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