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August 12 2022 Orcas: A50s, A54s Humpbacks: Guardian Quite amazing how the A30s have woven into and become such an integral part of our day by their constant daily presence as they shift back and forth from Blackfish Sound to Johnstone Strait either via Blackney Pass or Weynton Pass. Our dayrevolves around them, they are governed by the need to move, feed, rest, listen, communicate and play, finding the best locale for each activity. This takes them on several circuits around the area. On this day, just after midnight, they were still in Blackfish Sound, calling and probably foraging as they organized for another run into Blackney Pass and Johnstone Strait beyond. Their approach to Blackney Pass was measured. As the lead groups moved in, the calls of the trailing members were still registering on the Flower Island hydrophone. From 1:12 am to 1:57am they slowly advanced through the Pass and began to enter Johnstone Strait. They must have liked being there as their calls became excited. Had they found a tasty reward in the turbulent upwellings of the rip off the entrance to Blackney? Or were they just happy to have made it back? By 2:14am some had made it closer to Kaizumi beach which they passed without going for a rub. They wanted to keep going. They were in the Ecological Reserve by 3:30am, some already nearing Strider beach, others still only off Robson Bight. They were not in a hurry and no longer seemingly close to Vancouver Island until as late as 6:41am when they began a short seven minute rub at Strider. They were seen, despite the inevitable morning fog, continuing east. A report at 8:55am had them only just passing the eastern boundary of the Reserve. A little over two and a half hours later they returned to the same place. Their mood was relaxed. They had formed into a nice resting line between Main and Strider beaches and at 10:47am some summoned enough energy for a quick two minute rub at Strider as the groups moved west. Their rather lazy travel carried on as they entered the Bight and took another two hours to travel what is really a short distance to Kaizumi. Even though the pace picked up enough for them to get closer to Cracroft Point just after 1pm the rest of the day would follow this pattern. Once off Cracroft Point they seemed to have intentions of going into Blackney Pass but by then the strong flood was against them. Time and time again they tried. They even cleared the view of the remote camera twice only to reappear in the rip. Finally at 4:32pm the Lab saw that their efforts had finally paid off as they came into view. By 5pm they had made it as far as Compton Island. Then progress slowed again. . All ÒbunchedÓtogether they vacillated between White Beach Pass and Compton Island foraging and curiously performing porpoising breaches. Finally at 6:23pm they approached Blackfish Sound and at 6:27pm the remote camera saw them close to Flower Island as they headed west. A fairly dramatic thunder and lightning storm had been in play during this time but gave way to full and ÒbrokenÓ rainbows as it moved on. Both the Columbia III and Scotty reported that orcas (probably the A50s) were off both Bold Head and Egeria Shoals from 7 - 7:25pm. Suzie, who was driving the Sonic bringing Karien, Momoko and Kam to Hanson Island (before getting drenched in the torrential downpour), noticed while off Double Bay, orcas off towards the White Cliffs at 8:20pm. Suzie made it back ok (fog was once more moving in) and though everyone was wet they were excited to be back. After some warming tea they headed deservedly to bed. At 9:26pm the A30s were in range and vocal once again. An hour later they were closer to Flower Island. Just under another hour blows were heard in Blackney Pass. This time the whales were more spread out and the pace was more normal. Between 11:19pm and 11:32pm they made progress toward Johnstone Strait. By 11:40pm they were definitely in the Strait - another circle completed, another day almost done.
OrcaLab
13 Aug 2022 09:12:00 PDT |
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