Center for
WHALE RESEARCH

EncDate:06/05/23 

EncSeq:17

Enc#:01

ObservBegin:09:25 AM

ObservEnd:10:53 PM

Vessel:Mike 1

Staff:Mark Malleson

Pods:Transients

LocationDescr:Kelp Reef

Start Latitude:48 31.11

Start Longitude:123 15.45

End Latitude:48 34.28

End Longitude:123 14.45

 

EncSummary:

Mark received a report from George Hamilton at 0817 that a group of approximately seven Bigg’s killer whales passed by Ten Mile Point heading north with one bull and a very young calf.
Mark skipped breakfast and mobilized Mike 1, departing Victoria Harbour at 0900.
He caught up to the group at 0925, 1.5 nm southwest of Kelp Reef. He immediately recognized T002C1 and could see the other three members of the family were present, along with what appeared to be at least another matriline of 5 or 6 whales with a fairly young calf.
The group was fairly close together, heading towards the Kelp Reef marker, and with consultation from Joe, was able to confirm that dispersee T065A5 was with them along with the T023Cs. Mark could see T023C had a fairly new calf and got confirmation that she had indeed been seen in the Broughton Archipelago with a new one on April 24th.

As they passed Kelp Reef, the group split into their respective matrilines, with the T002Cs paralleling the T023Cs and the young male T065A5 a half mile to the west of them, closer to the Darcy Island shoreline. At 1053 Mark ended the encounter off the south end of Sidney Island as he felt he had collected sufficient pictures of the group, especially of the new addition to the T023Cs. Ten minutes after he left the whales, reports from commercial whale-watch boats on-scene were that he missed a double harbour porpoise kill! Mark continued south toward Middle Bank, where a group of 18 Bigg’s had been reported milling.