EncDate:13/04/24 

EncSeq:2

Enc#:38

ObservBegin:01:39 PM

ObservEnd:02:47 PM

Vessel:Mike 1

Staff:Mark Malleson

Other Observers:Brendon Bissonnette

Pods:Bigg's killer whales

LocationDescr:West Constance Bank

Start Latitude:48 20.44

Start Longitude:123 26.81

End Latitude:48 21.47

End Longitude:123 21.89

 

EncSummary:

After concluding their encounter with the T086A3s & T071Bs off Discovery Island (see encounter #37), Mark and Brendon charted a course towards Race Rocks in the hopes of locating a group of whales who had been reported off East Sooke a few hours earlier, shortly before 1030. 

As they crossed over the southwestern edge of Constance Bank at 1339, Brendon turned his sights to the south just in time to see the dorsal fin of a large bull slip below the surface. Moments later, two smaller fins emerged, slicing through the water several hundred metres apart, both on an eastbound course. The male rose again in a high-arch, revealing his identity immediately as 22-year-old T100C. As the remaining whales surfaced once more, it was clear that the team had located the T100s, minus T100E, which they had recently encountered two days prior on April 11th near the Victoria waterfront (see encounter #35). 

As the Mike 1crew maintained pace alongside the whales, the intensity of the sunlight from the south created unfavorable conditions for capturing photographs from the left side. Recognizing this challenge, they decided to pause momentarily, leaving the whales to move ahead, before resuming from a new viewpoint. They then adjusted their course slightly to the southeast, ensuring better lighting conditions for capturing optimal photographs from the whales' right sides.

The three animals were facing a 2-knot ebb but continued to forge ahead at a steady pace of 4 to 5 knots. While T100 and T100F gained ground against the ebbing current, T100C slowly fell behind, momentarily pausing as if something caught his interest. After a brief stop and investigation, T100C corrected his course and swiftly caught up to the others, who had altered their trajectory to the northeast, and were now traversing over Constance Bank.

Mark and Brendon decided to conclude the encounter at 1427, watching as the three tightly-grouped whales continued east along a tide line.