EncDate:05/11/24 

EncSeq:2

Enc#:115

ObservBegin:01:35 PM

ObservEnd:03:12 PM

Vessel:KCB III

Staff:Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss

Other Observers:Monika Wieland Shields, Jason Shields, Sara Hysong-Shimazu, Amanda Colbert

Pods:L

LocationDescr:Possession Triangle

Start Latitude:47 51.41

Start Longitude:122 24.88

End Latitude:47 52.00

End Longitude:122 25.00

 

EncSummary:

Since L pod was heading south down Saratoga Passage and J pod wasn’t talking much on the hydrophones, we decided to head up to L pod to see if we could have better luck. We began seeing whales just north of Holmes Harbor and the encounter began at 1335 about mid-channel off Hidden Beach. L pod was in three fairly tight groups heading south with the L4s, L47s, L72s, and L90 in the western most group. The L12s, L54s, and L88 were a few hundred yards to their east. L116 and L117 were rolling around and socializing with one another a couple of hundred yards to the east of the L12s and L54s.

 
Once L pod was off the entrance to Holmes Harbor, the groups began splitting up. The L77s switched groups and there was some percussive behavior including breaches and a cartwheel out of L110. By about 1455, all of L pod had turned around and was heading north again. The whales spread out across the channel as they traveled north and we ended the encounter at 1512 just a little south of where the encounter began.