No orcas present. August 24 2020: A50s, A54s, T055s, vocal Humpbacks So midnight is where we left off . . . Our gang was over at Boat Bay for the night having a socially distanced get together at the Warden camp in lieu of the traditional Boat Bay party which usually signals the end of the Warden Programme’s busy summer. For most, this was a new experience and a chance to experience somewhere different from OrcaLab in Blackney Pass. Boat Bay is a beautiful spot directly opposite Robson Bight, and everyone, aware that the A30s were in the Strait not too far away (remember the Lab was listening to them vacillate undecidedly off the Reserve), strained to hear blows across the water and listen to the www.orca-live.net broadcast. At 12:20am they were rewarded by hearing blows off the camp which sounded like the whales were going westward. Actually, the whales probably sometime soon after swung around to the east again. Briefly there were faint calls at 1:06am. A far off distant ethereal humpback (or was it two?) sang into the void of Blackfish Sound starting around 1:25am. The orcas made a few very distinctive rubs at 2:15am followed by a burst of calls in Robson Bight. That was it for orca calls. Tomoko, Momoko and Shari had joined Helena on “shift” and helped keep track of when there were calls despite being thousands of kilometres away in Japan and England. The humpbacks then occupied the rest of the night’s effort in the Lab. What started in Blackfish Sound shifted into Blackney Pass and then into Johnstone Strait over the next hour or so. The slack tide began at 3am and with it boats in transit from A to B. There were large fishing vessels and tug boats, one after another. The ocean everywhere was filled with noise. The streaming spectrograms became solid sheets of yellow as the boats passed through. No more humpback song was heard. Time to take a break. Just before 6am a humpback began again, this time, close to Parson Island. Two hours later there was more of the same. These humpbacks usually wait until later in the Fall before singing but for some reason, this year, they have decided that right now is time to do so. Change-ups in usual routines is what makes whales so interesting every season. Briefly, at 8:27am, Helena heard distant orca calls. She was unable to source the calls before they ceased leaving the question as to where the A30s were. East or West? There had been such a long gap between calls and changes in the currents as well. The answer came at 12:30pm when they were seen at Strider Beach. They rubbed for 5 minutes before heading west. They would continue westward along the Vancouver Island shore for the rest of the afternoon. Just before 1pm they were in the Bight, excited and breaching. By 2:30pm, they were rubbing at Kaizumi Beach. This was the same time that the T55s were seen off the Egeria Shoals in Blackfish Sound. By 4:30pm, the A30s were off Blinkhorn Peninsula foraging. They stayed foraging until 6pm when they moved east and out to mid strait. The slack tide (to ebb) was not expected until 9:05pm. The whales spent their time calling and foraging/milling mid strait.just west of the entrance to Blackney Pass. Finally, and it was dark by now, they collected themselves and made a bid for Blackney Pass. The journey to Blackfish Sound was quick and efficient. The last faint calls we heard were at 10:28pm. This may have completed their day here but assuredly their busy night still surely lies ahead.  OrcaLab 24 Aug 2020 23:27:23 PDT No calls but orcas nearby August 23 2020: A50s,A54s, I15s (Goletas Channel), humpbacks, PWD We woke after an uneventful night to zero/zero visibility. Fog had descended. Pippa who was on the early shift however managed to hear the blows of a group of Bigg’s orcas passing southward through Blackney Pass and amazingly “CP” actually saw and identified the T49As as they passed Cracroft Point. These whales went east and passed the Cliff at 10:33am still on the Cracroft Island side. Just as the Cliff was reporting the Bigg’s orcas and their progress, the A30 matrilines (the A50s and A54s), came out of Blackney Pass! Again CP caught the action. They were as silent as they had been when they went out in the opposite direction the evening before. They too headed east but only after crossing towards Vancouver Island. When they started to call we had an easier time following their direction and path into Robson Bight just before Noon. They became quite vocal as they neared the eastern headland of the Bight. A lot of close echolocation declared their intent of going eastward. Our fingers were crossed that they would choose to go into Strider Beach where, just the day before, we had reestablished and adjusted the underwater camera. All we had to do was wait. Our hearts sank a bit when it looked like the whales might give the beach a pass. However, it was not a total disappointment as a couple of whales made a quick touch down on the underwater camera before continuing east. It was lovely. The whales headed to the Main Rubbing Beach but there too they were not committed to a full rub. Several of the whales moved on east past the Main beach. But then, they turned, as if, after consideration, they thought that a rub might be a good idea after all. Rushing westward once again one or two of the whales gave the Main beach some consideration before Strider was reapproached. This time they, and the camera, did not disappoint. Several were seen underwater and in one incredible moment, Clio (A50) came to rest on the smooth stones in front of the camera. She swayed gently side to side, and just as her little one came in behind her, she lifted and swam away. The baby touched down too before hurrying after Mum. From there it was on to Robson Bight once more. Not holding back now they were very vocal. Rubbing now was in the air and the next stop was Kaizumi Beach. It was now 2:30pm. The fog had lifted, the day had that over-bright look of an August afternoon. We listened as the A30s went in for a fairly energetic rub at Kaizum for over ½ hour before turning and heading east once again, reaching the Bight by 3:43pm and Strider beyond just before 4pm. Again they divided their attention between the two beaches, Strider and Main. Then just as before, the whales went east. It looked like such a definite move to the east that we thought that was it. However, after a short while we checked on the cameras, zoomed in, and saw that they had changed their minds yet again. These “yoyo” whales were headed west once more and this time with even more energy. The calls were wonderfully varied with lots of “flavour” and “intonation”. At Strider, one after the other whale passed by on the underwater camera in succession. We lost count. Above, on the surface the whales rushed just as fast. Everyone was westbound in a hurry. How come so restless? We received an intriguing report that further to the west there was a large group (60-70!) in bound. Were the A30s anticipating? Really nothing much developed from this vague report but Jared Towers did go to have a look and found the I15s in Goletas Channel. Whatever the reasons the whales might have had for their behaviour we were along for the ride and continued to follow them by listening to the hydrophones as they reapproached the Bight. A group of young orcas had banded together and were rolling over each other as they crossed the Bight. Their calls were pretty crazy! It was now 5:14pm. Half and hour later they were far enough along for us to listen to the Kaizumi hydrophone. By 6:34pm they were approaching this beach and ten minutes later they were in for the rub which lasted around 10 minutes. While along the Vancouver Island shore they were bookended by whale watch boats and a research boat as well. After a while, and when the whales looked like they were pulling away to the west, the whale watch boats left off and headed for port. The research boat stayed and followed the whales closely across the Strait toward Cracroft Point. The ocean had picked up with the late afternoon westerly and the sun was beginning to set and lending greater colour to the sky and ocean. As the whales neared the Cracroft Island side they spread out, milled and perhaps even foraged for a time while the research boat tried to position itself well enough to deploy a “D” tag from the end of their pole. The whole time the whales continually called, sometimes excitedly and changed direction. Then another decision was made and the whales began to file back across the Strait and to the east. The research boat followed. The whales, moving quickly, continued calling until a little over half way across. They stopped soon after the research boat left the scene at 8:25pm. The whales remained silent until 10:08pm when they let it quietly be known they were in the Bight. No longer energetic, they seemed content to repeat the same single syllable call over and over along with the occasional echolocation. The bouncy back and forth of earlier in the day subsided into a drifting between the Bight and just a bit further east. This lasted for a while until 11:38pm they suddenly woke up and began calling. Had another decision been made? Nice calls followed past midnight.  OrcaLab 24 Aug 2020 00:08:49 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby Orca heading to Strider Rubbing Beach Cam, come and check it in live https://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base Jennifer 23 Aug 2020 16:06:05 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby August 22 2020: A50s, A54s, Bigg’s orcas, Humpbacks: Ripple,PWD Oh let’s start at the end of the day! At 7:21pm Jared Towers reported that a large group of Bigg’s was headed west off the eastern end of the Ecological Reserve. Around the same time a group of dolphins headed east from Cracroft Point. Then we began to hear the Bigg’s as they approached the area adjacent to Robson Bight at 8:18pm. This was the beginning of a two hour marathon of calls as the Bigg’s slowly moved west in the Strait. They were simply “magnifque” as Jenn commented, only she put it in caps! It went on and on, uninterrupted by boat noise until just as they were getting more distant from the hydrophone at Kaizumi, a boat entered the Strait. The calls either dropped or were impossible to hear any more after 9:57pm. “CP” reported hearing blows at this time off Cracroft Point. 2 hours! Such an amazing effort from a gang of orcas known more for their silence. The day was not without the presence of Northern Residents either. After a quiet night A30 calls were heard at 5:12am off the eastern end of the Reserve. And like the Bigg’s orcas later in the day the two A30 matrilines made their way west in the Strait. At 6:40am we could see them heading west past Strider Beach toward Robson Bight. They reached the Bight by 6:53am. Not wasting time they continued toward Kaizumi Beach where they became somewhat, for some reason, loud and excited. They may have, it was not entirely clear on this occasion, had a rub. They moved past Kaikash and to mid Strait where they paused before heading northeastward to the eastern end of Hanson Island. Fairly close to Hanson they came in and headed north in Blackney Pass while staying close to the Hanson (and OrcaLab) side. It was a pretty pass but there were no calls and lots of boats following their progress. We were updated as to their later movements by Kate who reported that they passed Bere Point at 8:06pm and were relaxing off Malcolm Point by 8:30pm. Perhaps they were pondering whether to come back or perhaps waiting for company. It was another busy day at the Lab, more work was done on the Strider installation, The Springer sign was getting its final touch ups, Suzie set about packing (she is off on a new adventure soon) and Paul hopped in the “Car” (our littlest boat) to go to Alert Bay for some items. Oh and yes, Moss the puppy bounced around energetically between everyone looking for the chance of a playmate. OrcaLab 22 Aug 2020 23:00:02 PDT Superb sounds!! A group of very vocal Bigg's have been making their way west this evening in Johstone Strait. OrcaLab 22 Aug 2020 21:11:18 PDT Orcas approaching Orcalab. Orca in live Sea Lion Cam right now.https://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base Jennifer 22 Aug 2020 10:57:22 PDT

Distant calls audible. August 21 2020: A50s, A54s, T046Bs humpbacks, PWD Today was a rainy inside kind of day. The very welcomed rain poured down and soaked the thankful forest. You could almost hear an audible sigh of relief as everything freshened and looked green once again. Were those mushrooms starting? Thoughts went out to the folks battling the Okanagan and California fires born of unrelenting dryness. At midnight, the exiting orcas of yesterday passed by Bere Point in the dark, in the rain, close to shore. Here, the same enveloping dark did not deter Paul readjusting the boats in the wee hours of the morning. Sigh! It used to be getting light at 4am. The wind had fortunately calmed down and the task was able to be completed. It meant that Mark would have a ride back to Telegraph Cove in the morning rather than having to wait till the afternoon. He could get the early start he needed to get back to Duncan. Mark has been working the past week on the living-room ceiling transforming it from its old look to its new face of cedar tongue and groove, matching the skylights he put in two years ago. During the early morning a distant humpback chimed in his approval of the darkness and solitude. Afterwards nothing much more happened over the next few hours whale-wise. That is usually an invitation to do the other things put off by the usual busyness of monitoring whales 24/7. At 3:40pm we had word via Jackie Hildering that James Furney saw the T46Bs in Weynton Pass. They headed into Johnstone Strait. The T46Bs are the group with the very lightly coloured juvenile Tl’uk (T46B1B), quite the renowned whale! At 5:30pm the A30s turned up in Blackfish Sound presumably coming from the west where they had dropped off the others. They called for a long time before dropping down into Blackney Pass by 8pm. The A54s were “in” first. They were accompanied by a large group of dolphins. There was a good deal of stop and go as the orcas leapt and chased fish along with the dolphins. Finally they came together and headed for Johnstone Strait. The A50s followed. They were in a daily tight group and closer to Hanson Island. Once in the Strait they all headed east toward Kaizumi Beach for what can only be described as “one crazy rub” at 8:45pm. Great calls for a while as they tried out all sorts of different sounds. It is dark once again. The whales have settled down now to a more pedestrian pace as they move eastward. They are still calling if you care to tune into www.orca-live.net.  OrcaLab 21 Aug 2020 21:42:42 PDT Superb sounds!! The lovely A30s are back and enjoying a rub at Kaizumi Beach. Great calls! OrcaLab 21 Aug 2020 20:51:20 PDT Orcas approaching Orcalab. Yesterday afternoon, many of us were very concerned and dismayed to see two research vessels enter the Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve while the orcas were actively engaged in rubbing at Strider Beach. Many of us felt that this was unnecessary. The event was captured on the remote camera and broadcast to the public via the www.explore.org website. The BC Parks Wardens were also watching from their Cliff observation site opposite on Cracroft Island. They contacted the larger of the two vessels, the Gikumi and voiced their concern regarding these boats being in the Reserve. Researchers from the University of British Columbia for the last two years have been conducting a “D” tag project to monitor the success rate of predation and compare the results with similar efforts on the Southern Resident orcas who as you may know are critically endangered. The effort involving the Northern Residents will act as a comparison control as it is felt their situation is less dire. The explanations offered were that the weather was bad (it was), that the individual who had been tagged in Blackfish Sound earlier, and who was now at Strider Beach, needed to be monitored along with the collected hydro-acoustic data to assess prey abundance and distribution. “D” tags are an expensive and important research tool. They provide a range of useful data. These suction cup tags are deployed at the end of a long pole and attach near the dorsal fin and are designed to fall off after a period of time. Retrieval is important. However, they emit a signal long after they fall off so that they can be later located if need be. The whales on this occasion rubbed for over 3 hours. The research team said that their activity did not deter the whales from rubbing. The Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve was first established in 1982 because the Bight and the adjacent rubbing beaches were under direct threat from logging operations. A log sorting area had been planned to accommodate old growth logging of the Tsitika River watershed which runs into the Bight. Because of the Northern Resident orcas’ unique behaviour of rubbing in the shallows, on the smooth pebbles of nearby beaches, the area was deemed a sanctuary. Whale Watch boats operating when the Reserve was first established voluntarily declined to enter into the Reserve. This habit endured, became part of the area’s “culture”. All newcomers were encouraged to follow the lead created by the existing whale watch operators and longterm researchers. Researchers, who are not technically required to comply if under permit, usually will choose times when the whales are not present to enter the Reserve. BC Parks established Wardens to oversee compliance and offer public education as to why it was important to leave the whales this space. Within their entire range, from mid Vancouver Island to southeast Alaska, this is the only area set aside for the orcas. It is now recognized on nautical charts. OrcaLab has worked under permit from BC Parks for years to establish remote hydrophone and camera systems for monitoring the whales during these special moments. When rubbing, the whales need to come in close to shore, they are very focused, it is an intensely social activity, and they are, as such, vulnerable to disturbance. Hence the restrictions. “Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve is legally designated (under the Species at Risk Act) as Critical Habitat for Northern Resident Killer Whales. As such, this area is a sanctuary for killer whales and all boaters (motorized and non-motorized) are expected to refrain from entering the reserve to reduce disturbance to these whales while they feed, socialize and use rubbing beaches.” http://bcparks.ca/eco_reserve/robsonb_er.html So what exactly was the problem yesterday? The researchers were under permit, under pressure to find their tag and, in their view, not disturbing the whales. Simply put, this was a human choice, which declared that human needs trumped those of the whales. So instead of holding back, being patient, waiting for the whales to finish, the researchers felt they needed urgently to solve their problem. It was definitely a miscalculation. As people heavily invested in the welfare of these orcas they needed to give thought and consideration to the whales before rushing in. Instead of moving in closer to shore in risky swells they could have waited safely offshore. It would have taken more of their time for sure but they would not have excited so much outcry and the possibility of disturbing the whales. As it was, they abused the privilege that research is granted and became poor models of behaviour around the whales. Poor judgement on their part has undermined the efforts of everyone else to protect the whales from human intrusions and boat the noise. The researchers involved have promised to never do this again. Perhaps a lesson learned but it would have been better if they had not needed the reminder in the first place. Yesterday afternoon, many of us were very concerned and dismayed to see two research vessels enter the Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve while the orcas were actively engaged in rubbing at Strider Beach. Many of us felt that this was unnecessary. The event was captured on the remote camera and broadcast to the public via the www.explore.org website. The BC Parks Wardens were also watching from their Cliff observation site opposite on Cracroft Island. They contacted the larger of the two vessels, the Gikumi and voiced their concern regarding these boats being in the Reserve. Researchers from the University of British Columbia for the last two years have been conducting a “D” tag project to monitor the success rate of predation and compare the results with similar efforts on the Southern Resident orcas who as you may know are critically endangered. The effort involving the Northern Residents will act as a comparison control as it is felt their situation is less dire. The explanations offered were that the weather was bad (it was), that the individual who had been tagged in Blackfish Sound earlier, and who was now at Strider Beach, needed to be monitored along with the collected hydro-acoustic data to assess prey abundance and distribution. “D” tags are an expensive and important research tool. They provide a range of useful data. These suction cup tags are deployed at the end of a long pole and attach near the dorsal fin and are designed to fall off after a period of time. Retrieval is important. However, they emit a signal long after they fall off so that they can be later located if need be. The whales on this occasion rubbed for over 3 hours. The research team said that their activity did not deter the whales from rubbing. The Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve was first established in 1982 because the Bight and the adjacent rubbing beaches were under direct threat from logging operations. A log sorting area had been planned to accommodate old growth logging of the Tsitika River watershed which runs into the Bight. Because of the Northern Resident orcas’ unique behaviour of rubbing in the shallows, on the smooth pebbles of nearby beaches, the area was deemed a sanctuary. Whale Watch boats operating when the Reserve was first established voluntarily declined to enter into the Reserve. This habit endured, became part of the area’s “culture”. All newcomers were encouraged to follow the lead created by the existing whale watch operators and longterm researchers. Researchers, who are not technically required to comply if under permit, usually will choose times when the whales are not present to enter the Reserve. BC Parks established Wardens to oversee compliance and offer public education as to why it was important to leave the whales this space. Within their entire range, from mid Vancouver Island to southeast Alaska, this is the only area set aside for the orcas. It is now recognized on nautical charts. OrcaLab has worked under permit from BC Parks for years to establish remote hydrophone and camera systems for monitoring the whales during these special moments. When rubbing, the whales need to come in close to shore, they are very focused, it is an intensely social activity, and they are, as such, vulnerable to disturbance. Hence the restrictions. “Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve is legally designated (under the Species at Risk Act) as Critical Habitat for Northern Resident Killer Whales. As such, this area is a sanctuary for killer whales and all boaters (motorized and non-motorized) are expected to refrain from entering the reserve to reduce disturbance to these whales while they feed, socialize and use rubbing beaches.” http://bcparks.ca/eco_reserve/robsonb_er.html So what exactly was the problem yesterday? The researchers were under permit, under pressure to find their tag and, in their view, not disturbing the whales. Simply put, this was a human choice, which declared that human needs trumped those of the whales. So instead of holding back, being patient, waiting for the whales to finish, the researchers felt they needed urgently to solve their problem. It was definitely a miscalculation. As people heavily invested in the welfare of these orcas they needed to give thought and consideration to the whales before rushing in. Instead of moving in closer to shore in risky swells they could have waited safely offshore. It would have taken more of their time for sure but they would not have excited so much outcry and the possibility of disturbing the whales. As it was, they abused the privilege that research is granted and became poor models of behaviour around the whales. Poor judgement on their part has undermined the efforts of everyone else to protect the whales from human intrusions and boat the noise. The researchers involved have promised to never do this again. Perhaps a lesson learned but it would have been better if they had not needed the reminder in the first place. Yesterday afternoon, many of us were very concerned and dismayed to see two research vessels enter the Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve while the orcas were actively engaged in rubbing at Strider Beach. Many of us felt that this was unnecessary. The event was captured on the remote camera and broadcast to the public via the www.explore.org website. The BC Parks Wardens were also watching from their Cliff observation site opposite on Cracroft Island. They contacted the larger of the two vessels, the Gikumi and voiced their concern regarding these boats being in the Reserve. Researchers from the University of British Columbia for the last two years have been conducting a “D” tag project to monitor the success rate of predation and compare the results with similar efforts on the Southern Resident orcas who as you may know are critically endangered. The effort involving the Northern Residents will act as a comparison control as it is felt their situation is less dire. The explanations offered were that the weather was bad (it was), that the individual who had been tagged in Blackfish Sound earlier, and who was now at Strider Beach, needed to be monitored along with the collected hydro-acoustic data to assess prey abundance and distribution. “D” tags are an expensive and important research tool. They provide a range of useful data. These suction cup tags are deployed at the end of a long pole and attach near the dorsal fin and are designed to fall off after a period of time. Retrieval is important. However, they emit a signal long after they fall off so that they can be later located if need be. The whales on this occasion rubbed for over 3 hours. The research team said that their activity did not deter the whales from rubbing. The Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve was first established in 1982 because the Bight and the adjacent rubbing beaches were under direct threat from logging operations. A log sorting area had been planned to accommodate old growth logging of the Tsitika River watershed which runs into the Bight. Because of the Northern Resident orcas’ unique behaviour of rubbing in the shallows, on the smooth pebbles of nearby beaches, the area was deemed a sanctuary. Whale Watch boats operating when the Reserve was first established voluntarily declined to enter into the Reserve. This habit endured, became part of the area’s “culture”. All newcomers were encouraged to follow the lead created by the existing whale watch operators and longterm researchers. Researchers, who are not technically required to comply if under permit, usually will choose times when the whales are not present to enter the Reserve. BC Parks established Wardens to oversee compliance and offer public education as to why it was important to leave the whales this space. Within their entire range, from mid Vancouver Island to southeast Alaska, this is the only area set aside for the orcas. It is now recognized on nautical charts. OrcaLab has worked under permit from BC Parks for years to establish remote hydrophone and camera systems for monitoring the whales during these special moments. When rubbing, the whales need to come in close to shore, they are very focused, it is an intensely social activity, and they are, as such, vulnerable to disturbance. Hence the restrictions. “Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve is legally designated (under the Species at Risk Act) as Critical Habitat for Northern Resident Killer Whales. As such, this area is a sanctuary for killer whales and all boaters (motorized and non-motorized) are expected to refrain from entering the reserve to reduce disturbance to these whales while they feed, socialize and use rubbing beaches.” http://bcparks.ca/eco_reserve/robsonb_er.html So what exactly was the problem yesterday? The researchers were under permit, under pressure to find their tag and, in their view, not disturbing the whales. Simply put, this was a human choice, which declared that human needs trumped those of the whales. So instead of holding back, being patient, waiting for the whales to finish, the researchers felt they needed urgently to solve their problem. It was definitely a miscalculation. As people heavily invested in the welfare of these orcas they needed to give thought and consideration to the whales before rushing in. Instead of moving in closer to shore in risky swells they could have waited safely offshore. It would have taken more of their time for sure but they would not have excited so much outcry and the possibility of disturbing the whales. As it was, they abused the privilege that research is granted and became poor models of behaviour around the whales. Poor judgement on their part has undermined the efforts of everyone else to protect the whales from human intrusions and boat the noise. The researchers involved have promised to never do this again. Perhaps a lesson learned but it would have been better if they had not needed the reminder in the first place. Yesterday afternoon, many of us were very concerned and dismayed to see two research vessels enter the Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve while the orcas were actively engaged in rubbing at Strider Beach. Many of us felt that this was unnecessary. The event was captured on the remote camera and broadcast to the public via the www.explore.org website. The BC Parks Wardens were also watching from their Cliff observation site opposite on Cracroft Island. They contacted the larger of the two vessels, the Gikumi and voiced their concern regarding these boats being in the Reserve. Researchers from the University of British Columbia for the last two years have been conducting a “D” tag project to monitor the success rate of predation and compare the results with similar efforts on the Southern Resident orcas who as you may know are critically endangered. The effort involving the Northern Residents will act as a comparison control as it is felt their situation is less dire. The explanations offered were that the weather was bad (it was), that the individual who had been tagged in Blackfish Sound earlier, and who was now at Strider Beach, needed to be monitored along with the collected hydro-acoustic data to assess prey abundance and distribution. “D” tags are an expensive and important research tool. They provide a range of useful data. These suction cup tags are deployed at the end of a long pole and attach near the dorsal fin and are designed to fall off after a period of time. Retrieval is important. However, they emit a signal long after they fall off so that they can be later located if need be. The whales on this occasion rubbed for over 3 hours. The research team said that their activity did not deter the whales from rubbing. The Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve was first established in 1982 because the Bight and the adjacent rubbing beaches were under direct threat from logging operations. A log sorting area had been planned to accommodate old growth logging of the Tsitika River watershed which runs into the Bight. Because of the Northern Resident orcas’ unique behaviour of rubbing in the shallows, on the smooth pebbles of nearby beaches, the area was deemed a sanctuary. Whale Watch boats operating when the Reserve was first established voluntarily declined to enter into the Reserve. This habit endured, became part of the area’s “culture”. All newcomers were encouraged to follow the lead created by the existing whale watch operators and longterm researchers. Researchers, who are not technically required to comply if under permit, usually will choose times when the whales are not present to enter the Reserve. BC Parks established Wardens to oversee compliance and offer public education as to why it was important to leave the whales this space. Within their entire range, from mid Vancouver Island to southeast Alaska, this is the only area set aside for the orcas. It is now recognized on nautical charts. OrcaLab has worked under permit from BC Parks for years to establish remote hydrophone and camera systems for monitoring the whales during these special moments. When rubbing, the whales need to come in close to shore, they are very focused, it is an intensely social activity, and they are, as such, vulnerable to disturbance. Hence the restrictions. “Robson Bight (Michael Bigg) Ecological Reserve is legally designated (under the Species at Risk Act) as Critical Habitat for Northern Resident Killer Whales. As such, this area is a sanctuary for killer whales and all boaters (motorized and non-motorized) are expected to refrain from entering the reserve to reduce disturbance to these whales while they feed, socialize and use rubbing beaches.” http://bcparks.ca/eco_reserve/robsonb_er.html So what exactly was the problem yesterday? The researchers were under permit, under pressure to find their tag and, in their view, not disturbing the whales. Simply put, this was a human choice, which declared that human needs trumped those of the whales. So instead of holding back, being patient, waiting for the whales to finish, the researchers felt they needed urgently to solve their problem. It was definitely a miscalculation. As people heavily invested in the welfare of these orcas they needed to give thought and consideration to the whales before rushing in. Instead of moving in closer to shore in risky swells they could have waited safely offshore. It would have taken more of their time for sure but they would not have excited so much outcry and the possibility of disturbing the whales. As it was, they abused the privilege that research is granted and became poor models of behaviour around the whales. Poor judgement on their part has undermined the efforts of everyone else to protect the whales from human intrusions and boat the noise. The researchers involved have promised to never do this again. Perhaps a lesson learned but it would have been better if they had not needed the reminder in the first place.  Paul 21 Aug 2020 19:01:07 PDT

No orcas present. August 20 2020 Orcas: A50s, A54s, A23s, A25s, A35s, A73s, I4s, I13s, I16s, I27s, I65s (likely A56) You can tell from our list of matrilines that we have had quite the day! The A50s, A54s, A23s and A25s who had gone west yesterday evening stayed quiet for the quiet, and now we know why - they had gone to meet with other A and G clan orcas and bring them back here for the day… Our network was down this morning, but fortunately the whales were still out west and we didn’t miss any of their passings or calls before it was working again. By 10:55am we had a report that there was a group of orcas heading east in Blackfish Sound, and it wasn’t long before we heard clear A5 and A4 calls, hooray! At 12:20 we saw the first fins in Blackney Pass, led by A61 with A60 and their families not far behind. We quickly identified A77 and A35, and it is likely that the A73s (Springer) were there too, but they were very far over the other side of the channel. They travelled quickly, making it into Johnstone Strait in just twenty minutes by 12:40pm, and they headed straight for the Vancouver Island shore where we picked up their calls and echolocation at Kaizumi Rubbing Beach between 12:47pm and 1:32pm. They were heading east. We had a good feeling they were headed straight for the eastern rubbing beaches… As we tracked these A4 and A5 groups east, we received a report from Dylan at 2:31pm that some members of the I15s were currently in Weynton Passage, travelling into Johnstone Strait! A-ha. Excited calls and “missing” A30s starting to make sense. The A30s are known to “chaperone” other groups in and out of the area. Perhaps they were travelling a little behind the I15s? By 2:46pm the A4s and A5s had arrived at Strider Rubbing Beach, where they proceeded to rub for a good long while. It was quite the day out in the Strait, with strong winds and big waves. The conditions didn’t deter the whales, and made for quite some dramatic footage. Between 3:15pm and 3:30pm, we saw some of the most beautiful scenes with a little baby, lots of orcas spy-hopping and a close-up of big male A61. A staggering two hours and 45 minutes later, the orcas finally left Strider and headed back to the west. We lost their calls for a while, and were totally distracted by incredible G clan (I15 and I13) calls at Kaizumi Rubbing Beach at 5:50pm, as the new groups came in for a rub at this beach instead! We caught some amazing sounds of the clashing pebbles and some very excited calls, trills and echolocation for around 45 minutes, before their calls became more distant and they moved towards Cracroft Point. It can often be a couple of hours before orcas make it from Kaizumi into Blackney Pass. Often they forage off CP for a while or mill around, but they headed straight over Johnstone Strait and into Blackney Pass in just 30 minutes and totally silently! The first fins caught Suzie by surprise as they had arrived so quickly, but it wasn’t long before everyone was assembled on the deck, setting to work identifying these orcas. The orcas began to chatter loudly, and we quickly discerned that we had the I27s, I13s and I65s - probably with some I16s - come in first just after 7pm. At 7:15pm a large group followed them and headed north, with some very recognizable fins indeed… the A50s and 54s! They were travelling as a tight group with the I65s and likely some more of the I16s too. Still no calls from the A1s, we had had no idea that they were here with the G clan whales. Another 15 minutes later, yet more orcas came in. The A23s and A25s! They had made it from Strider Rubbing Beach in impressive time, arriving only minutes after the leading groups. Just as they had all cleared from our view at 7:45pm, we were discussing the possible whereabouts of the A35s. Perhaps they had parted from the A23s and A25s and gone east after their long rub at Strider, or continued west down Johnstone Strait? No! They were right in front of us. Passing a stone’s throw from the lab and bringing up the rear of this orca parade. Once again, they were totally silent. We were delighted to see Springer and her babies in the mix once again. The groups, with around 60 orcas in total, had orchestrated a meet-up without communicating via any obvious calls. It never ceases to amaze us the decisions these orcas make, and how they so effortlessly coordinate their movements. So many things go on under the surface that even we, having been listening for 50 years, still don’t know. It makes the world of the orca ever-more full of wonder. As the orcas reached Blackfish Sound we heard a chorus of A30 and I15 calls, but some groups still decided to remain silent. We heard our last calls at 8pm, and the night has been silent since then. It was a really beautiful end to a wet, windy and whale-filled day.  Suzie 20 Aug 2020 21:58:19 PDT Superb sounds!! We have the I15's moving north through Blackney Pass. Some lovely calls on Parson island right now! Watch live at: https://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base Orcalab 20 Aug 2020 19:08:47 PDT Superb sounds!! Seriously amazing I15 calls and rubbing sounds right now! Orcalab 20 Aug 2020 18:27:58 PDT No calls but orcas nearby Orcas at Strider Rubbing Beach! https://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base Suzie 20 Aug 2020 14:44:35 PDT Orcas near mics. We have Orca heading south in Blackney Pass. A4's A5 calls so far! Watch live on explore.org :https://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base Orcalab 20 Aug 2020 12:14:25 PDT

Orcas near mics. We have members of A5's heading north in Blackney Pass. Watch live: https://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base  Orcalab 19 Aug 2020 18:11:12 PDT

No orcas present. August 18 2020 Orcas: A50s, A54s, A23s, A25s Humpbacks: Inukshuk? Wishful thinking it was. The A50s and A54s did not return with any new groups, but that does not mean that our day has not been interesting and full of excitement. Especially because we caught sight of our first underwater orcas at Strider Rubbing Beach… The A50s & 54s did not head too far west, turning round and moving southeast through Blackfish Sound just after 10pm. Around half an hour later, we could hear their blows in the darkness as they made their way south and back into Johnstone Strait. The groups must have been very spread out, as we still had faint calls in the Sound and another set of southbound blows at 11:30pm out front of the lab. As this second A30 group reached the Strait, they opened up into some magical, clear calls for a good long while. They headed east, and by 2:18am they were close to our hydrophone in Robson Bight - a favourite spot for a snack to eat. As they continued east and approached the Main Rubbing Beach, we heard some more close, clear calls and also a humpback who had started to sing in Blackfish Sound. The humpback’s haunting, low tones with the orcas high timbre made for quite a recording! By 3:20am, the excited A30 calls were explained as we started to pick up A5 calls off the Main Rubbing Beach too. Separated for only a few hours, but seemingly always pleased to be reunited. Slowly, the groups moved west once more with some A30s leading and at least some of the A5s in tow around 5:20am. Their calls became more sporadic and distant as they travelled up the Strait. We heard the A5s around Kaizumi Rubbing Beach at 7:30am, then all at once we had orca fins in Blackney Pass heading north at 7:39am - the A50s! They had crossed the Strait and slipped in front of us, completely silently. Fortunately, whenever there is daylight, there is someone at the lab watching… We heard A30 and A5 calls in Blackfish Sound as they cleared our view around 7:46am, meaning that some of the A23s/25s must have passed us too. Not long after, the rest of the A30s and A5s began to call on Parson Island, and we caught sight of the next groups at 7:55am. We identified A60 from the A23s. The rest of the morning was quiet on the orca front, but sadly laden with grinding boat noise. Also a generous amount of fog covered our view for most of the morning, too. We received a smattering of reports which suggested that at least some of the groups had made it up into Queen Charlotte Strait, around Lizard Point on Malcolm Island, before turning back towards us. At 12:33pm they had decided to take Weynton Passage to lead them back into Johnstone Strait, and not long after we were hearing them faintly as they travelled east. By 1:51pm the A30s had reached Cracroft Point, where they stalled and began to forage back and forth in the fast currents ripping out of Blackney Pass. We could hear the A5s faintly behind them and, sure enough, at 2:09pm we saw A61 shortly followed by A60 off Cracroft Point also. The orcas chopped and changed direction a few times, but they eventually settled on an eastward trajectory and the A54s, A50s then A25s and finally A23s all headed back towards the Ecological Reserve by 2:30pm. Lunch time! At 4pm, they had made it deep into Robson Bight, where we heard an impressive amount of echolocation, chattering calls and whistles as all groups foraged and travelled together. As they passed Critical Point, we held a collective breath in the hope that they would continue east close to shore and come to Strider Rubbing Beach, where our new underwater camera is waiting… They certainly did not disappoint! At 4:35pm they A23s came in first, and we saw our very first orcas underwater at this beach. The water was a little murky, but that did not stop our squeals of delight as the blurry black and white shapes rolled back and forth along the smooth stones. The A30s came in a large group at 4:47pm, with the A25s behind them just two minutes later. We captured so much footage both above and below the water, it was difficult to know where to look! The groups milled offshore and some teased the east, before all of them eventually headed back to the west. Once again, we tracked their movements down the Strait and heard another set of beautiful, excited calls off Kaizumi beach at 6:20pm. Some of them had clearly decided that one rub was not enough, as we heard the unmistakable sound of pebbles being swept by orca bodies at 7:31pm, at Kaizumi Rubbing Beach. Some of the A30s had bypassed the second rub and had made it right to the entrance of Blackney Pass at 7:45pm. It sounded like they might be coming into our view, but for whatever reason they decided that this was not where they wanted to go, and headed out. We last heard their very faint calls at 8:52pm off Cracroft Point, with no clues since then as to their whereabouts. They do certainly keep us on our toes in these summer months!  Suzie 18 Aug 2020 23:13:47 PDT We are awaiting members of the A5's and A1's who are approaching the Strider Rubbing beaches. Watch live now and make sure to keep an eye on our new Strider rubbing beach under water camera! athttps://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-base  Orcalab  18 Aug 2020 16:35:46 PDT

Superb sounds!! Very beautiful close A30 calls on Parson Island hydrophone! Orcalab 17 Aug 2020 23:31:02 PDT August 17 2020 Orcas: A50s, A54s, A23s and A25s Humpbacks: Argonaut As swiftly as the madness began; it subsided. By madness, I of course mean the many orca groups who have kept us busy over the past few days. Today was a return to the toings and froings of the A30s and A5 groups whom we have seen so much of over the past few weeks. The night was relatively quiet, with a brief burst of A30 and A5 calls around Robson Bight at 10:25pm. There was lots of echolocation and whistling, a sure sign that there was a lot of foraging activity going on. After that, we didn’t actually pick up any signs of these orcas until the morning. There was, however, a humpback breaching near our Parson Island hydrophone out in Blackney Pass at 2:07am. Pippa could hear the colossal sounds of the water splashing both above water and below, through the hydrophone! We also heard a few vocalizations from this particular individual around the same time. After a spectacular dawn with fog, sunshine and mirror-calm waters, we began to hear some A clan calls and whistles fairly close to our Kaizumi Rubbing Beach at 8:23am. By 9:25am we could hear the A30s in that area, and by 9:48am they had made their move across Johnstone Strait where we picked up their calls around Cracroft Point. We started to scan the horizon with our remote camera at CP, and we actually saw A61, A85 and her baby - the A25s - closest to CP, heading into Blackney Pass. It did not take too long for them to reach us, and at 10:20am we saw the A23s, then the A25s pass right in front of us. The A30s were only a little way behind and they, too, came right into view behind the rest. When they reached Blackfish Sound, they foraged for a good long while as we heard some lovely echolocation, whistles and calls. We never really lost “sight” of their calls, and by 1:32pm there was a new energy in their voices and they produced some really excited sounds. We wondered, is there a new group on the scene? Excited calls such as these sometimes signify that a new group is here from the west, and the A30s in particular might be welcoming them into the area. By 2:09pm, they were back in our sight. We saw A60 leading the way, milling ahead of the others as he often does. We counted the A25s, A50s, A54s, A23s all back in… no new groups. At least, not yet! They might still know something that we don’t… As the orcas passed, there was a particularly lovely moment when Argonaut the humpback surfaced amidst the A25s. “One of the gang” for just a few moments. Neither species seemed to alter their course or even acknowledge this brief side-by-side (at least not from our view) as they all travelled on separately. It is always wonderful to see humpbacks and Northern Residents close together; certainly less nail-biting than humpbacks with Bigg’s orcas at any rate! They cleared back into Johnstone Strait just before 3pm, and by 3.30pm all groups had crossed over to Kaizumi Rubbing Beach once more. We started to pick up louder A30 calls approaching Robson Bight, meaning they were likely travelling east, but at some point they must have decided to turn round as they were then calling around Cracroft Point and the entrance to Blackney Pass by 4:50pm. The A5s had fallen silent by this point, but it became apparent a little later that they had continued to the east. The third passing of the day! What a treat. At 5:13pm, we saw both the A54s and the A50s travelling back through Blackney Pass, having parted ways with the A5s. The A54s travelled as a tight-knit group whilst the A50s were a little more spread out. A84 - the sprouting male of the A50s - brought up the rear of the group, and all had cleared into Blackfish Sound by 5:47pm. During this passing, we caught sight of some of the A5s heading east past Strider Rubbing Beach at 5:28pm, a little offshore. They did not come in close to rub immediately, and we thought they had continued eastward, but at least some A5s hung in the area for a while and at 7:19pm we saw A61 and two smaller fins (very likely A85 and baby) come in for a rub at Strider. Hooray! Our new underwater camera was up and running, but we did not catch any footage this time. The rub was brief, lasting only about ten minutes before they carried on east. Ah well, next time! Between 7:20pm and 7:30pm, we were hearing the dwindling calls of the westbound A30s, and the eastbound A5s. Despite a separation of several kilometers, interrupted by several islands, the two groups dipped out of our range and fell silent within minutes of one another. A very pleasing end to the day. As night falls, we are eager to see if the A30s will confirm our earlier hunches and return with another group, or whether it was simply our own wishful thinking...  Suzie 17 Aug 2020 22:28:29 PDT No orcas present. We have whales rubbing at strider. Check out the new underwater camera for a potential glimpse at orcas underwater! Check out explore: https://www.explore.org/livecams/orcas/orcalab-rubbing-beach-underwater Orcalab  17 Aug 2020 18:04:43 PDT