Superb sounds!! Calls continue beautifully, now hearing them from Kaizumi Rubbing Beach hydrophone...  Sara Lynn 15 Nov 2021 18:07:42 PST Superb sounds!! Calls coming from Flower Island Hydrophone. We have a report of several groups moving in front of Malcolm Island, some have chosen Weynton already. Great echolocation and calls coming in!  Sara Lynn 15 Nov 2021 13:04:25 PST Distant calls audible. Calls coming from Flower Island Hydrophone. We have a report of several groups moving in front of Malcolm Island, some have chosen Weynton already. Great echolocation and calls coming in!  Sara  15 Nov 2021 13:03:46 PST

October 31 - November 11 2021 Orcas: A34s, T55s Traditionally, no one has ever braved knocking on our Hanson Island doors during HalloweÕen. The sea lions, however, continued to offer loud growls through the dark which definitely added to the atmosphere as did the amazing humpback calls in Blackfish Sound. Then there was the unexpected, the A34s came back out of the east! No trick, just treat! We first heard them at 7:18pm, and then the course of our night was set. We had heard from Jackie Hildering that she and Christie came upon the A34s in the lower part of Johnstone Strait off Windy Point earlier in the day. They were also able to clear up who was mum to the young baby we had seen earlier. It was eleven year old Rainy (A96), SimoomÕs youngest. We were hoping against hope that it was Misty, A62, as she was missing when Jared had been out with the A34s earlier. It now looks like Misty must really be missing. Jackie also saw the humpbacks Guardian, Twister and Kailash appropriately enough in Humpback Bay. Jigger was near Kelsey Bay. This certainly confirmed that the humpbacks were definitely shifting away from the Blackfish Sound/Blackney Pass area. We only heard of JackieÕs encounter well after we first heard the A34s coming back and were thrilled that we had guessed correctly that they had gone eastward days before. We didn't hear much from the A34s through the rest of the night but humpbacks peppered the night with their calls. By 7:40am, the A34s had made it all the way to Blackfish Sound. Faint calls were heard as they crossed along the western edge of Blackfish Sound. Alex spotted them from Malcolm Island when they were half way along to Bold Head on Swanson Island. By then we were discussing with Alex the large plume of smoke coming from Vancouver Island. It rose and rose and was caught in the fiery red hues of the dawn. It made the black smoke from the slash burning look even angrier. Perhaps it was us who were angry? The irony was not missed - it was the first day of COP26. By 10:56am the A34 calls had become mid range then stopped. The A34s apparently had chosen to return via Weynton Pass to Johnstone Strait. There, they ventured east for a while but by 4:54pm they backed around in the direction of Telegraph Cove where Jim and Mary saw them mid strait. They stayed in the area bordering Telegraph Cove and Weynton Passage over the next while. But by 9:48pm, they were off the entrance to Blackney Pass and by 10:18pm it seemed as if they were still continuing east. By 11:08pm there were only faint calls. Dolphins chatted as well but the humpbacks were quiet until early the next morning. On the morning of November 2, from 5:30am to 7:13am we again heard the distant A34s. A gap followed during which the A34s managed to move back west, through Weynton Pass and back to Blackfish Sound. After a while, they decided they would use Blackney Pass to reach Johnstone Strait. From 1:50pm till 2:32pm they were very spread out while negotiating the Pass. A raging southeaster and its huge waves made watching a challenge. Mattis braved the elements. Only a few of the A34s were actually seen. Once they got to the Strait they left no trace. Calls stopped. It was impossible to know which direction they had chosen. This was our last encounter. There were big changes for life on Hanson Island after the departure of the A34s. Sightings of humpbacks became rarer. The familiars, those who had frequented Blackney Pass all season long, had seemingly departed. Other passerbys, like Clovis and Ashes made fleeting appearances grabbing a last meal before heading off too. Quin and Emily had already left Hanson Island and now it was Paul and HelenaÕs time to return to Alert Bay. Megan was scheduled to go as well but she had several tasks at hand to complete and the weather for all the chores was so unsettled that planning was made more difficult. A couple of attempts to put an underwater camera at the Sea Lion rock failed but the efforts to make the roof at Cracroft Point more secure against the winter storms was pulled off more successfully. Megan and Mattis, given the beautiful day on Saturday, November 6, completed the job. Mattis then brought Megan into town. Mattis, himself, had a quick trip to Victoria leaving SaraLynn at the Lab. Fortunately, Lisa (who is now caretaking Double Bay) was able to join her for a couple of days. Lisa and SaraLynn had the very high tides, a major storm and the sudden appearance of the T55s to contend with. The T55s arrived around 8:25am November 9, the morning after the storm. Blackney Pass was fairly calm and this group was very focused on their hunt. Lisa stood outside and took pictures while SaraLynn managed the video and audio recording as during the hunt the BiggÕs were vocal. They hunted mid channel until finally disappearing around Burnt Point. Megan, Paul and Helena were happy to be watching on https://explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base while in Alert Bay. One glance at the sea lions showed that they too were watching, perhaps more concerned than relaxed. Lisa, along with several good id shots managed to take a few pictures of the very small baby T55B1. The T55s returned on the morning of November 11 when Mattis was back. During this latest encounter Blackney Pass was sunny but covered in whitecaps, the remnant of yet another storm that had arrived shortly after Mattis returned to Hanson Island. The reality of winter for life on Hanson Island is a challenge for sure but not all days are dark and stormy. The sun does shine even in winter and the ever changing scene helps to deepen appreciation of this small corner of our precious world. Today is the last day of COP26.  OrcaLab 12 Nov 2021 20:27:58 PST

Superb sounds!! No trick just treats! The A34s are back from eastern Johnstone Strait and humpbacks are vocal both in Blackfish Sound and the Strait. Happy Halloween! OrcaLab 31 Oct 2021 18:42:04 PST

October 25 - October 30 2021 October 25 Orcas: A34s The day began just after 2am when there were brief but beautiful humpback calls on Parson Island. These calls ended at 2:04am and then resumed faintly on Flower Island until 2:12am when loud boat noise interfered. The humpback calls resumed in a quieter ocean from 2:23am to 3:19am but by then the calls had become sporadic and were never again close as the humpback moved on. Between 3:48am to 3:50am there were more humpback calls again, this time on Parson island. Possibly the same humpback was toggling between the two locations using Blackney Pass as the means. There were some very lovely calls at 6:30am after a humpback had become vocal earlier at 5:54am. These calls on Parson Island again. By 6:40am the calls had become infrequent. We picked up the trail of the A34s at 11:49am in Blackfish Sound. We had last heard them at 7:15pm the previous evening in Johnstone Strait. In the interim they had obviously left the area via Weynton Passage and were only now returning. Their calls lasted until 2:32pm during which time Alex could see from her house on Malcolm Island one male at 1:10pm heading south from Bold Head (Swanson Island). As the A34s negotiated Weynton Passage there was a gap in the calls. When they found their way to Johnstone Strait we heard their calls once more at 4pm. As they made their way slowly (very slowly) eastward we continued to hear calls past 6pm. The wind had dropped and the seas had become calmer but heavy rains now descended. The A34s were in no hurry. The Telegraph Cove hydrophone system was hearing calls till just before 7pm. We could sense their slow movement eastward as their calls shifted from one hydrophone to the next. By 7:50pm they were approaching the entrance to Blackney Pass where an earlier humpback (6:55pm - 7:24pm) had also chosen to be vocal. Some sudden and clearer A34 calls on Parson Island gave us brief hope that they would come into Blackney Pass. Too dark to really see anything but we had only three times before been aware of them in Blackney Pass. There seems to be a strong preference for this family to use Weynton Pass as their main route to and fro the Strait. They didnÕt come in but continued east on this occasion. Patiently we followed their subsequent progress. Strider Rubbing Beach hydrophone presented a technical problem and we lost audio from this station soon after the A34s passed the Kaizumi area. But we could still visually see their calls on the streaming spectrogram in the Lab. This gave us confirmation of their location and direction to and past midnight. October 26 Orcas: A34s, BiggÕs orcas heard The last calls we heard from the A34s was around 4:30am. They may have not gone that far east in the Strait choosing instead to stay east of Cracroft Point. The early morning took a dramatic turn at 4:45am when the first of a series of loud percussive bangs were heard in Blackney Pass. Mixed in with the sharp deadly bangs were BiggÕs orca calls. A hunt was clearly in progress! The BiggÕs must have dispatched their target fairly efficiently as the last of the bangs occurred at 5:03pm. Typically when BiggÕs hunt they body slam their victim several times especially if the prey is large like a sea lion. The consequences of this hunt was revealed later in the morning. More on that later. Meanwhile, humpbacks not too far away from this occurrence continued to be vocal, but not close, until 5:41am when there was a brief burst of close calls. The BiggÕs continued to be heard from 7:33am to 7:56am but by now they were in Johnstone Strait. The humpback off the entrance to Blackney Pass kept it up until 8:51am. Then, at 9:08am, the A34s came back into play resuming calls on the Kaizumi system. Possibly they were travelling west now. In Blackney Pass Quin noticed a very large group of excited sea lions massed together in two groups close to the Lab. They were seemingly agitated, extending their necks high, stretching, looking intently outward toward mid channel. This went on for forty minutes. Quin, and now Mattis as well, noticed that the sea lions were pushing around a large mass of guts which the birds were interested in as well. The sea lions nudged and sniffed the floating mass but did not consume it. A smaller chunk of flesh floated nearby. Was this part of the earlier kill? The intestines looked to be large enough to have come from a sea lion. The sea lionsÕ intensity eventually subsided. The westbound A34s continued to be heard and by 12:30pm had once again come up on the Telegraph Cove hydrophone. They remained west until 2:42pm when they became excited in advance of turning east. By 2:46pm their calls were slightly closer on Cracroft Point. By 4:18pm they were approaching the entrance to Blackney Pass once more. But they did not go far beyond this point, turning instead back to the west. At 5:44pm they were again on Telegraph Cove again, this time close. Faint calls occurred afterwards till 6:09pm. There was no indication that the A34s left the Strait and eventually we understood that they had probably turned back east and journeyed past Kaizumi and possibly even the Ecological Reserve. Humpbacks in Blackfish Sound kept their Òhand inÓ from 9pm until approximately 11pm. October 27 Orcas: A34s In the early hours a humpback in Blackfish Sound could be heard moving about at 1:14am and again at 1:31am. The A34s were heard between 2:07am and 2:29am as they moved west. During a gap in their calls a humpback produced some interesting calls which Emily described as, ÒfunkyÓ between 3:38am to 5am in Blackfish Sound. The A34s by 7:26am were getting closer to the area between Kaizumi and Cracroft Point. They seemed excited about their progress between 8:15am and 8:20am. Flower Island lost power due to the lack of sunshine needed to recharge batteries for its relay. Fortunately, for the time being at least all the orca action was still in Johnstone Strait. The A34s continued to be excited as they crossed the entrance to Blackney Pass. At 8:38am calls became very clear on Parson Island. But again there was no turn into Blackney Pass and the A34s carried on ÒupÓ the Strait. We snuck a quick look using the CP remote camera and saw their large resting line mid strait. Calls continued to grow more distant as the A34s approached Weynton Passage. The last calls in the Strait ended around 10:37am. It had become a beautifully sunny day and Flower Island came back on line. Just in time to hear the A34s at 11:24am enter Blackfish Sound. As we said our good-byes to Emily and Quin, the A34s continued calling until 2:27pm after which they made a surprising move back through Weynton to Johnstone Strait where almost an hour later (at 3:22) we could hear their distant but distinctive calls again. But that was not the end of their indecision. By 5:26pm, they were back in Blackfish Sound. Soon after the last calls we heard (6:32pm) Alex reported seeing them heading north towards the Penfolds at 6:46pm. Humpbacks took hold of the evening and then the night from then onwards. Really lovely, especially from 8:10pm to 8:15pm. There was a vocal humpback in Johnstone Strait at 10:30pm and another in Blackfish Sound at 10:35pm. October 28 Humpbacks continued to be vocal from midnight onward in Blackfish Sound (to 1:21am) and in Johnstone Strait (to 4:44am). But there was very little humpback activity in Blackney Pass as the day unfolded. And no A34s either. Suzie, working at GodÕs PocketÓ during a dive trip saw the A34s south of Browning Pass heading at first northwest but later turning southeast. Promising! October 29 Orcas: A34s Through the night humpbacks were vocal in Johnstone Strait. Then again, Blackney Pass was very quiet during the day. A humpback finally showed up at 5:55pm.We had been following ScottÕs reports of the A34s throughout the latter part of the day. He relayed one report of their progress to Bere Point at 5:27pm when they were pointed towards Foster Island, and then later by his own report at 6:23pm of them heading south from Donegal Head. Before heavy boat noise interrupted a humpback in Blackfish Sound produced some amazing calls from 6:30pm to 7:02pm. He did not resume until 7:20pm when the boat was clearly past. We would not hear from the A34s until early the next morning. October 30 Orcas: A34s Just after midnight Tomoko heard distant A34s. Megan started recording a few minutes later at 12:15am. Just as well she did as the A34s continued calling in Johnstone Strait for another two hours. During which time they went for two rubs on their journey east through the Strait. The first rub occurred at 1:26am and lasted just 4 minutes and was most likely at Kaizumi Rubbing Beach. As they went further east they continued to call. After a short five minute gap they began again as they prepared for another rub at 1:48am possibly at Strider Rubbing beach. This one was even shorter, lasting a mere minute. After the rub there were several rather strange calls that lasted for about three minutes. A humpback had been mixing his calls in with the orcas earlier but this did not really sound like a humpback although they can be very versatile. A series of regular A34 calls followed and then, out of the blue, a couple of calls reminiscent of ÒR clanÓ. Again, was it a humpback doing acoustic gymnastics or the A34s imitating? The last for certain A34 calls came at 2:04am. Except for some brief water movement and exhalations from a humpback close to Flower Island in Blackfish Sound the rest of the night was uneventful. And so too the day! The northwest wind of the day before had died and the morning broke with a stunning sunrise, followed by a pretty and sunny day. Just a couple of distant humpbacks were seen in Blackney Pass the entire day. We are getting a sense that the humpback activity is really slowing down with perhaps several having already departed the area. This is when we would expect the exodus to begin. Megan retrieved the underwater camera at the sea lion haulout she had installed the day before in order to work on it a bit more and then later did a dive for Michael Reppy and Jim Borrowman in Double Bay. Paul and Mattis set to work on the hydro system and Sara Lynn (who returned on the day Emily and Quin left) took care of the Lab. On cue, a humpback began calling at 9:10pm only to be interrupted by an inevitable boat. Meanwhile, we are waiting for the promised northern lights. We have perfect conditions: The skies are clear, the stars are all out and sparkly, the waning crescent moon will soon cast light onto the calm seas below. We are ready!  OrcaLab 30 Oct 2021 21:52:46 PST

Superb sounds!! Unreal humpback on Flower Island in Blackfish Sound!!! OrcaLab 29 Oct 2021 17:35:16 PST

Beautiful calls at the moment! OrcaLab 27 Oct 2021 07:42:24 PST

October 21 - October 24 2021 Orcas: A34, BiggÕs Humpbacks: Cutter, Claw, Ripple, Dapple, Slash and baby Twister, Bumpy, Pacific White-sided Dolphins Going over the notes in the Lab notebooks and getting a distilled impression of these very busy days is an interesting process. After the excitement of knowing the A34s had been in the area, and not being sure that they would even return, life around the Lab refocused on the humpbacks who had, in recent days, been increasing in number here in Blackney Pass. Jim Borrowman remarked how the humpbacks who normally were hanging out near or in Weynton Passage had just vanished. We assured him that they had not all gone and that Blackney Pass was busier than ever. We have experienced this before as the humpbacks begin to shift around the area in preparation to departing for the season. Days are certainly filled with their comings and goings, their occasional moans, groans and rumblings and nights with their longer vocal efforts both in Blackfish Sound and in Johnstone Strait. Each morning we review the night recordings that reveal where and for how long they were so engaged. Each night is slightly different. On October 21, the humpbacks were busy during the early hours both in Blackfish Sound and in Johnstone Strait. Different humpbacks that were vocal at the same time in their separate locations. In the end, it was the humpback in Blackfish Sound who had the last word. Calls ended at 2:40am. At 9:19am, in the midst of some daytime humpback vocals, Bigg's orcas in Blackfish became briefly vocal till around 9:30am. Technical difficulties followed throughout the day hampering our chances of monitoring . Eventually, the hydrophones came back online and we resumed listening as usual. Just in time to tune into a rather nice but humpback session at 7:24pm. A short while later there were humpbacks in Johnstone Strait aactive from 8:07pm until 9:05pm. This ended with bubble feeding. In the early hours of October 22 there were more humpback sounds in Blackfish Sound from 12:34am until 6:13am. It was not one continuous session but there were some nice efforts at 5:55am. The day turned out to be reasonable enough (it has been a tad windy) that Megan, Emily and Mattis decided to go and retrieve the Strider Rubbing Beach surface camera. The underwater camera had previously been taken out and likewise the cameras at Kaizumi. This was in preparation for securing equipment before the full onslaught of winter storms. By 2pm they were done. They returned home and then set off to Flower Island to get that surface camera as well. After they returned it was QuinÕs turn to go down to Robson Bight and work on systems there. He took Mattis with him who must have felt, by this time, he was on one continuous boat ride. They returned and put the boat on the mooring. In hindsight this was not the best idea as the wind came up during the night and they worried about it all night long, robbing them of much needed sleep after such a busy day. In between, we listened to quite simply beautiful humpback calls, especially from 8:44pm to 9:14pm, then more at 9:53pm to 9:59pm, some Òbubbles'' at 10:16pm and then more beautiful calls from 11:21pm to past midnight. And then, at 1:04am, while the beautiful humpback continued, the A34s came back to Blackfish Sound. They were distant but unmistakably there. By 2:11am they echolocated as they approached Flower Island. By 3am, they were entering Johnstone Strait after having negotiated their way south through Blackney Pass. Humpbacks also were calling in the entrance of Blackney Pass and across the Strait. The A34s gave a few calls at Cracroft Point then headed east. A humpback did likewise and was heard both on Kaizumi and Strider. By 4:54am there were faint A34 calls on Strider. Megan had faithfully waited for their progress from Cracroft. At 5:26am, they began to rub at Strider. The rub lasted until 6:04am. 38 minutes long. After the last movement of pebbles the A34s made very clear and close calls and then turned west. The humpback continued calling off Strider as the A34 calls became more and more distant. Finally, very faint calls were heard on the Cracroft Point hydrophone at 6:49am. But it would take a while longer for them to get closer. Humpbacks continued on Cracroft now but were still on Strider and Kaizumi as well. There had to be more than one involved just as during previous nights. Then at 7:25am everything became quiet. Twelve minutes later the A34s were more definitely on the Cracroft Point hydrophone as they began to cross the entrance to Blackney Pass and continue west. As their calls grew more distant on our systems Jim BorrowmanÕs Telegraph Cove system picked up calls at 8:44am. At 9:16am Jim could see the A34s mid strait abeam Telegraph Cove. Not long after, at 9:52am, Jim reported that the A34s had turned back to the east. The calls had already become louder on Cracroft and Kaizumi as the whales engineered that turn. By 10:37am the calls had become even stronger. Megan had been following the orca blows near Vancouver Island on the remote camera. At 11:10 she noted that they were headed toward Cracroft Point. Lovely calls followed at 11:19am as the lead group moved into the entrance to Blackney Pass. By 11:22am, the A34s were in view. We believe A55, A34 and possibly her youngest, A96 came in first. They were followed, at some distance by the A67s travelling with A80. The last to arrive were the A62s. We saw four in this last group and became hopeful that this means A62 was there. Jared had been concerned that after spending an hour with them earlier that he had not seen A62. Unless someone doubled back (possible) our count came to twelve. We later poured over the pictures trying to confirm our impressions. As they moved into Blackfish Sound just before 12pm their calls became very clear and close. Unfortunately, boat noise and a brief technical issue again interfered with our listening. Fortunately, Alex was watching from her house and reported that by 1:15pm that they were opposite the entrance to Knight Inlet in the middle of Queen Charlotte Strait. The technical issue was resolved and we continued to hear distant but constant calls up to 1:18pm. Did I mention that it was a beautiful Autumn day? The sun was out, the sea was calm. Whew! We needed a sunny day. At 2:23pm Alex was surprised to see a small group of BiggÕs orcas heading south. They made a kill off the Plumper Islands at 2:37pm and then moved into Weynton Passage at 2:50pm. Jim Borrowman saw them entering the Strait at Weynton Island later at 4:24pm. Noteworthy during the evening were the humpback calls from 9:46pm to 10:03pm and from 10:08pm to 10:48pm. This brings us to October 24. There were brief humpback calls at 12:46am and then from 2:51am to 6:45am there were very distant but near nonstop humpback calls in Johnstone Strait. The A34s returned at 7:54am. They were most likely west of Blackfish Sound. However distant they sounded excited. Their calls were frequent. At 8:07am they seemed slightly closer. At 8:52am, Alex reported seeing them off Bold Head heading south. Afterwards she lost track of them as she was busy with other matters. The calls remained distant until 2:30pm when there was a definite change. They were closer! At 3pm the first of the group came into view. They took their time but their calls in Blackfish were very good as they organised their trip into Blackney. Again they came in small groupings. As the tide turned to slack just after 2pm they had that advantage going south. Once committed the groups moved efficiently through Blackney Pass and on to Johnstone Strait. The really good calls (first on Flower Island and then on Parson Island) lasted until 4:09pm. By then the lead groups were in Johnstone Strait. Again we followed them on the remote Cracroft Point camera. The majority of calls continued until 5:19pm. There was one more faint call at 5:48pm before they began calling on Kaizumi. There was no rub but the A34s seemed to be stalled nearby. The calls were mostly mid range but clear. All calls unexpectedly ended at 7:51pm. A humpback, as they will do, took over from there and continued to call on Parson Island till 8:22pm. He was probably the same who had been further out in the Strait and made the cross to the entrance to Blackney Pass. After a brief gap this humpback became briefly vocal in Blackfish Sound. Not much happened after this, just a few humpback stirrings and lots of wind!  OrcaLab 25 Oct 2021 13:31:06 PST

Superb sounds!! A34s calling, lovely sounds! OrcaLab 24 Oct 2021 14:31:09 PST

Superb sounds!! A beautiful humpback going to the next level! OrcaLab 22 Oct 2021 22:30:45 PST

October 19 and October 20 Orcas: A34s Humpbacks: October 19 - Inukshuk, Cutter, Stitch,Tangent: October 20 - Moonstart, Cutter, Tangent, Slash and her baby When we left off on October 18 the A34s were headed east in Johnstone Strait. This was further confirmed when their calls were heard off Strider Rubbing Beach at 12:26am. Until heavy boat noise at 12:40am drowned out their calls the A34s seemed still excited to be back in the Strait. We did not hear them go in for a rub as they had done back at Kaizumi earlier. Rather they continued east. All the humpback activity in these early hours was concentrated closer to the area between Cracroft Point and Kaizumi, shifting somewhat to the west and nearer the entrance of Blackney Pass after 3am. There was more than one humpback involved as one possibly headed east just before 4am. His calls were heard on both Strider and Kaizumi. By 6am, the humpback activity subsided. Just in time for us to be aware of the A34s again at 6:19am as they started to head back west, retracing their earlier movements. The mid range calls lasted until 6:25am. Probably two humpbacks then picked up the slack at 6:56am and began vocalizing separately on Kaizumi and Cracroft Point. While all these distant events were happening,for the second time, a humpback passed very close to the Lab at 7:45am. Quin was up watching as the dawn broke into many rich, deep hues of red. The humpback turned out to be Inukshuk. He was engaged with a group of sea lions and stalled just in front. Quin managed to get pictures of Inukshuk waving his fins and raising his head while catching the glow of the morning light. Inukshuk dove once past the Lab, shaking off the persistent sea lions, and moved around Burnt Point and into Blackfish Sound. Distant and then louder humpback calls in Blackfish Sound followed. Meanwhile, after this brief interlude, the A34s continued to call, still registering on Strider. This changed as they moved west and Cracroft Point picked up calls at 9:14am after a long break. The lead whales were approaching Cracroft Point and the entrance to Blackney Pass. They never came close to Cracroft Point. The calls remained clear and frequent but not close. They were obviously continuing slowly westward and would do so until they reached Weynton Pass. We wouldnÕt know for sure what their intentions were until we heard their calls in Blackfish Sound at 2:18pm. Their last calls we had heard in the Strait had been at 12:40pm so it had taken them the better part of 11/2 hours to negotiate their way through the rest of the Strait & Weynton before their arrival in Blackfish Sound. Once there, they milled and foraged for quite a while before leaving for Queen Charlotte Strait by 4pm. The rest of the day was uneventful and evening likewise. The early hours of October 20 were filled with humpback calls both in Blackfish Sound and Johnstone Strait. Again there seemed to be more than one humpback in play in the Strait, one nearer Parson Island and one ÒdeeperÓ in the Strait. Their calls continued to approximately 6am when a humpback in Blackfish Sound produced some nice calls of his own. Then came the A34s. They had not gone away! At 6:52am they were close enough for the Flower Island hydrophone in Blackfish Sound to hear their calls. The nice humpback continued to call at the same time. An hour later two things happened. Tangent, like Inukshuk and Ace before him, came in close to the Lab heading north as he did so. This time it was Megan who took the pictures. It was the third day in a row that a humpback had chosen this path and after we had offered a casual comment about how we would probably have close humpbacks AND the A34s back on the day the A34s had first arrived. We had been feeling very capricious about our great good fortune to have Northern Residents back, why not go for broke? We had been kidding, of course, and not trying to tempt fate but here they were, three different humpbacks, doing exactly as wished for. Sigh, the A34s were not quite so cooperative. They stayed vocal in Blackfish Sound until 8:38am, never ventured into Blackney and then disappeared. The rest of the day and evening was peppered lightly with humpback calls in Blackfish Sound and also on Kaizumi to just before midnight. By then we were bracing for the promised storm which by 10pm had started to arrive. During an unexpected lull in the afternoon, Megan, Mattis and Emily made a quick service trip to Kaizumi. They decided not to risk going to Strider so that they could get the boat back on the beach. They did just that and then all of us went around and secured everything that looked like it might fly off in the expected wind. By midnight, the storm had set in. By then we were all tucked away in bed with the night time recording running.  OrcaLab 21 Oct 2021 13:18:47 PST

October 18 2021 Orcas: A34s Humpbacks: Slash and baby, Ripple, Dapple, Claw, Cutter, Bumpy, Ace Being rather orca centric around here - hint - it is in the name - we need to jump right into yesterdayÕs events. October 18 was such a fabulous, sunny, crisp, cool October day. Morning came early, around 5:30am. Actually, while checking the clock on waking, we wondered if it was possible to stay awake for the 6am news when suddenly there were distant but distinct and clear ÒAÓ calls on the scanner next to the bed. While turning the scanner up, throwing off the covers, Tomoko texted Òorca?Ó The reply was ÒYES!Ó In the Lab a couple of minutes later, Emily was already up and had started the recording. The A34s! were somewhere to the west and on their way. Three thoughts came to mind: first of all, a strong ebb was in play and we wondered how the orcas might cope with the opposing current, if they had to take their time all the better for us as it was still dark outside and our chances of seeing them might have a chance; second, October 18 marks Echo (A55)Õs birthday. Echo is A34(Simoom)Õs oldest and A12(Scimitar)Õs first grandson. Thirty-two years ago was the very first time we saw him. The weather was nowhere near as nice as this day promised to be. It was cold, blustery and grey. That morning we saw Scimitar, her two adult sons, A31(Pultenay) and A33 (Nimpkish) and Simoom in Blackney Pass. They left for Blackfish Sound but later returned in the afternoon. Scimitar, Pultenay and Nimpkish, who were close to each other, were some distance from Simoom. Despite the darkening afternoon sky, we (Dave Briggs was there too) peered through the scopes across the Pass and clearly saw next to Simoom a very small orca baby! Echo had been born sometime in the short interval between morning and afternoon. Simoom had come of age and the future for this small family looked bright. Simoom would go on to have five more babies and like Echo at least two were born somewhere in this area during the Autumn.; thirdly, it had been a whole long month since we had heard or seen Northern Residents. The calls continued as the clear, starry night sky gave way to the first glimmers of dawn. The sea lions on their usual rocks were growling noisily and humpbacks were blowing everywhere. Despite the early hour we let Alex and Jared know about the arrival of the A34s. It had been long anticipated and ÔalmostÕ long overdue. We had not seen the A34s the entire summer although on two occasions they made it as far as the Port Hardy area, way beyond our range. In years past the A12s, then later as the A34s, were regular mainstays of the summer/fall orca scene. At some point, perhaps even before the death of A12 in 2012, the habits of this group began to change. Now it is customary to expect them to arrive later in the season and not stay as long. If we are lucky they might stay through October and into November (once into December) but their general commitment to the area has definitely changed and even lessened. At 6:17am the calls had become quite frequent and although still distant they were clear, lovely and even excited. Six minutes later the first boat intruded. It was someone in a hurry and despite the high pitched noise of its engine, the A34s, still some distance away, kept calling. At 6:41am the second intrusion of a boat. It was a much bigger boat and would turn out to be the first of two articulated tugs, the Zidell Marine 277 and the Edward ITTA, heading east to Blackney Pass and beyond over the next while. At 6:50am the A34s took a break. A humpback filled in at 7:07am for a while until the boat noise from another speed boat disrupted his thoughts and he too became quiet. About half an hour later the humpback persisted through the boat noises of both large and small boats. This all sounds dreadful but the fact that the A34s had come back suspended any disappointment. By now, with the growing daylight we were beginning to be aware of the many humpbacks in Blackney Pass. By the end of the morning we had seen Slash and her baby, Ripple and her baby Dapple, Claw, Cutter, Bumpy and Ace. Ace decided at one point to head into the sea lion rocks and come along the Hanson Island shore towards the Lab where he surfaced before moving on to Burnt Point. We did not hear the A34s again until 11:13am. There had been humpbacks but no orcas. By this time Jared and Ely had found the A34s between Penfolds and Egeria Shoals (off the western end of Swanson Island). The general direction was eastward. By 12:12pm Jared reported that they were mid Blackfish Sound. There was no escaping boat noise (now getting frustrating) as a tug was headed ÒdownÓ Blackfish too. And there was no escaping for the A34s the attention they drew from three whale watching boats. Surrounded, the A34s turned around, and turned again, and finally turned west one last time around 2pm. After some milling and with the tide turning back to the ebb at 4pm the A34s disappeared into Queen Charlotte Strait. They had worked so hard on arrival against the current, finally had it with them mid morning only to be stymied by boats, and then finally the ebbing current probably further influenced their choice to give up and retreat. We would not hear from them again until after 8pm. At 8:19pm we started another recording. The calls were very distant but definitely in Johnstone Strait. They had made it! Over the next two hours they made progress unimpeded eastward in the Strait. A humpback, not to be outdone, in Blackfish Sound, imprinted his space with his vocals for almost an hour. His calls were so good and interesting he was,at one point, given priority. The humpback became quieter just in time. The A34s soon approached Kaizumi Beach and went for a four minute rub before continuing east - they were truly back! Happy Birthday Echo!  OrcaLab 19 Oct 2021 07:52:11 PST

Superb sounds!! A humpback in Blackfish Sound, the A34s in Johnstone Strait! What could be better? OrcaLab 18 Oct 2021 20:36:24 PST Superb sounds!! If you see this, try listening now! OL 18 Oct 2021 05:39:48 PST

October 8 - 12 2021 T060 D, T060E Inukshuk,Twister,Hunter, Conger, Cutter, Claw, Clover,Merge, Ridge First of all, for those of you celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving, we hope that you had an enjoyable time. We are very thankful to all our supporters and for those who help out at OrcaLab. This year we celebrated with a delicious Chum salmon given to us by local fishers. It is rare these days to have fish for dinner, (it used to be the norm), and we are very grateful for this generosity. Living near Alert Bay we are aware of the importance of the food fishery, how it sustains the First Nations culture and gives healthy natural food to many. Recent years have been slim. Fish are in decline. This beautiful fish was made even more precious by this fact. This is the time of year when we expect the Northern Residents to also take advantage of these last Chum runs. It has been a rite of passage in this part of the world. The Residents, however, have not returned since their departure on September 17. The sea lions, at home on their winter haul out, show no lack of awareness of the bounty just in front of them. Slipping off their rocks they successfully and often come up with a tasty treat. The much smaller seals have learned that if the sea lion efforts prove unsuccessful they can sometimes take advantage of any escaping salmon driven into shallower waters. So our bays have become a regular favoured spot for Harbour seals as well as their much larger counterparts. This year the sea lions have adopted a different strategy for capturing salmon. They drive them up on shore and then hurl their massive bodies likewise, grab the fish and return to the sea. This happens often just in front of the Lab and so focused they seem oblivious to the people, mouths agape watching from the deck above. Emily on Thanksgiving Monday (October 11) had her attention divided by a sea lion catching a salmon in the manner described and a nearby eagle also attempting to deal with another salmon. We had eaten ours on Sunday. Megan, the other day, went for a swim (wet suit clad), and while doing so, at least three curious sea lions joined her. They really checked her out as she filmed them underwater with their large, white encircled, eyes staring right at her. Their amazing balletic movements in the water contrast with their lumbering, clumsy efforts on land. The lively humpbacks really featured this week. Every night and most days we hear their vocals ranging from feeding noises, grunts and growls to full song-like calls. They are a constant in our lives at the moment. Emily, in particular, is spending long hours tracking whoever wanders into Blackney Pass, recording faithfully any vocals and finally, finding them on the remote cameras hoping for possible identifications. She has not been disappointed. She found Inukshuk again on October 8 (see last summary for the Inukshuk story the previous week) and most recently has been following TwisterÕs movements. For the last few days, Twister has been keeping company with Clover and Ridge. Their place of choice is Blackfish Sound where they have been feeding, hanging out together and travelling east just to where Blackney Pass and Blackfish Sound meet.. One or all of these male humpbacks (and MERS has assured us they are all male) has been vocalising. The vocals have contrasted with those of Inukshuk who we recorded earlier. As Jackie commented, ``we have a full deckÓ,a ÒXÓ (Ridge), a ÒYÓ (Twister), and a ÒZÓ (Clover). The alphabet designation refers to the percentage of white on their flukes. The BCX humpbacks have near to no white, the BCYÕs some proportion is white and the BCZÕs are mostly white. Emily took advantage of when they came into view from Blackfish to determine each individualÕs identification. Now for some details; On October 8 T060D and T060E passed by the Lab headed north. They were fairly close and travelling together but somewhat uncooperative in that they only gave us a glance. A long debate, settled by Jared Towers, as to who they were following their passing. We are not unfamiliar with the pair but were unaware that T060E had acquired a new nick this year. Our encounters with many of the BiggÕs orcas are infrequent. Fortunately, Jared has more experience and is willing to share his knowledge. Earlier, that morning (3:34am) dolphins were heard briefly. Very often it seems that when dolphins are heard BiggÕs orcas turn up too. Coincidence? The rest of the T060s had passed through on October 1 and again on October 3. T060D & E do not often travel with the rest of their group. Thanksgiving Sunday (October 10) was such a mixed bag of weather. Several heavy downpours left everything soaking but at the end of the day an incredible rainbow (s) hung over Blackney Pass from Compton to Parson Island. This was the day we watched and listened to TwisterÕs all male group. Other humpbacks, other than Clover, Twister and Ridge who were around this week included Hunter, Cutter, Conger,Merge, Claw. The vocalisations have not been limited to Blackfish Sound. We have heard calls in Johnstone Strait on several occasions. There are a lot of humpbacks around. On a trip to town, Megan counted 14 blows in Weynton Passage. Amazing to think that is a too short of time they will move on to warmer climes. How appealing!  OrcaLab 13 Oct 2021 14:42:21 PST

Superb sounds!! Incredible Humpback in Blackfish Sound. OrcaLab 08 Oct 2021 22:09:00 PST Superb sounds!! Here is a sample of Inukshuk in Blackfish Sound. https://soundcloud.com/user-361819329/inukshuk-flower-island-october-3-2022?si=0e2512b0300d41b9af6af66920697cf3 October 3 2021 OrcaLab 08 Oct 2021 16:20:24 PST October 1 - 7 2021 T06s,T090s, T123s,T37As Inukshuk, Argonaut, Merge, Hunter, Cutter An entire week has gone by since our last report, and what a week it has been! There were a couple of astounding events that left us in awe which we will describe in more detail. Above all, in reviewing the notes, the daysÕ rhythms revealed the abundance of life in and around this area that is our privilege to be near. Each night of this week followed somewhat similar patterns. Around 7:30pm, sometimes a little earlier, sometimes later, and as the evening skies darkened, humpbacks began to call. We have no idea if it is always the same individual or a small set of individuals. Conventional wisdom suggests that it is only the males who are involved. Often the calls start off as groans, ÒwhupsÓ, creaks and grunts and develop over time into full song (or as Emily dubbed them Òsing songyÓ). These efforts often last from minutes to the more usual duration of hours. All but on a few occasions the sessions are in Blackfish Sound. What has astounded us is the number of ÒbubbleÓ feeding at night. We have not seen or heard much of this feeding behaviour during the day (once, perhaps twice) all season long. It seems to begin as soon as the lights are turned off. It can be very dramatic, really an explosion of bubbles, followed by a few calls and heavy water movement. Speaking recently with Janie Wray, of the North Coast Cetacean Society, who studies humpbacks near Fin Island, we learned that she too has noted the bubble feeding at night - something which she had not previously experienced. Here we are, and so too different humpbacks, 350 kilometre away and the activity is presenting as the same. What similar conditions have stimulated these parallel efforts? Boat noise, sadly, is part of the night as well. We are located in a major transportation corridor. Tugs, fish boats, cruise ships (yes, still the occasional one), ferry boats, small coastal freighters, articulated tugs, log barges use the related routes to move along the coast.There can be a lot of noise. Some boats are better than others depending on age, propulsion systems, and speed but in the end they all create noise and the humpbacks are sensitive to their presence and will most often break off their vocal engagements in the presence of boats. It is never the same after the boat has departed. There are exceptions to the rule. Once and a while a stalwart humpback will continue calling despite these intrusions. The humpbacks will often continue as day breaks and they are not always silent during the day. We faithfully record near every sound we hear. October 3 was such a day. The early hours had not been spectacular in terms of humpback vocal activity. Rather, distant BiggÕs orcas in Johnstone Strait occupied the recording from 2:15am till 2:52am. Daytime brought low clouds, rain and mist into the Pass. One BiggÕs orca was spotted briefly before being enveloped in fog at 7:28am. Two humpbacks had also been spotted during this short mistfree window. At 8:18am, a humpback in Blackfish Sound began to call and we began a recording. The calls developed quickly into very pretty sequences then ÒbubblesÓ at 8:29am. A speedboat momentarily intruded and the calls subsided but then continued as did the boat. The calls became interesting and we decided to have a look around using the Flower Island remote camera. As the beautiful calls continued we identified Inukshuk (BCZ0339) from his distinctive fluke not far from Flower Island. This was the beginning of a rare chance to identify an individual male while vocalising. A quick scan produced no other blows in Blackfish Sound although Argonaut (also a male) was identified along with Merge further east in Blackney Pass. With the camera continuing to follow Inukshuk we noticed him undulating on the surface as he vocalised, some of his calls had been quite ÒstrainedÓ and then shortly after became more distant. Meanwhile, Argonaut and Merge were still busily engaged with each other in Blackney Pass when at 10:51am there was a possible BiggÕs call in Johnstone Strait. Jared Towers had been informed that there was a group of BiggÕs in Robson Bight and that they were headed east. Just possibly this was the same group to which the young male seen in Blackney two hours previously belonged. This day was going to be a very interesting one! A fourth humpback, Hunter, was in Blackney Pass now heading north into Blackfish Sound closer to Hanson Island. The BiggÕs orcas had now arrived off Strider Beach and we were able to follow them from 11:25am for a short while as they continued east close to Vancouver Island. Quite suddenly the humpback calls became very loud in Blackfish Sound. Inukshuk had moved into the bay adjacent to Flower Island where the hydrophone is located. It was simply amazing to follow him so close to shore. He seemed larger than life and the details were great from his extended pectoral fin slapping the water, to his massive head, and gentle tail brushing the surface. He went back and forth before moving out and away. His voice was so impressive even as it faded gradually by 12:48pm. Inukshuk was done but the day was not. Jared had caught up with the BiggÕs off Naka Creek before 2:28pm. He not only identified the eastbound BiggÕs (the T123s and T037As) but also the T060s, T090s and all of the T002s who in his words Ôblew through the other group at 10 knotsÓ westbound. They were on a mission to get somewhere. By 3pm, Quin and Emily doing service at the Main Rubbing Beach saw them coming west in the distance. They passed them and Strider Beach mid strait and carried on up the Strait seemingly unperturbed by the three boats following their progress. By 4:20pm they were east of Izumi and shortly afterwards crossed the entrance to Blackney Pass. The T060s were leading and showed no interest in coming into Blacky Pass. Backtracking a bit, late in the afternoon on October 1, the T060s and T090s had come through Blackney Pass headed for Johnstone Strait. Then too they were relaxed but determined. They showed no interest in the many sea lions both in the water and on the rock. The sea lions sensing no danger did not react. Perhaps, this group found food elsewhere and accounted for the calls heard later that same evening. October 3 concluded with more humpback vocals predictably from just past 7pm to almost midnight. The expected repeated pattern did not disappoint. So what about the rest of the week? On October 4 Inukshuk was seen again while vocalising in the afternoon. Not quite the spectacular show of the day before but incredible evidence regardless. Much of our day is consumed by watching the Sea Lions hauled out on the 6-7 rocks nearby. We do a daily count and recently their numbers have grown to around 100. There are big males, juvenile males, females and even young babies. They leave the rocks at high tide and return as the tide begins to drop. In between time is spent fishing for salmon, cod and octopus. They are pretty eclectic in their tastes. While in the water they are vulnerable to BiggÕs attacks. While on the rocks they are vulnerable to the curiosity of passersby in boats. On October 5, a boat came in close to their haul out. It happens often. Sometimes it spooks them off the rocks. It only takes one nervous individual to spark an evacuation. It sometimes takes hours for them to return and resume their rest. Heavy boat noise through October 6 discouraged sustained calls but through the night the humpback(s) in Blackfish Sound were busy feeding. Growls, grunts and a few calls then more grunts and growls were common. Just before 7am, water movements and bubble bursts signalled serious feeding in Blackfish Sound. Satisfied grunts continued until after 8am. The rest of the day followed. A beautiful sunset preceded another night filled with humpback sounds that became earnest around 10:47pm and lasted until 11:07pm. It was a beautiful boat free recording. There were more bubbles too, and then before midnight BiggÕs calls resounded again in Johnstone Strait. As they moved east they continued to call up until 12:47am. By then, although seemingly spread out, the majority had passed the Ecological Reserve. Then came the humpbacks again at 2:18am. During this recording we became aware that three separated individuals were involved. One humpback was in Blackfish, another in Johnstone Strait and one nearer Parson Island. Although the Parson hydrophone covers some of Johnstone Strait it was clear that this individual was quite different from the one further away somewhere in the Strait. The Blackfish Sound individual was also an entity unto himself. In the end, the Blackfish Sound humpback had the last word. The recording ended just before 7am. As a final note for this summary, Quin took Megan, Mattis and Emily to Cracroft Point during the day on October 7th to reinstall the windmill to help maintain healthy power there through the winter. Their day had been very long with weather colder and the wind more bracing. They returned satisfied and happy with their efforts. Perhaps the humpbacks were tuckered out too? The evening was unusually quiet until past midnight. It had been a great week, from the return of Mattis, a trip for Megan to Vancouver to view Gloria PancraziÕs film, ÒCoextinctionÓ, a quick trip to Courtenay for Paul and Helena to the amazing whales and other ocean beings from dawn to dusk. And to top it all off, the first snow appeared on Mount Derby.  OrcaLab 08 Oct 2021 15:50:40 PST

Superb sounds!! Wonderful humpback song in Blackfish Sound! Paul 03 Oct 2021 09:19:49 PST

Superb sounds!! Incredible humpback in Blackfish Sound. Definitely worth a listen! OrcaLab 02 Oct 2021 19:04:18 PST