Large Crowd

Multiple pod calls audible.

The very large "crowd" that was reported being in Queen Charlotte Strait yesterday, is beginning to arrive. This happens several hours after the A8s rushed out of Blackfish Sound. So far we have heard, the A30s, A4s,A5s and I15s.
Helena
25 Aug 2009 03:50:14 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible.

Moving in... using every available route. We now are hearing Bs and possibly I31 calls already in Johnstone Strait via Blackney Pass as the A4s move through Blackney on their way to the Strait as well. Getting very crowded!
Helena
25 Aug 2009 04:27:06 PDT

Orcas rubbing on the shore bottom.

Some of the orcas have reached the rubbing beaches, others are in Robson Bight, others are headed east past Alert Bay, others are still coming. The movemenr is generally eastward.
Helena
25 Aug 2009 08:37:53 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible.

Boy, this is busy! First a probable correction is needed. the Bs may not be there. It was a mistake of hearing the word "Bs" for "Ds" in the early morning. What is clear is that the A1s, A4s, and A5s came into Johnstone Strait along with the I15s and I31s between 4 and 5am. The Ds never seemed to come very far to the east so we are not sure where they are now. There is a sleepy group west bound between Alert Bay and Haddington Island on the Vancouver Island pointed toward Malcolm Island. This may be the C6s. There is another large group (whales everywhere today) between Cormorant Island and Malcolm Island heading toward Sointula. The Johnstone Strait whales are west bound from the beaches to Robson Bight spread out from the Cracroft Island shore to Vancouver Island. Whew! hang on to your hats!
Helena
25 Aug 2009 09:59:39 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible.

We now know a bit more of today's distribution: the C6s and G25s are the westbound,sleepy group headed to haddington island; the Ds (all) and I22/39 are the sointula group;the i33s just went by the Cliff a short while ago following the A36s. It is not clear where the the rest of the As and I15s are at the moment.
Helena
25 Aug 2009 10:44:42 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby

the orca shuffle continues: westbound in the Strait are the A30s, A36s,I31s and the I15s. They are spread out from Little Kaikash (west of CP) back to Izumi Rock (the A30s,I15s and maybe part of the I31s along the Vacouver Island side, while the A36s and I33s are on the Cracroft Island side). Eastbound are most likely the A4s,A5s and A12s ,now past the Eve River
Helena
25 Aug 2009 11:12:56 PDT

Orcas near mics.

The I33s just went north through Blackney Pass and are now westbound in Blackfish Sound.
Helena
25 Aug 2009 12:12:16 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby

Here is another correction. The A30s are probably back with their regular company heading east at Hickey Point. (A12s,A4s,A5s and A30s). the two males seen on the Vancouver Island side ahead of the I15s earlier may have been the rest of the I31s (the I33s went north through Blackney Pass). the A36s ended up going through Weynton pass and we heard them as they crossed the top end of Blackfish Sound following the I33s out to the west. The I15s are currently off the entrance to Weynton pass deciding on their next move. The I31s may be with them. Complicated day to say the least.
Helena
25 Aug 2009 14:32:32 PDT

Seasmoke reports
What an exciting day it has been! Just moments after leaving the dock in Alert Bay this morning passengers were viewing orcas. Two groups of orcas who were identified as the C6’s and the G25’s. Both pods were travelling very slowly to the west, heading in the direction of Haddington Island when we left them to view other orcas in Cormorant Passage; the D7’s and the I22’s, possibly C10’s were among them. They were resting and we stayed a distance away which made identifying them more difficult. They had travelled via Pearse Passage taking the back route in behind Cormorant Island while the C6’s and the G25’s had carried on past Alert Bay on Cormorant Island. A Minke Whale was also sighted at this time. Travelling back via the Pearse Islands more orcas were sighted in the distance heading out through Weynton Passage, they were likely some of the I33’s who were heading out at this time. On the late afternoon Motor Cruise the weather had changed as had the movement of orcas in Johnstone Strait. Just as we were leaving the dock in Alder Bay the rain cleared and a most beautiful rainbow emerged arching directly across Johnstone Strait. Orcas were sighted travelling east in Johnstone Strait close along the Hanson Island side, they were moving quickly in the flood current, as were some 200+ Pacific White-sided Dolphins centre Strait, other orcas , the I15’s were heading east as well but closer to the Vancouver Island shore. It was amazing viewing, especially when another glorious rainbow emerged arching again across Johnstone Strait and the dolphins were in the middle with white water moving rapidly above them as they swam, a brilliant blue sky above and the brightness of the rainbow; it was a most remarkable and indelible image to have witnessed, with so many dolphins swimming inside of the rainbow. As we neared the south-east end of the Sophia Islands, the I15’s had crossed over, meeting up with the other G-Clan orcas. It is here that we left them and turing back, the seascape had turned to silver and the image of several female orca fins were etched wonderfully in a cloud formation ahead of us, not unlike those of the I15’s! It was an amazing and very special day of viewing.

Ds have a new calf

No orcas present.

Today, the power was off for most of the North Island (Vancouver Island) because a power pole had to be replaced. The internet was down for a while longer after the repair. We are back now. There are no orcas to report but we did hear from the DFO that the Ds were sighted further north and that they too have a new calf. No mention yet as to who is the mum. Meanwhile, the humpbacks and minke continue to use this area.
Helena
23 Jun 2009 16:54:19 PDT

23 june 2008, Cetaceanlab reports:

Since about two weeks we are listening to a whole new part of the north coast, as we installed a new hydrophone station at the north east side of Aristabazal Island. We are now able to listen to Caamano and Estevan Sound which the whales use quite often during their travels through this area. The timing of installation could not have been better as late last night the under water world of Caamano Sound was filled by the excited calls from A, G and R-Clan members of the northern resident orcas. The whales were first vocal on our “Home station” as they traveled south in Squally Channel at about 11pm. By that time the ocean was totally quiet below the surface after another noise polluted day filled with up by 100 sport fishing lodge boats operating day after day during the summer months in this area. We got the impression that the whales really enjoyed the silence underwater as their calls were so absolutely excited and did not stop for another four (!) hours. It was one of these rare occasions where no man-made noise interrupted their “All-Clan” meeting. Acoustically, we were able to make out the: A36, A4, A5, a B,C,D group, G and R-Clan matrilines, this may have been well over 100 whales. The whales were very close to the hydrophone at Aristazabal Island at 4:10am before fading away towards perhaps Laredo Channel.

25 July 2007, Orcalab reports:

No orcas present.

We have fixed our internet problem and so can once again post comments. The morning before last the A36s came back to the area. They travelled through Blackney Pass and on to eastern Johnstone Strait. Following several hours behind were the A24s. Prior to these visits, we had the C10s, C6s and D7s pass through. They followed (by a day or so) the A12s, A11s, A35s, A43s and A51s back out past Port Hardy. All in all it has been busy but with considerable gaps in the action around these parts.
Helena & Paul
25 Jul 2007 13:51:12 PDT

21 July 2007, Orcalab reports

Orcas rubbing on the shore bottom.

Just now, the A5s are at the rubbing beaches, where they've been for the past hour. The A11s are headed east in Johnstone Strait towards the Ecological Reserve at Robson Bight, & the rest of the A4s are in Blackfish Sound, heading towards the Strait. Also in the Strait today are the A12s, though we're not sure where they are at the moment. Much further to the east are the Cs (both C6s & C10s) and probably all the Ds. Things orca have certainly become much more summerlike in the last day! The weather is quite different - rainy & cool, and a welcome change for our parched forest & garden.
Paul & Helena
21 Jul 2007 19:01:03 PDT

05 March 2007, Cetaceanlab reports:

In the morning of March 5th, we started hearing A-calls on our “Home” station. The whales were most likely traveling north in Squally Channel. It may have been a fairly large group and we were able to determine that an A1 group was present (most likely the A36s), and a B,C,D group. It was a pleasant surprise for us to listen to the B,C,D Orcas as we never had them this early in the season in our study area.

05 March 2007, Cetaceanlab reports:

We had a small group of transient Orcas close to Taylor Bight and enjoyed a close encounter of a juvenile/young adult humpback whale that came very close to the shore of our Lab. We also had the first acoustic recording of a group of resident Orcas. In the morning of March 5th, we started hearing A-calls on our “Home” station. The whales were most likely traveling north in Squally Channel. It may have been a fairly large group and we were able to determine that an A1 group was present (most likely the A36s), and a B,C,D group. It was a pleasant surprise for us to listen to the B,C,D Orcas as we never had them this early in the season in our study area.

22 August 2006, Orcalab reports:

Multiple pod calls audible.

Soon after 3am we began to hear the groups coming back through the Ecological Reserve on their way west. The A12s, A4s,A5s, Cs and Ds marched up the Strait and through to Blackfish Sound.
Helena
22 Aug 2006 06:45:58 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible.

At 7:40pm we began to hear distant A calls in Blackfish Sound. This turned out to be the A12s,A4s and A5s returning from their day's journey into Queen Charlotte Strait. The Cs and the Ds have not returned. The whales made slow but somewhat steady progress against the ebbing tide. They will now have the advantage of the slack tide and then the flood to help their progress to the Strait and points east. The last of the groups are still in Blackney while others have already made it through. It was quite interesting that at one point we had an A4 group on CP, another on Parson Island and the third on Local left at the same time.
Helena
22 Aug 2006 23:38:34 PDT