| Transients and Jpod encountered in close proximity, April 5, 2008 in Haro Strait  photo by Dave Ellifrit. This photo was taken under MMPA permit #532-1822. T14 heading rapidly north ("porpoising") in Haro Strait April 5, 2008.  photo by Dave Ellifrit. This photo was taken under MMPA permit #532-1822. T87 (left) lifts his chin above the waves as T88 (right) begins a dive.  photo by John Durban. This photo was taken under MMPA permit #532-1822. T71B "porpoises" in Haro Strait April 5, 2008.  photo by Ken Balcomb. This photo was taken under MMPA permit #532-1822. A "proof of presence" shot of Jpod in Haro Strait April 5, 2008.  photo by Dave Ellifrit. This photo was taken under MMPA permit #532-1822. J8 and J30 begin to dive in the choppy water of Haro Strait April 5, 2008. View Larger Map Track of Encounter #003 Encounter #03 and #04 April 5, 2008 Transients; followed by J pod Platform: Orca Starlett Departed Snug Harbor: 8:55 a.m. Begin Encounter: 8:58 a.m. End Encounter: 11:05 a.m. End Lat: 48° 54 N End Long: 123° 18 W Observers: Ken Balcomb, John Durban, PhD, Dave Ellifrit. At 7:30 a.m., faint transient killer whale calls were heard on the Lime Kiln hydrophone, and at 7:52 a.m. approximately 15 killer whales were observed traveling north, line abreast, in Haro Strait off Bellevue Point. As they passed the Center for Whale Research at 8:20 a.m., T87, T124, T124A, and T88 were identified from the porch; and, at 8:55 a.m. “Orca Starlet” cast off from Snug Harbor to ascertain the remaining identifications. Almost immediately, at 8:58 a.m. we observed T14 by himself heading rapidly north off Mitchell Bay in Haro Strait toward the larger group of whales off Kellett Bluff. As the breeze picked up against the ebbing tide, the seas became rough, but we managed to approach the larger group and identify T87, 88, 124, 124A, 124A1, 124A2, 124A3, 124D, 124E, 71, 71A, 71B, 71C?, 90, 90A in a tight fast traveling group in mid-Haro Strait by the time they reached the turbulent eddies west of Speiden Channel. At 10:25 a.m., we terminated the encounter (Encounter 3) for safety reasons because of rough water. Mark Malleson on Mount Young spotted another group of killer whales in a tight group off Bellevue Point as soon as we left the transients, so we responded via calmer waters in Mosquito Pass and ventured back out into the churning water to encounter J pod in Haro Strait in front of the Center for Whale Research. At 10:55. We took proof of presence photos and left them heading toward Kelp reef at 11:05 a.m. (Encounter 4). Back at the Center for Whale Research, we heard T14 calls on the Orca Sound hydrophone and observed him on the SE side of D’Arcy Island at the same time that J pod was 1 mile SE of Kelp reef. For a brief time, a few J pod calls were heard concurrent with the T calls. Reports from the whale-watching fleet indicated that the T87 group continued north to Swanson Channel and through Active Pass by day’s end; T14 remained behind them several miles traveling north off the west side of Pender Island; and J pod also continued north in Swanson Channel at last report. In the afternoon, Mark Malleson went west in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and encountered seven additional transient killer whales heading west toward Sooke. They were T49A, 49A1, 49A2, 49B, 49B1, 36A, and 36A1. Mark took photographs of some very interesting fresh tooth rakes on the dorsal fin of T36A, suggesting that there may have been a very recent agonistic event of some kind. |