Transient male designated as CA116
Photo by Mark Malleson

Encounter # 60 • December 24 • Transients


Platform: Orca
Observers: Ken Balcomb and Mark Malleson

In the early morning hours of Christmas Eve, Ken Balcomb spotted two whales off the west end of Constance Bank. The whales were separated by about one mile, with one (adult male) swimming steadily toward the east, and one (adult female) swimming in a zig-zag pattern toward the southwest. The searching behavior could be interpreted as either resident or transient, in which case Ken figured the residents would likely go eastward and transients would likely go westward. Ken went out in r/v "Orca" and searched the area to the east from Constance Bank to Hein Bank and Beaumont Shoals, while Mark Malleson searched to the west from Victoria harbor to Race Rocks. After hours of searching, finally, Mark made contact with two whales (adult male and adult female) heading west in mid-strait off Sooke that were likely the two seen in the morning. His photograph of the male unequivocally identifies it as a whale previously seen off the Washington coast on 8 April 2009, by NWFSC personnel aboard NOAA ship MacArthur II. This male was previously photographed in April 1997 off Monterey, California and designated CA166, but we are not sure if the female has been given an identifying number. These whales do get around and keep things interesting, but they can be frustratingly difficult to find. Season's greetings, everyone!

These photos were taken under MMPA permit #532-1822and/or DFO license #2006-08/SARA-34.