Ws in the area without W5

Superb sounds!!

Lovely calls as the A30s & Co close in on Robson Bight. A12 got herself into Johnstone Strait.The A36s were getting further away but ,at this point, not sure what they might be up to. An interesting note for yesterday: the Sea Otter came upon the W3s off of Donegal Head. And from a later report from Rob and Erin, the Ws went through Pearse Pass at 9:30pm. We never heard them in Johnstone Strait and no evidence today of their presence. So this is a bit of mystery. It was only 2 of the Ws as it looks like W5 might be gone.
Helena
04 Aug 2009 19:43:54 PDT

14 August 2006, Orcalab reports:


No calls but orcas nearby

The whales who went east early this morning are returning and the lead groups are already up to Boat Bay. Meanwhile, the Naiad has been reporting a very large group (included are Ws,Ds,Rs and more) off the Port Hardy area. They are not yet committed to fully coming down to the east.
Helena
14 Aug 2006 13:56:15 PDT


Multiple pod calls audible.

My goodness what a day. The OLers were here after their encounter with the Rs, Ws,Ds,C6s,C10s mid Queen Charlotte Strait off Pine Island on the Naiad Explorer. Meanwhile, the A30s,A36s, I15s, A12s, A35s,A24s,A51s, A43s, Bs and the several G groups came out of the east and travelled toward WeyntonPassage. There the Gs probably took off through Weynton Passage and the others returned to the entrance of Blackney Pass where after sorting themselves out they headed into Blackney Pass and past the Lab. The A24s and the Bs were the last through. CP saw the A12s continue to the west in the Strait and it is still unclear what they are going to do.
Helena
14 Aug 2006 20:48:52 PDT

06 August 2006, Orcalab reports:

Orcas near mics.

This is becoming quite the day! The I15s and the A36s have already gone through Blackney Pass and east in Johnstone Strait. Bothe groups went in for a rub but the A36s have since come back to the west. The whalewatch boats have been keeping an eye on the Bs in Queen Charlotte Strait. They have company. R clan & possibly G clan calls have also been heard. The good news for us is that these groups are moving towards Blackfish Sound. Are the A36s coming west to meet up? Meanwhile the A30s,A4s,A5s are still quite far east. They were reported in Sunderland Channel earlier. They too were headed west.
Helena
06 Aug 2006 12:38:19 PDT

Orcas rubbing on the shore bottom.

Each of the groups is taking a turn at the Beaches. So far the I15s, A36s went in soon after their arrival as the first group. The Bs and the I31s were next (the 2nd group through) and now the I15s and the A30s (up from the east) have moved in too. Off Critcial Point the G group (the 3rd group through) are moving eastward towards the Beaches. Jim Borrowman reports that the R5s,R7s, and Ws turned back in Queen Charlotte and headed out to the west without "coming" in. And now, Dall's porpoise have come right into the bay out front ogf the house - Amazing!
Helena
06 Aug 2006 17:39:06 PDT

21 July Orcalab reports:

Multiple pod calls audible.

What a contrast to yesterday's lazy, hazy summer day! All was quiet this morning and then the reports started to surface. The Lukwa (Stubbs Island Whale Watch) heard R calls out in Queen Charlottee Strait. The Tuan (Seasmoke Charters) saw the A36s with many, many whales off Donegal Head. Then we were told the super big group was headed east in Blackfish Sound and headed for Blackney. And then: In rushed over 80 whales, spread out across Blackney, excited and in a rush to get to the Strait. In the Strait, the A12s, A4s and the A5s were coming up from the east and Robson Bight to meet the incoming gang. Whales were everywhere! It was a superpod of grand proportions. At last count, 117 (thanks to Graeme Ellis and John Ford of DFO)whales were in the area. There were several G clan groups, the Ds, several R clan groups and of course the same As of the last several weeks. They rushed toward the Ecological Reserve where one group went into the Main rubbing beach for more than an hour. Now, the groups are reorganising for a trip back to the west.
Helena
21 Jul 2006 17:55:31 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible.

The official count is now 127! An opportunity for another look by the DFO came when the whales moved toward CP early this evening. Our day was made complete when,after passing CP with beautiful calls and a glimpse underwater, they entered Blackney and headed northwest to the sunset. The big question is: Will they be back or was this the visit?
Helena
21 Jul 2006 20:51:28 PDT

Add from the comment board:
Hi Jan,The list we got from Graeme Ellis included: The R4/5s, Ws, I31s,G3s,G12s,G31s.G2s,G29s,A36s,A12s,A4s,A5s,Ds,C6s. I will ask if other Rs (R2s,R17s)were present. I hope this helps. It was quite a day!
Helena@Hanson I
21 Jul 2006 22:58:56 PDT

11 August Orcalab reports:

02:21 PDT Orcas rubbing on the shore bottom.
The big group of the whales are slowly going east. A4s are at the Rubbing beach.

03:03 PDT Superb sounds!!
The Rs are back in the Bight.

04:38 PDT Superb sounds!!
We are listening to the Rs on CP hydrophone...Sounds like they're leaving here already. The A12s are with them.

06:54 PDT No calls but orcas nearby
What a night! The Rs have gone quieter now after retreating back to Johnstone Strait after briefly entering part way into Blackney Pass. We believe the A4s and the A5s and possibly the Cs continued to the east around 2am. We are sure there was a lot of movement during the night and it was a treat to hear the rare R visitors.

10:18 PDT No orcas present.
We have figured out some of the whale activity from the night based on additional reports from the boats this morning. Groups have turned up to the west & east of us. The A4s/A5s and Cs probably went east as we thought. It seems like the A12s have joined them after seeing the Rs off to the west. Most of the Rs are not that far away at the moment but just out of range of the hydrophone network. They were located in the fog just to the west of Hanson Island, off Weynton Passage about an hour ago. They (the R5s & Ws) appear to be continuing west.

12:54 PDT No orcas present.
Further to the last note the Rs & Ws passed the Pearse Reefs and headed for Donegal Head. They are now travelling west (with the tide) in Queen Charlotte Strait. The tide turns in two hours.

17:13 PDT No calls but orcas nearby
There is a large group of transients heading into the Strait after passing Alert Bay a while earlier. The Rs and Ws continued to the west.