Saturday, July 15, 2023



No orcas present.

July 11- 15 2023 A42s Georgia Strait T060s T069D2, T059 Humpbacks: Argonaut, Quartz, Ripple, Ridge, Inukshuk, Guardian and baby. Despite the fact that there have not been Northern Residents in our particular area does not mean that there was not a lot of activity. We were satisfied by BiggÕs orcas, Humpbacks and reports of distant Northern Residents. Starting with the A42s, Holly 9or SonoraÓs family. You may remember that Holly took her family past the Lab on July 7 and carried on into Georgia Strait. We were able to follow their movement because the whale watch boats coming out of Campbell River were keeping close track of their movements form apparently ealy morning to evening. On July 11 they were seen rubbing at Francis Point around 8:30am. By 10:22am they were headed north. By afternoon they had turned back south near the Quadra- Cortez ferry. Shifting north that same day Dylan Smyth heard the G03 matriline near Hope Island (north tip of Vancouver Island). On the 12th reports juggled once more from the northwest and the southeast. The A42s were off southwest Quadra Island then off the top of the spit by 10:40am very close to the beach and apparently liking each otherÕs company! Donna let us know that there were orcas between the Fosters and Holfords in Queen Charlotte Strait. This seemed very promising. Then Megan relayed that the T060s were hunting DallÕs Porpoise in Weynton Passage near the Plumper Islands at 1:40pm so probably they were the very same orca who were in Queen Charlotte Strait earlier.Jared mentioned that T069D2 was with them. Elsewhere, the A42s around 2:20pm had found another rubbing beach on northwest Manna Island. Moving to the 13th. Just before 11am Alex Morton saw a group of BiggÕs orcas heading east in Queen Charlotte Strait. This was again the T060s, this time accompanied by Grandmother T059. Jared Towers once again made the identification. We picked up their trail acoustically when they were passing Cracroft Point in Johnstone Strait and then visually with the aid of the remote camera as they continued eastward. The T060s were not done with us, turning up the next day once again off Cracroft Point at 7:42am heading east at first then turning around to the west after reaching Robson Bight at 9:25am. They passed the Cliff Research site at 1:09pm. Just three minutes later they were off the Baron Reefs and a short while later seen on the Cracroft Point remote camera. Sure enough they slipped into Blackney Pass at 1:39pm. As they headed north through the Pass they took very long dives between surfacings. Once opposite the Lab the cohesive group spread apart and began to go in different directions as if looking for something. Another long dive brought the male T060C to the surface and the fleet of boats following the whales on either side accompanied the group into Blackfish Sound at 3:08pm. On this same day, on the North Coast, the A54s, A24s, A25s passed the Fin Island Research station. The next day, July 15, the A42s were still south of but this time in Sutil Channel which just might indicate a possible shift north. OUr list of humpbacks seen during this time period includes Argonaut, Quartz, Ripple, Ridge, Inukshuk, Guardian and baby. The weather, although a bit too dry, has been spectacular. We welcomed Mark McCalllum back. Mark is working on putting a new roof on part of the main building. A huge and complicated job. Claire, Juliette, Jeremie and Agathe have pitched in and helped. We welcomed new comers Ali and Grace, as well as, Chloe and Serah more recently. Anna, Tony and Jamie have come for a short visit. Our entire little group (not so little when gathered for dinner in the small living room) has managed to keep everything going as we wait for the Northern Residents to turn up. 
OrcaLab
16 Jul 2023 07:14:46 PDT
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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
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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
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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
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