left, we had heard that the A42s were now off Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast. Might they ever head back up north toward OrcaLab? We hope so! By early night, at 7:04pm, still bright at this point in July, we began to hear faint calls from the A35s in Blackfish Sound—five-hours after their rub at Bere Point—as they travelled into Johnstone Strait. Not all members of the groups were seen, but an earlier report from Jared confirmed the A35s (with no A52s or A70s), and the A73s. They continued their eastward trajectory, and journeyed to Strider Rubbing Beach. This day turned long waiting for the June Cove to arrive back from Alert Bay with the new volunteers, Dante, Vanessa and Shelby. Suzie and others had prepared dinner in advance of their arrival and waited patiently. The evening was getting on. Both the whales and people seemed forever delayed. Then at 7:11pm, Jared Towers informed us that the A35/A73 group were now off the Plumper Islands and taking Blackfish Sound. Attentively watching, after just over an hour we spotted them at last at 8:16pm with the distinctive, towering fin of A77 in the lead, and A35 and her baby also sighted, as they crossed Blackney Pass in front of the lab. This was soon after the June Cove had rounded the corner and returned. The new volunteers were interrupted in their attempts to put up their tents by the inevitable shout of “ORCA!” They were treated to the first glimpse, albeit a distant one, of the whales as they passed through Blackney Pass. The orcas cleared our view at 8:35pm and we were freed to finish the tents and have dinner at last. A few distant calls on the Cracroft Island hydrophone indicated to us that the orcas continued east in Johnstone Strait. We continued to hear calls on Kaizumi Rubbing Beach from 9pm to 9:47pm. By 10pm there were indications that the groups were approaching Strider Rubbing Beach in the Ecological Reserve. Shortly after 11pm, we heard the orcas’ first rubs. The luxuriant whooshing noise of displaced pebbles belied the whales’ action, as they repeatedly threw themselves into the smooth stones. The lab was electric with the sounds of the whales, the movement of the pebbles, and the stirring of the slight northwesterly breeze. Quin listened, transcribed, and tracked the orcas as they rubbed for 49-minutes. Finally the orcas undulated off into the night.  OrcaLab 20 Jul 2021 16:33:41 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby July 16 & 17th Orcas: A35s, A73s Humpbacks: Stitch, Argonaut, Ripple & Calf We had become very used to the presence of those A1 and A5 groups in early July… and all at once they disappeared. After an 8 day silence (during which time we found plenty of odd jobs to do, and gave the humpbacks our utmost attention), we were delighted to receive two critical reports on July 16th. The first report alerted us to the presence of the A42s in Active Pass; 140 miles away to the south of Nanaimo. We were shocked! It is very probable that they continued through Tribune Channel (their last known location up here on July 6th) and took the narrower “back route” south, evading many pairs of hopeful, watchful eyes. Nevertheless, a good final piece to that particular puzzle. The second report was perhaps even more welcome - Northern Residents at Bere Point at 6pm, heading our way! This report from Kate was quickly followed by an update that it was members of the A35s and A73s (Springer’s family) who had rubbed and were heading east. We located tiny fins at 7:49pm in Blackfish Sound, but they were still a long way off. As the darkness settled, so increased their familiar A4 calls. Their long, lamenting ‘N4’ call punctuated the dusk as they made their way towards Blackney Pass, and at 10:30pm we heard some distinct calls which we know to be Springer - how incredible we can identify her and her offspring even in the depth of the night. At some point, they decided to either turn around or rest, because most of the night was spent without further instance. However just as the light crept in at 5:05am, so did their calls, and it was not long until they were out front in Blackney Pass. They were fairly spread out but we identified A77, A35 and her baby A117, and the A70s, travelling south. We didn’t yet have a positive visual ID for Springer (A73) and her offspring. They made their way east in Johnstone Strait in the morning light, and by 8:07am the first group had reached Strider Rubbing Beach - and began to rub. A second group came to the beach at 8:17am, and thanks to our remote cameras we captured some beautiful footage of Pine (A90) and her brand new baby rubbing side-by-side. We also saw Springer and her offspring rubbing at the beach. The first group (A35s) briefly rubbed at Main Rubbing Beach before turning back to the west to join Springer’s family, and all moved back to the west again. The rest of the day was fairly simple. The groups continued west in Johnstone Strait closer to Hanson Island, when at 11:15am they turned east again near its western end. They tightened up into a beautiful resting line and spent the next few hours moving slowly towards Kaizumi Beach, then turned back towards Cracroft Point, alternating east with west. We stopped hearing them just before 5pm and kept a wary eye on the rubbing beach cameras... but at 6pm there were fins in Blackney Pass, heading north! They had all silently turned and were cruising back into Blackfish Sound under a beautiful, golden light. There were lots of breaches and tail-slapping from A35’s baby, A117. We didn’t get a positive visual ID on the A73s again, but we heard that distinctive call a little while later so we believe Springer and her offspring were still with them. We caught some lovely close footage of A35 and baby foraging close to Flower Island at 7pm, and tracked them northwest along the Swanson Island shore. We are still hearing their calls as the day draws to a close, and they have just started to get a little louder - sounds like they’ve turned again and may pay us another close visit!  OrcaLab 18 Jul 2021 10:13:31 PDT

Superb sounds!! The A3ss have have just entered Johnstone Strait, visible on Explore camera. They are vocal too! Lab crew 17 Jul 2021 06:13:47 PDT

Performing maintenance BC Hydro has scheduled a maintenance power outage for the whole of tomorrow. See you on the other side! OrcaLab 14 Jul 2021 22:11:07 PDT

Performing maintenance BC Hydro has scheduled a maintenance power outage for the whole of tomorrow. See you on the other side! OrcaLab 14 Jul 2021 22:11:07 PDT

July 11 2021 Orcas: BiggÕs orcas Humpbacks: Stitch, Argonaut, Guardian, Inukshuk, Freckles, Squiggle, unidentified Sea Lion This was a banner day for humpbacks in Blackney Pass. Kamilla saw 7 different humpbacks and identified 6 of them; Stitch, Argonaut, Guardian, Inukshuk, Freckles, Squiggle. One defied us so we sent the pictures of the dorsal fin off to MERS to have a closer look. Quite exciting to see Ònew facesÓ added to the list of regulars. Guardian had not been back in the Pass for a very long time and we believe (but will have this confirmed) that this is the first sighting of Freckles this season. Part of this day and the day before was taken up with handling a Sea Lion who died in one of our local bays. While on deck, in the early evening of July 9, we watched this young sea lion rush straight towards us and then swirl about very close to shore briefly. He died just afterwards. The next morning (July 10) he was floating in the same exact spot. There was no apparent cause of death. The Northern Residents have been absent from this area ever since they took off on July 8. Some of the groups (at least the A23s) were spotted off the Deserter Group the next day. Since then, nothing except one report of the A73s (Springer) seen on the central coast by Jared and Ely. We heard that there were BiggÕs in Johnstone Strait but donÕt know yet the details except they were near the Stephenson Islets (Weynton Passage) at 9:36am. On July 10 we kept track of the CCG Vector both visually and acoustically as it made several transects of Blackfish Sound. Using sonar they were conducting a hydrographic survey in order to upgrade existing charts. The sonar sounds were loud enough for us to hear even when the boat was in Queen Charlotte Strait but they were never overwhelming. Life at the Lab continues regardless and when not watching the humpbacks there are many (endless) chores. Will (on the chainsaw) and Megan (stacking) have been clearing the beach of the cedar branches from a portion of the felled cedar. This will be a great addition to our wood stash!   OrcaLab 12 Jul 2021 06:39:17 PDT

July 8 2021 Orcas: A50s, A54s, A23s,A25s Humpbacks: Ripple, baby and Stitch Picking up the trail from before midnight. At least part of the A30s, and we suspect the A50s, left Johnstone Strait and headed north in Blackney Pass into Blackfish Sound. With them were an A5 group who were heard a short time later in Blackfish Sound. Shortly afterwards, we heard additional calls in Johnstone Strait within the range of the Cracroft Point hydrophone. These A5 and A30 calls, confirmed by Tomoko listening in Japan, then moved over into the range of the Kaizumi hydrophone. Our first interpretation of this is that part of the A30s, the A54s, stayed behind in Johnstone Strait with some of the A5s, allowing the others to go forward into Blackfish Sound. With the advantage of the morning sightings we understand that the A23s and the A25s were all back in the Strait. So two things are possible. Bear with us for thinking out loud. One possibility is that the A5 group accompanying the A50s to Blackfish backtracked quietly on the flooding tide (whales did this in the afternoon) and joined the A54s and the other A5 group in Johnstone Strait. Or two, the A50s met up with the A42s, the other A5 group in the area, and carried on to the west leaving the A54s, A23s, and A25s in the Strait. We have not had word regarding the A42s since they were last seen in Tribune Channel two days ago so this is wild speculation. The calls we heard in Blackfish were not conclusive as to which A5 group. Just after 2pm, whales in the Strait rubbed for 10 minutes intensely at Kaizumi. Others, not involved with this rub, could be heard further east in the Strait on the Main Rubbing Beach system. Over the next four hours the general movement was to the east. The long reach of the Kaizumi system last registered calls at 7:41am. Daylight, as we mentioned, brought some clarification as to the movements of the whales. The groups had not gone far past the Ecological Reserve and by 8:44am (just an hour later) we began to hear their calls once again. At 8:57am the Wardens at the Cliff observation site opposite Robson Bight on the Cracroft Island shore let us know that a small group was passing to the west. We were only hearing the A54s. Just under an hour later we saw whales approaching Kaizumi. Their calls became louder and their telltale echolocation signalled their direction and intention of passing over the beach. It was just three whales. A54, A106 and A118. They passed without rubbing and carried on to Kaiaksh where their identification was confirmed by Gary Sutton on the Skana research vessel. On the Cracroft Island side the whales did a lot of back and forth, milling, pacing allowing A54 time to cross and enter Blackney Pass ahead of them. By now we were picking up both A30 and A5 calls. At 10:53am A54 and her two young ones still in tow came into our view. They very slowly made their way to Parson Island. Next we could see A61 in the gap between Parson Island and Hanson Island. He was all by himself. He had heard his calls as he entered. At 11am a larger group came into view. Included were the A75s, the A85s (A61Õs niece and baby) and the A86s. This meant we now had all the A54s in along with the A25s. Meanwhile, the A23s were seen heading west off the Western Boundary of the Ecological Reserve. In their small groups the A54s and A25s progressed slowly through Blackney Pass. At 11:55am the A75s stretched in front of the A85s and A86s and were opposite Red Point. A61 lingered further south and was only up to 2nd Bay on Parson Island. The small A54 group were by this time approaching Blackfish Sound and we could hear their calls on the Flower Island system. By Noon the A23s were past the Sophias. They would not, it turned out, follow the others into Blackney Pass but instead carried on to the west in Johnstone Strait. Eventually, all the groups in Blackney Pass, passed from our view into Blackfish Sound. They would not go far. By 1:50pm they were drifting back into view with the now flooding tide, They were both relaxed and animated and cleared to the south by 2:19pm on their way to Johnstone Strait. Like the A23s before them they went to the west (against the tide). They were silent and most likely resting in the now warm afternoon sun. Much like some well deserving persons at OrcaLab! Quin, Will and Megan headed off to do service to the Cracroft Point, Strider and Main sites. They were gone all afternoon. While at Cracroft Point they saw the A23s go by and because the trip went well they returned happy and satisfied. News about the whales resumed at 6:23pm when Matchu mentioned seeing a small group, including a breaching baby (one of the babies was also breaching when going through Blackney Pass) and whales spyhopping heading east from Telegraph Cove. This report was followed by A5 calls. Instead of continuing east the A54s, A23s, and A25s, all together now, next crossed over to the entrance of Blackney Pass and once again moved northward to Blackfish Sound starting at 7:17pm. No longer sleepy whales, they rolled together through the early evening westerly chop. On into the sunset!  OrcaLab 09 Jul 2021 11:32:41 PDT

Distant calls audible. Yesterday's summary! July 7 2021 Orcas: A50s, A54s, A23s and A25s Humpbacks: Squiggle, Stitch, Argonaut, Ripple + calf Ripple the humpback and her new baby continued to excite us at the lab this morning. They were observed trap feeding together in Blackney Pass much to KamÕs delight - she has been watching these whales from dawn till dusk for several days! We received a report of some BiggÕs heading east off Telegraph Cove at 10:11am, later identified as the T137s. By 11:25am we could hear them on our hydrophone at Kaizumi Beach in Johnstone Strait, and we tracked their movements east using our Ôeyes and earsÕ all the way past the rubbing beaches around 1pm. They came quite close to shore but did not pay the beaches any particular attention. (Now wouldnÕt that cause quite the stir if they did?) Another report drifted in from the west just after midday, alerting us to the presence of Northern Residents in Queen Charlotte Strait, heading our way. By 3:27pm we could hear the A30s faintly in Blackfish Sound. It was actually Momoko who alerted us to the calls all the way from Japan - the power of live streaming audio! Once in the lab, we located them on the camera just after 4pm and by 4:23pm the first few were with us in Blackney Pass. We saw A84 from the A50s and a little while later, A60 and A69 plus her baby from the A23s. A5 calls picked up in Blackfish Sound a few minutes later, and we discerned that the A50s, A54s and A23s were all travelling together but very spread out. As the first groups cleared into Johnstone Strait, the A25s came into our view, tailing the rest at 5:08pm, with A61 remaining in Blackney Pass until 5:42pm! Their calls were mingled and we heard lots of echolocation, as at least some of the A23s crossed to the Vancouver Island shore and headed east around 5:45pm, followed by the A50s who also made their way across the Strait. At 6:34pm, we heard the most beautiful rub from the A50s at Kaizumi beach. It only lasted ten minutes but we lost count of the number of times the pebbles clashed and clicked, as the orcas rubbed their entire bodies over the smooth surface. The groups were now very spread out and all eastbound. We saw our first fins all the way at Strider Beach at 7:11pm, and they proceeded to rub a few minutes later. It is a little difficult to accurately summarise the rubs, as the whales kept dipping in and out from the beach until 8.36pm. By this time, we believe the tailing groups had all caught up, and eventually we were satisfied that they had turned and headed west again. The only small note of confusion is the faint calls still heard around Main Rubbing Beach at 9:59pm - it is possible that one group stayed to the east or just Òhung backÓ even more. As the dark closed in, Tomoko (also in Japan) spotted some fins on our Cracroft Point camera just before 10pm, and we heard a few fragmented calls and very faint echolocation at the entrance to Blackney Pass. By 10:34pm we were hearing their foraging clicks in Blackfish Sound, and Quin thought he heard some blows out front in the darkness. The A30s suddenly broke into song as they passed the lab at 10:41pm, and they were joined by A5 calls (23s & 25s) a while later at 11:15pm. Both groups produced the most spectacular calls and a long bout of echolocation; a midnight snack celebration, it seemed. This answered a few lingering questions and we can surmise that some - possibly all - groups went west again. Out the way they came in. There is still the small possibility that some stayed east (and on the topic of uncertainty: where did the A42s get to?) but we hope, as ever, that the night will bring us clarity.  OrcaLab 08 Jul 2021 18:53:27 PDT

Superb sounds!! Lovely A30 calls and lots of echolocation right now! OrcaLab 07 Jul 2021 22:48:27 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby July 5 and 6 2021 Orcas: A42s, A94, (possibly A30s, A23s/25s heard),G20s with G32 Port Hardy area Humpbacks: Argonaut, Stitch, Ripple + calf, Zorro, Squiggle, Neptune We are combining these two days because events blended with the arrival and journey through the area of Holly’s (aka Sonora) A42 family! So Monday July 5 was fairly uneventful until word came that the A42s were travelling Queen Charlotte Strait and made a rub stop at Bere Point on their way. The good news came later that they were headed to Blackney Pass. At 2:08pm, we began to hear their calls when they were off Donegal Head and we could make out the distinctive calls of the A4s as well. Prior knowledge had prepared us that Mystery (A94) was still travelling with the A42s as he had for most of the winter and spring. A94’s natal group is the A24s who are part of the A4s, kissing cousins to Holly’s A5 pod. By 3:25pm our Flower Island remote camera zeroed in on A66 who would turn out to be somewhat of a star later in the day, more on that later. While in Blackney Pass and beyond in Johnstone Strait the A42s plus A94 were spread out in smaller groups in the dark, blue, choppy waters. Current (A79) came closest to the Lab with her young one (A119). During this time, Jared Towers was encountering the G20s with G32 near Port Hardy. By 4:14pm they had all cleared our view but continued to negotiate the entrance to Blackney Pass and make their way towards Cracroft Point where the remote camera there tracked their progress eastwards. The majority of the group crossed over to the Ecological Reserve and began a rub at 6:06pm. This rub lasted until 6:30pm (24 minutes) and involved 2 groups (3 + 4) who came from the west and actually rubbed once or twice. Not a very sustained effort. Our impression was that they then headed east. We were not convinced Surf (A66) was with them but instead hanging back. We held on to this belief because suddenly we heard louder calls on the Kaizumi hydrophone and Kaizumi Beach lies west of Strider. Then all became quiet for the next two hours leaving us wondering until A66 turned up once again in Blackney Pass heading south all by himself! He had done a lap of Hanson Island. This did not clarify things because as he passed through we heard both A1 and A5 calls in Blackfish Sound. What? The A1s sounded like the A30s. The A5s could either have been other members of his family, or the 23s/25s who have been traveling with the A30s recently. When A66 approached the entrance to Blackney Pass the calls in Blackfish Sound faded. A66 was greeted by we believe his family (A42s) coming west in Johnstone Strait, as the excited A5 calls rang out at the eastern entrance of Blackney Pass. After the family reunion they shifted east once more but over the next several hours (and into the next day, July 6) must have found their way to Weynton Passage and left Johnstone Strait. The last calls were at 5:13am. By the afternoon they were located in Fife Sound - much to the north across Queen Charlotte Strait. By 2:38pm, they were approaching the Burdwood Group. The final report came from the Naiad Explorer at 3pm when the A42s were off Lacey Falls, Tribune Channel. Quite the 8 hour journey! We are not totally satisfied with our explanation of their movements but by putting the acoustic clues together with the scant visual clues we were offered it was the best we could surmise. Our hope is of course that all the players will return! Our assistant Kamilla is still keeping track of the humpbacks in Blackney Pass who are going about their humpback business everyday. Amazing to see who is loyal to Blackney Pass. It has been determined that Ripple’s baby is a boy - a future singer!  OrcaLab 06 Jul 2021 21:12:35 PDT

No orcas present. July 4 2021 Orcas: T049As (minus A1, A2) Humpbacks: Argonaut, Stitch, Ripple & calf, Guardian Grey Whale in Johnstone Strait Just after midnight, we picked up some humpback vocalizations in Johnstone Strait. They were long, deep whoops and a little atypical for this time of year. The rest of the night and indeed the subsequent day were fairly quiet. The Northern Residents who had headed west did not resurface - but we are not worried. They often “go out” like this and come back with a new group of orcas, so we are waiting patiently! At midday, we received a report from the Cliff of a group of four Biggs orcas heading west past Robson Bight. They had successfully made a kill and we tracked them westward on our remote cameras through Johnstone Strait. We later found out from Jared Towers that these were the T049As (minus A1 and A2) - many thanks, Jared. Humpbacks Argonaut, Stitch, Ripple & baby and Guardian have also kept us very busy today; Blackney Pass is certainly living up to its name as a hotspot for hungry, feeding whales. Just before dark we received another report from the Cliff of a grey whale moving past their camp in Johnstone Strait at 8pm. As the night draws in, we wonder if a new set of orca calls may be on the horizon. Here’s hoping!  OrcaLab 05 Jul 2021 13:33:45 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby July 3 2021 Orcas: A50s, A54s, A23s, A25s Humpbacks: Quartz, Argonaut, Ripple and baby,Black Pearl, Stitch Pacific White-sided Dolphins, Stellar Sea Lions, Dallas Porpoise After midnight we were still hearing the distant calls of the Northern Resident groups present the day before. We believe the A30s (A50s and A54s) along with the A23s and A25s had already left Johnstone Strait via Weynton Passage the previous evening, and as they crossed the western end of Blackfish Sound, we were later able to hear them on the Flower Island system. They were not seemingly in any particular hurry and took their time to finally head into Queen Charlotte Strait. We were still hearing the A30s on Flower Island at 2:55am. After a gap of about three hours (at 7:19am) we again heard distant A30 calls approximately in the same location. We heard calls till 7:56am after which it became quiet except for some Pacific Whitesided dolphin chatter at 8:45am. The resident orcas were to spend the majority of the morning and afternoon in Queen Charlotte Strait. Kate at Bere Point later let us know that at 11:00am they were off Black Bluff and by 11:30am they had regrouped and were beginning to head east. Promising! Just before 3pm (at 2:53pm) we were able to make out distant calls on the Flower Island hydrophone as the whales edged closer to us. Fifteen minutes later, using our new remote Flower Island camera, we were able to see their eastbound fins off the “top” western end of Blackfish Sound. The residents were basically repeating their patterns from the day before and we prepared ourselves for eventually seeing them once again in Blackney Pass. The wait was not long. At 3:35pm they arrived with A60 leading the A25s into our view, the rest followed but spread out in small groups, whale watch and research boats likewise. The orcas were vocal most of the time as they transited the pass. We kept track of their progress both visually and acoustically. The first group (the A25s and A60) was already into Johnstone Strait before the last groups (the A72s, A75s and A50s) emerged from Blackfish Sound. The A72s and A75s came through mid channel while the A50s were closer to the Hanson Island side. Three Steller Sea Lions, who had decided earlier to haul out on the Hanson Island rocks nonchalantly tolerated the orcas passing by. These two last orca groups merged and swam through the thick kelp near Gab’s Rock before disappearing from our view at 4:46pm. We are delighted to confirm that A69 (Midsummer) and her new baby were looking well, and that A75 (Cedar) has returned with a new baby, too! Many thanks to Jared Towers for the confirmation. We had watched the orcas, who previously had made it to the Strait, carry on eastward while angling mid strait from the Cracroft Island side. At 4:53pm we were startled by a single rub sound close to Kaizumi beach. There was no delaying these orcas who were pretty intent on getting to the Ecological Reserve. Just over one hour later they were seen approaching Strider Rubbing beach where they engaged in a longer rub from 6:24pm to 6:35pm. Their day was far from done. Leaving Strider they went west past Critical Point and Robson Bight back to Kaizumi Beach where they sustained a rub of 41 minutes from 7:49pm to 8:30pm. Afterwards they pulled away from the Vancouver Island shore and began a steady crossover to the entrance of Blackney Pass. The sun was now lower in the sky as the orcas negotiated their way back into Blackney Pass. Their exit was similar to their afternoon entrance but the parade had reversed itself with A60 and the A25s now the following and last individuals through. Some of the whales seemed excited (breaching and porpoising), as they headed out. By 9:50pm, the residents had cleared our view and we began tracking their further efforts acoustically. The Flower Island camera briefly showed them quickly moving through Blackfish Sound. Their calls and echo location were audible till 10:05pm. By this time we no longer could hear the dolphins who had accompanied the orcas throughout the day. The rest of the night was uneventful except a few sounds from a humpback maneuvering around in Johnstone Strait. Speaking of humpbacks, as the orcas were passing through in the late evening a humpback grabbed our attention by repeatedly breaching on the far side from us. It was quite the show! Other humpbacks had also filed out the Strait and into Blackney Pass at the same time as the orcas so the scene was pretty busy which included the Sea Lions back on their rocks after being disturbed earlier by a group of kayakers who unwisely chose to go too close to their rocks - the only negative in what was a busy and eventful day.  OrcaLab 04 Jul 2021 08:43:21 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby https://explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base OL crew 03 Jul 2021 21:22:51 PDT Superb sounds!! Whales rubbing, lovely lovely sounds!!!!! OrcaLab 03 Jul 2021 20:12:22 PDT Please note: In our summary for July 2 there was a typo, the following should read - "There were three other orcas further back whom we later identified as the A75s (Cedar's) family (of the A54s). " OrcaLab 03 Jul 2021 07:25:59 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby July 2 2021 Orcas: A50s, A54s, A23s, A25s Humpbacks: Argonaut, Potamus, Ripple (& new calf), Stitch Our anticipation is over, the waiting is done: The Northern Residents have arrived! We are thrilled to share our exciting day with you and to announce that the season has well and truly begun. The morning brought excitement of the humpback kind, as Jackie Hildering confirmed that lab assistant Kamilla had documented Ripple with a new calf. We have seen Ripple consistently over the last few years and we are so happy to see her back here with a fourth calf. Then, after lunch, we received one of the most exciting reports of the year to date: A group of 10 orcas - including the A25s - rubbing at Bere Point at 12:18pm and heading east! The change in atmosphere at the lab was instant and electric. We loaded up our new Flower Island camera which can see all the way into Blackfish Sound and along the shore of Malcolm Island, and turned our hydrophone up high. It was a fairly agonising wait, as every wave caused by the northwesterly wind sent a momentary ‘orca?!’ chill down the spine. Finally, at 2:39pm, we heard our first A5 calls in Blackfish Sound and there was an audible ‘woohoo’ as Quin celebrated the first melodies of the season. At 3:20pm, A1 calls joined the mix and the unmistakable ‘N47’ of the A50s/A54s brought smiles all round. The first fin in Blackney Pass at 3:57pm was a welcome sight: A60’s (Fife’s) dorsal cutting through waves mid-pass, bucking the ebb tide opposing his stride. A few minutes later, we spotted several more fins in the chop, who we later learned were A54 (Minstrel), A106 (Nowell) and A118 of the A54s - thank you Jared Towers. Just as they cleared our view into Johnstone Strait, more orcas appeared from the north at 4:20pm, and this time they were close. More warm smiles ensued as the square-topped A61(Surge) lopped into view, accompanied by A85 (Cordero) and baby Twilight, A121. They followed the earlier group, accompanied by the A86s (Cutter’s - also of the A54s), into the Strait at 4:33pm, and we began to hear their mixed A1/A5 calls on both our Kaizumi and Cracroft Point hydrophones. We tracked their movements east as they foraged, and hoped that they would head to the rubbing beaches. Their determined pace suggested that they might. We weren’t expecting any further groups as these orcas matched all reports for the day, but at 4:52pm we saw more fins in Blackney Pass, also heading south! They were spread out in the pass, and we had a sneaking suspicion that they must include the A50s. One by one, we saw sprouter A84 (Kloaitis), A50 (Clio) with her baby (A123) and A99 (Alder), and finally A72 (Bend) and A108 (Jamieson) escorting the parade from the rear. There were three other orcas further back whom we later identified as the A75’s (Cutter’s) family (of the A54s). That gives a full house for all four matrilines with everyone accounted for! As we had hoped, all groups made a bee-line for the rubbing beaches! By 5:56pm the first fins were on Strider Rubbing Beach camera, and they began to rub shortly after. We heard the A54s and saw the tall dorsal of A60 (A23s). They did only a few passes at this beach, before hopping east to Main Rubbing Beach and rubbing briefly there. They then continued eastward. The A25s came next at 6:25pm, all three of them, and also did a brief rub at Strider, then Main, then headed east. One whale from the first group had hung back and was still rubbing, it looked like A54 herself. We captured our first underwater footage from our new Strider Underwater Camera - another exciting event to add to the day! The A50s (and possibly A75s) arrived last at 6:35pm, true to their order from earlier in the day. They stayed much longer at Strider than the previous groups, and at 6:46pm their heightened, excited N47s signified the arrival of A72 and A108 to the beach - the “latecomers” today it would seem. By 7.18pm their rub had ended after a brief visit to Main beach, before they too headed east. We lost all calls for a couple of hours and wondered how long and how far they would travel east, but at 8:48pm we picked up A5 calls once again in Johnstone Strait, shortly followed by A1 calls at 9:04pm. We are currently trying to locate the westing whales on our remote cameras before the light fails. After that, our underwater ears will continue to piece together the picture through the night, as they have done for the last five decades.  OrcaLab 02 Jul 2021 21:59:05 PDT Distant calls audible. We have our first calls of the season! A5s and A1s. Listen live with us: cod.orca-live.net/orcalab/orcalab_comment/ OrcaLab 02 Jul 2021 14:55:49 PDT No orcas present. Summary 1 July Orcas: K12s, K13s, K14s Humpbacks: Argonaut, Stitch, Ripple, Neptune (?) And so begins the summer season, in similar fashion to last year with some 'surprise' residents! On 29 June, we received a report that a group of Southern Residents were off Adam River around 2pm - further east in Johnstone Strait than we can see or hear. This report came as quite the surprise as nobody had seen them enter Johnstone Strait. There are many pairs of eyes on the water right now as we anticipate the first Northern Residents, so we wonder if they took a more northerly route (the "back route") which is sometimes favoured by the A42s. Today, we received a further report from Jared Towers that the K12s, K13s and K14s were seen in Rosario this morning, which would line up nicely with them being the same group as on the 29th. Around the same time on the 29th, J pod were confirmed off the west coast of Vancouver Island near Tofino. That's a lot of the Southern Residents accounted for, but still no news of the Northern Residents! While we wait with ears and eyes open, we are busying ourselves with the system installations and humpback identifications. New lab assistant Kamilla has been hard at work out on the deck each day, and today has identified at least 5 different humpbacks right outside the lab. Our rubbing beach cameras are installed, along with a new surface camera at Flower Island which extends our "eyes" further into Blackfish Sound. We cannot wait to see those first black fins on the horizon! OrcaLab 02 Jul 2021 09:17:17 PDT