No calls but orcas nearby The A5s and the I15 group came into the entrance to Blackney Pass earlier but decided instead to take the long route around hanson Island to meet the group coming east from Donegal. They backed out and went west along the Hanson shore and went out via Weynton. With no calls exercised when meeting the other group all the orcas, now together, rested their way through Blackfish Sound until they appeared in Blackney Pass around 8pm. The tide was about to change but the two large resting groups did not change their behaviours. Relaxed, no boats around, they drifted, spy hopped, flipped their tails, floated some more until making their way to the entrance of Blackney. Finally after some indecision we think they made their way to Johnstone Strait. They are ever so silent. The A30s, I15s and A5s in various combinations made up the groupings passing the Lab. Slow whales, lovely whales. OrcaLab 27 Jul 2019 22:18:15 PDT Distant calls audible. We have a group of A5's and a small group of I15's that travelled along the Hanson Island coast to the West from CP. We have a report of a group heading from Double Bay to the Plumpers. Earlier, A30 calls were heard on the FI hydrophone.  Orcalab 27 Jul 2019 16:56:46 PDT Orcas rubbing on the shore bottom. These orcas are endlessly fascinating in how they are grouping regrouping. Right now the A5s (possibly the A23s and the A25s this time) are westbound with an I15 group off the Main Rubbing Beach! Other orcas are moving in the opposite direction from Donegal Head. A meeting is in the works.  OrcaLab 27 Jul 2019 13:54:12 PDT No orcas present. After the whales came back from the east they continued through the Reserve heading west "up" the Strait. Around 12:55 am the CP camp heard their distant blows as they moved closer to them. At 1:50 am CP could hear blows closer to the Vancouver Island shore. Soon after an A30 group (perhaps the A54s) came into Blackney Pass and travelled north to Blackfish Sound. The other A30 group (? the A50s) stayed in the Strait with the I15 groups. Their calls continued past 3am and remained distant while the A30 calls in Blackfish also grew fainter as this group moved west. Calls ended there at 3:30am. We never heard any A5 calls so are unsure of where the A23s/A25s ended up. OrcaLab 27 Jul 2019 09:26:19 PDT

Orcas near mics. And they are back! After spending the day in the eastern portion of Johnstone Strait the A30s and the I15 groups have returned to the Ecological Reserve. We first heard them on the rubbing beach system and they have since moved on to the Bight. Waiting on A5 calls to complete this chapter. OrcaLab 26 Jul 2019 23:15:14 PDT Distant calls audible. The A30s and the I15s moved east in the Strait very slowly. While they are making their way to the east, the A5s, who weren't with them this time, came back to the Strait possibly through Blackney Pass, we started hearing their calls around 3:40am on PI and then CP hydrophone. We believe they are easting in the Strait to catch up the A30s and I15s who are somewhere in the Bight now. Orcalab 26 Jul 2019 04:22:29 PDT Distant calls audible. Seems like they are back to the Strait through Weynton Pass. We are hearing A30s and I15s calls on CRPT hydrophone. Orcalab 26 Jul 2019 00:40:43 PDT

What an evening! We had a visit from at least 19 Orcas that decided to make their way through Blackney Pass. They were spotted on the Parson Island camera heading to Blackney Pass at 7:45PM and we had the first group with at least three females and a male (possibly A61) show up at Gab's Rock at 7:50PM. They were followed by a second group which had one male and one female; the first group took their time and waited for the second group to catch up to Hump of Harbledown where they joined into one big group of at least six individuals. The third group comprised of one male, one sprouter, and four females entered the pass at 8:07PM followed shortly by a fourth group with seven females, including Bend and her calf, at 8:15PM. The third and fourth group combined into one big group in between Parson Island North Edge and Parson Island Light - what a treat! They continued to travel as two big groups through the pass. It took them a while since they were fighting against the tide, but they made it eventually and both groups had exited the pass by 8:50PM. At 8:53PM we heard A30 and some I15 calls on Flower Island. What an incredible sight!  Orcalab 25 Jul 2019 21:33:36 PDT Distant calls audible. Nice! The whales came though Blackney this morning after calling and travelling Blackfish Sound. A small group of four led the way on the far side but then the others, the I4s, I27s and the A30s with A61/85, came into view closer to the Hanson Island side. They are now in Johnstone Strait. OrcaLab 25 Jul 2019 12:10:15 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible. We just had the A5 group followed by the A54s and I15 group (perhaps the I4s) pass CP and come into Blackney Pass and head north. They are all now in Blackfish Sound. OrcaLab 24 Jul 2019 23:38:22 PDT Distant calls audible. The whales are doing the sorting for me. The A54s after passing Robson Bight made way towards the Main rubbing beaches. A short while later we began to hear A5 and I15 calls from whales returning from the east. OrcaLab 24 Jul 2019 20:46:25 PDT Distant calls audible. Well . . . I need my sorting hat! The A50s (of the A30s) spent the day in Queen Charlotte Strait with two of the I15 groups, the I65s and I27s (Jared Towers ID). The A54s remained behind and spent time in Weynton Pass before returning to Blackfish Sound and eventually Blackney pass and now Johnstone Strait where they are headed east. Just the A23s, of the whales who travelled east this morning, were identified when they went for a rub off Camp Point at 4pm (Nick Templeman). No idea where the I4s and the I35s ended up. Time will tell. OrcaLab 24 Jul 2019 18:08:40 PDT No calls but orcas nearby After all the rush to Blackfish Sound late yesterday evening the party stalled for several hours as the whales decided what would happen next. We believe there was a split in the group with at least A5s and I15s returning to Johnstone Strait while the I35s perhaps moved on to Queen Charlotte Strait and the A30s (at least the A54s) stayed. The As and the I15s went east beyond the Reserve after brushing the rubbing beaches. If it is the I35s they are continuing westward in Queen Charlotte and the A54s towards Stubbs Island.  OrcaLab 24 Jul 2019 11:20:19 PDT

Superb sounds!! Wow!!! Words fail. The orcas came rushing up to Cracroft Point, cut the corner close to the platform and then rushed into Blackney Pass al the while vocalizing like crazy! It was fast and wonderful. Everyone is now up in Blackfish Sound carried by the ebbing tide. OrcaLab 23 Jul 2019 22:45:37 PDT Multiple pod calls audible. Yahoo, the I15 groups have been joined by the A30s,A5s and the I35s back from the east just now. They are mid strait off the Ecological Reserve. Orcalab 23 Jul 2019 19:43:51 PDT No calls but orcas nearby After more rubs at the Main beach by the rest of the I65s (I122 was with the I27s earlier) these I15s moved off shore. They have been milling, regrouping, spy hopping and breaching mid strait. OrcaLab 23 Jul 2019 19:17:16 PDT No calls but orcas nearby The I27s, I4s, and the I65s have all entered Johnstone Strait and while heading east some stopped for a rub at the beach on Vancouver Island shore past Kaikash. (The Cliff let us know this had happened). No sign yet of the others who went east this morning. OrcaLab 23 Jul 2019 17:05:24 PDT No calls but orcas nearby Thank you to Jared for the update that the I4s, I27s and I65s were heading South - they just arrived in Blackney Pass about 10 minutes ago! No vocalizations as of now, but we are listening!  Orcalab 23 Jul 2019 16:30:09 PDT No calls but orcas nearby Another busy early morning for OrcaLab. The same groups, the A30s. A25s, I35s and probably the A23s as well, returned from their venture out to Queen Charlotte Strait yesterday at 2:22am. They continued to call in Blackfish Sound until they began to slip into Blackney Pass at 4:10am. We followed the groups' blows and calls through the Pass. After 5am the morning light was strengthening. The I35s went through to Johnstone Strait just after 5am ahead of everyone but returned to the others as they passed Parson Island. All the groups then proceeded to the Strait and head east. One group travelled closer to the Cracroft side but the A30s, A25s and I35s went closer to Vancouver Island. By 7am part of the A30s were close to Robson Bight. After passing Critical Point they reached the Main rubbing beach area by 7:43am. The A30 and A5 whales rubbed in various stages but continued eastward. We did hear the I35s offshore and see A61 mid strait before. We believe the whales continued east from the Reserve. OrcaLab 23 Jul 2019 09:35:28 PDT