Monday, July 10, 2023




No calls but orcas nearby

July 10 2023 A42s (Geogia Strait) T087, T124C, T099s Humpbacks: Argonaut,Ripple,Quartz Today, the A42s continued to stay in in the same general area around Savary Island and Quadra Island in upper Georgia Strait. Meanwhile around 2pm we had a tantalizing report of 15 Northern Residents traveling east near the Deserter Islands northwest of Port Hardy. Beyond this initial report we heard nothing but were still hopeful that the flooding tide later in the early evening would nudge them along. So far it has not happened. At 6:45pm three humpbacks, Argonaut, Ripple and Quartz engaged in some heavy feeding mid channel just south of the Lab. It was for a while quite spectacular. They would have more to do a bit later. We knew that BiggÕs orcas were around as the Cliff Research site reported a group heading west around 5pm. Despite the now flooding tide these whales made it into Blackney Pass before 8pm just as, once again, we were setting the dinner on the table. It looked like a fairly large group as we counted 7 including two mature males, a juvenile male, a mum and baby and two other female sized fins. They made it all the way along Parson Island, stopped and engaged in a hunt, most likely their target was a DallÕs Porpoise. There were no calls and eventually they turned back with the current and made their way out of view towards Johnstone Strait. They were, for a time, accompanied by at least one humpback. This was not as unusual as it seems. In the past while BiggÕs orcas have been involved in a hunt we have witnessed humpbacks placing themselves in or near the action often foiling the BiggÕs efforts. Quartz has definitely done this before. At 8:38pm the BiggÕs were back in view trying once again to negotiate Blackney Pass. This time they made a straight job of it despite the opposing current. By 8:45 they were more than half way along Parson Island. By 8:57pm they were opposite the Lab cameras clicking quickly. Having a look later we could identify the large males T087, T124C and the T099s. They were gone from our view by 9:12pm and still moving into Blackfish Sound efficiently. 
OrcaLab
10 Jul 2023 22:43:54 PDT
Posted by at No comments:

Sunday, July 09, 2023




No orcas present.

July 09 2023 T087, T124C plus two other groups DallÕs Porpoise Humpbacks (all distant and no IDs) We skipped a dayÕs reporting mainly because the A42s went well out of our range and into Georgia Strait. Yesterday, Wayne Wright reported that they were approaching the rubbing beach on Hernando I. at 1:24pm. Later that afternoon Jenn clocked them at 4:18pm off Mace Point on Savary Island. They were still southbound. Today they were found off Mystery Reef around 1pm. This is southeast of Savary Island. By the afternoon, just before 5pm, they had shifted closer to Mitlenatch Island. That put them right in the ÒmiddleÓ of Georgia Strait and a little closer to Campbell River. Are they coming back? Hard to say. There were some poignant discussions about the absence of Surf (A66) HollyÕs oldest son who disappeared after being seen near Mace Point earlier this winter. Thanks to Suzie for relaying all these reports to us. Meanwhile, as we waited for the reports to come in about the whereabouts of the A42s, we went through the usual daily rhythms of cool mists in the mornings, sunshine by the afternoon, chores and tasks tackled and completed, and finally lovely meals made by Tills. Just as we were preparing to sit down to tonightÕs feast, Agathe spotted some distant orcas off the northern shore of Cracroft Island at 7:03pm. The small group of perhaps four were very distant but we could tell that they were fully engaged in a hunt. As we watched, Jim Borrowman in Telegraph Cove texted at 7:33pm that there were calls on his hydrophone system and that T087 and T124C had been identified by Scotty on the Prince of Whales whale watching boat. A very short while later, at 7:41pm we too heard calls in Johnstone Strait not long before Scotty spotted yet another small group off Blinkhorn heading west - most likely the whales we were all listening to. This group went towards those two males that Jim saw off Telegraph and before long these BiggÕs orcas all turned back to the east. Our group, meanwhile, had disappeared from view at 7:52pm as they headed toward Johnstone Strait. By 8:08pm they emerge from the entrance to Blackney Pass and start to move east. We followed them for a while on the Cracroft Point remote camera. Possibly we also saw some of the others who had been further west in the Strait, very distant and impossible to follow as they neared the Sophia Island mid strait by 8:26pm. The vocals long since ceased and now so too the day which is quickly surrendering to the night. 
OrcaLab
09 Jul 2023 22:17:48 PDT
Posted by at No comments:

Friday, July 07, 2023




No calls but orcas nearby

July 07 2023: Northern Residents A42s, PWD Humpbacks: Ripple, Pultenay, Jugger and possibly Black Pearl or Wave Here we go! We will do a wrap up of June soon but todayÕs event is significant in that Northern Resident orcas made an appearance today for the first time this summer. Has our season begun? Hard to say exactly as the A42s, HollyÕs family passed by the Lab unannounced at 9:23am, cleared our view at 9:38am, and were off Kaizumi, Vancouver Island at 10:49am and past Strider by 12:16pm, all in total silence. Even as they Òturned the cornerÓ (a good spot for opening up vocally normally) into Johnstone Strait, they maintained their silence. There may have been a brief pass over of Strider but their intent was clear - keep going. A few days before (July 5), Jared Towers identified 40 Northern Residents, the I13. I19, I22, I40,D11 and D13 matrilines, when they arrived west of Port Hardy. It was the first time since 2009 that some of these groups, Òthe AIsÓ as they are called, have returned this far south. They were relaxed and travelling closely together making JaredÕs job much easier. They turned and went back west from Goletas Channel, leaving us wondering if they were waiting for the more usual A clan matrilines to show. We have been getting reports of other resident groups both on the central and northern coast. Back in June, on the 19th, Whale Point (North Coast) reported an all clan meeting in GitgŒat territory heading to Squally Channel. The group included the A4s,G2s and R5s. A little later on the 24th the A42s passed Fin Island to the north. Springer and her family along with the A25s were seen near Prince Rupert on the 26th. On July 5, that large group already mentioned was sighted off Port Hardy. Up on the north coast, during the night of July 5 and 6, all three clans were heard and later the A54s and I27s were actually seen. At the same time, Dylan saw the A23s,A24s,A35s,G3s,G17s and G16 near Bella Bella on the central coast. This was a lot of witnessed activity over the span of just two days! Today was our turn! But why the silence? We have so much to learn about the why and wherefore of these orcas. The soft morning mist only served to enhance the peaceful mood. During the A42 passing this morning we were able to discern that Mystery (A94) was still travelling with his adopted family. Mystery, as some of you may recall, is from the A24s, and about two years ago he decided that he wanted to be with HollyÕs family. Since then, HollyÕs oldest son, Surf (A66), died in 2023 and the group looks quite different than before without his tall dorsal fin in the family portrait. Jared Towers left them still easting in Johnstone Strait and as of 10:30pm they have not yet returned and all is quiet. Dolphins have been pretty active today near the entrance to Blackney Pass.
OrcaLab
07 Jul 2023 22:29:06 PDT
Posted by at No comments:

Saturday, June 17, 2023




We are now half way through June! The Northern Resident season is not far off now. Meanwhile the humpbacks have returned and as you can see from the MERS report there was recent exciting news that Guardian,a Blackney Pass regular, has returned with her new baby! We though to further catch everyone up with a short summary of how May went at the Lab. May 2023 We really need to start with great news! BendÕs A30 family was sighted on 29 May near Ketchikan Alaska and apparently there were two new babies, one belonging to BendÕs Auntie Minstrel (A54) and the other to MinstrelÕs daughter Cutter (A86). This will be MinstrelÕs 5th baby and CutterÕs 2nd. It is not all that unusual for orca mothers and daughters to have babies within the same year. Minstrel is only 34 years old and orca mothers may have babies into their forties. Cutter is just getting going at 17! Very reassuring that this family is growing and thriving so well. It is also not uncommon for Northern Residents to be seen as far north as Alaska. It is very much part of their range. Just as Holly comes to Georgia Strait, deep into their southern range, the Northern Residents tend to spread themselves out along the coast as they find favourite winter haunts. This probably ensures better chances of finding food sources through the leaner and less predictable winter months. At OrcaLab meanwhile we had our own special encounters. On 20 May a group of BiggÕs orcas, the marine mammal eating ecotype, turned up in Blackney Pass. The BiggÕs (or Transients as they were once known) haunt by stealth - for the obvious reason that their prey are pretty smart and have good hearing - so they usually come and go quietly without offering any acoustic clues before hand. Helena, while in the garden, just happened to look up and saw the maleÕs tall dorsal fin slice down into the water. She soon realized there were others. They were spread out not too far away but definitely engaged in a very focused hunt, boxing in and restricting their victimÕs chance of escape. There were quite small young orcas right alongside the adults involved in this family effort. Eventually, they calmed down and went on their way. There was a quite magical moment several days earlier when a small group of Pacific White-sided dolphins passed super close to the Lab. It was a warm and sunny mid May afternoon. The ocean was calm as the unhurried dolphins made their way. In their wake everything seemed to take on a serene calmness. Quite the contrast to the rush and vigour of a much larger group who turned up a short while later going through in the opposite direction. By mid May Humpback whales also started making appearances. One very familiar individual, Squiggle, passed through. As time goes on more and more of the ÔregularsÕ will return to the area to replenish themselves after their long and amazing journey from their warm winter homes of Hawaii or Mexico. Those first few gulps of food must be so welcomed after the long intervening fast. The Spring preparation for the upcoming busy season was well underway in May with attention to garden, house and Lab. The garden soil was dug, turned and fed. Starters and seeds were duly planted. But just as everything was set a pesky squirrel decided the young plants were just its ticket. This demanded some rethinking and new strategies were implemented to outwit the intruder. No sooner this was done when a deer decided to push the protective netting and grab a few close plants. More rethinking was obviously needed. Such is the life of living in the wilds! All in all, May was a wonderful month, really busy but with enough time to pause, enjoy the sunshine and think about what may unfold in the upcoming season. More to come!
OrcaLab
17 Jun 2023 10:11:44 PDT
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)