Saturday, October 28, 2006

28 October 2006, Orcalab reports:

Orcas near mics.

The A30s and the A12s are back in Johnstone Strait heading east toward Robson Bight. We first heard their calls at 6:25 am.
Helena
28 Oct 2006 08:54:37 PDT

Superb sounds!!

The A12s (A33 in the lead) and the A30s just passed through Blackney Pass again. They are now in Blackfish Sound heading west. Again they were very relaxed in the absence of any boats. The "kids" were particularly energetic doing breaches and roll overs several times. A39 seemed to pace himself at the back of the main grouping. A38 was not too far away from A55.
Helena
28 Oct 2006 11:37:34 PDT

Distant calls audible.

The A12s and the A30s have contiued to call throughout the day while in Blackfish Sound. All of their calls have been very distant leading us to suppose they "hung" out at the western end of Blackfish Sound. The calls are just now a bit stronger and the tide is coming this direction now although there is very little associated current with this high tide. Maybe it will be enought to encourage the whales back this way. Heavy rain & moderate wind today.
Helena
28 Oct 2006 16:31:28 PDT

Orcas near mics.

Well they did it. The A12s and the A30s are travelling through Blackney Pass. A12 and A33 were way in front. The"kids" & young mums from both groups were bunched together, still very playful. There were lots of spyhops but no breaches this time. A55 was was with A34 while A39 and A38 foraged. The progress south is quite slow with lots of stops & turns but they are more than half way through.
Helena
28 Oct 2006 17:40:53 PDT

Superb sounds!!

Its been weird and wonderful off of Cracroft Point but the whales now seem like they are settling down to a rest. A tug just entered the Strait and it is now quite noisy.
Helena
28 Oct 2006 18:58:07 PDT

Boat noise

An added note: We have had good news from the DFO. Earlier we thought G23 (G17s) was missing. She is a relatively young mother and her loss would have been very sad and unexpected. Happily, it seems she is fine and still with her group. Meanwhile: The A12s and A30s are now continuing eastward toward the Reserve. We still do not know what happened to the A36s and the Gs after we lost track of them when they headed east a few days ago.
Helena
28 Oct 2006 19:11:36 PDT

No orcas present.

All quiet after the tug passed the whales in the Strait.
Helena
28 Oct 2006 21:41:05 PDT

Friday, October 27, 2006

27 October 2006, Orcalab reports:

No orcas present.

Just so you know: the A12s (we think all of them were there) and the A30s passed back through Blackney Pass from Johnstone Strait to Blackfish Sound this morning on the slack tide. They were through Blackney by 9:25am. Both groups looked very relaxed. There were several breaches, some foraging, lots of tail slaps from the kids, and everyone was rolling around as well. They stayed in Blackfish Sound for a while until presumably they caught the ebb tide and moved on.
Helena
27 Oct 2006 12:21:32 PDT

Distant calls audible.

The A12s are back in the Strait. We believe they came back via Weynton Passage and must now be heading eastward. Not a lot of calls.
Helena
27 Oct 2006 17:18:49 PDT

Distant calls audible.

Just before dark and just before the slack tide,the A30s and the A12s, came into Blackney Pass and headed into Blackfish Sound where they are now. They were still very relaxed and "opened up" vocally while in the Pass.
Helena
27 Oct 2006 19:34:41 PDT

Thursday, October 26, 2006

26 October Orcalab reports:

Distant calls audible.

These distant A1 calls are in Johnstone Strait.
Helena
26 Oct 2006 00:06:51 PDT

Performing maintenance

We are experiencing connection problems & are unable to stream live audio at the moment. Please excuse the inconvenience - we'll be back again as soon as possible, hopefully later today. Just now, all the "A1" groups are in Johnstone Strait, along with several G clan groups.
Paul & Helena
26 Oct 2006 09:05:13 PDT

Distant calls audible.

Currently we are listening to the A30s and possibly the A12s as well. Earlier today the A30s left the Strait (around 2:30am) and then returned to the Strait with the A12s,A36s and G clan groups possibly via Weynton Pass. We were experiencing a power outage around the time the whales arrived in the Strait and so can't be sure which route they actually took. Regardless, they continued east past CP and Robson Bight. The A12s and the A30s hung back for a while and the A30s came back to the entrance of Blackney Pass. Since then, and quite recently, the A12s resurfaced. Both groups continue to be vocal in Johnstone Strait.
Helena
26 Oct 2006 17:20:32 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby

Just a very short while ago we had a largish group of whales silently travel Blackney Pass to Johnstone Strait. We suspect that this was likely the A30s and maybe even the A12s heard earlier heading west in Johnstone Strait. Possibly these whales circled Hanson Island via Weynton & Blackney Passes. Horrible boat noise at the moment as yet another tug travels south through the Pass.
Helena
26 Oct 2006 22:11:47 PDT

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

25 October 2006, Orcalab reports:

Orcas near mics.

The whales are off CP. We have heard the A12s along with other G clan groups. Not sure where the A36s are at the moment but there seems to be groups still closer to Critical Point. There is also a tug heading into JS right now.
Helena
25 Oct 2006 16:42:28 PDT

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

24 October 2006, Orcalab reports:

Orcas near mics.

The A36s have pulled some of the Gs back with them to Johnstone Strait via Weynton Pass. They are headed eastward.
Helena
24 Oct 2006 08:11:01 PDT

Distant calls audible.

The A1 calls we heard a short while ago were in Blackfish Sound. We have been waiting to see what might develop. The tide is flooding and this may mean this group might make it to Johnstone Strait.
Helena
24 Oct 2006 13:33:53 PDT

Distant calls audible.

Hmmm...the last note made need a bit of revision. We are now hearing both A1 and G clan calls off the very top end of Blackfish Sound. So we are going to wait a bit longer to see if these groups are "incoming" or as we now suspect "out going". The flooding tide is a confusing factor but : Time will tell.
Helena
24 Oct 2006 13:49:09 PDT

Distant calls audible.

Should have stuck with the first guess! The flooding tide did bring the whales into Johnstone Strait. It sounds like A12 vocals along with some of the G groups.
Helena
24 Oct 2006 14:27:55 PDT

Distant calls audible.

The 200+ dolphins that rushed through Blackney Pass to Johnstone Strait sound like they have found the A12s & Gs! By the way a lone humpback also transited Blackney Pass bound for the Strait as well.
Helena
24 Oct 2006 15:28:44 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible.

it does sound like there are a lot of G clan groups on hand. We are also wondering if the A12s might be reunited now as there has been quite an increase in their type of calls. The groups sound like they are off the CP area now. We are finally getting real rain - only trouble is - we are not use to it now!
Helena
24 Oct 2006 16:16:40 PDT

Orcas near mics.

Forgot to mention that the A36s are there too.
Helena
24 Oct 2006 16:17:55 PDT

Boat noise

We believe the groups carried on to the east. There have been a few bouts of dolphin calls since.
Helena
24 Oct 2006 22:10:35 PDT

Sunday, October 22, 2006

22 October 2006, Orcalab reports:

No calls but orcas nearby

We got a report this morning that one group of orcas (probably G group)was seen near Port McNeill heading west. We don't know anything of the other groups from yesterday evening. They might be still in the east.
melanie
22 Oct 2006 11:12:39 PDT

Distant calls audible.

Finally the other groups from yesterday are coming up to Crpt from the east now. We are hearing some of the G's,the A36's and probably the A12's as well. It sounds like they are going into the bight.
Melanie
22 Oct 2006 15:41:00 PDT

Distant calls audible.

Now the G's, A36's and A12's are coming up to CP. But we are hearing them still on Crpt too. It starts to ebbing 1/2 hour ago...so hopefully they will visit us in Blackney Pass.
Melanie
22 Oct 2006 17:08:07 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby

The G's, A36's, A33 and A12 came into Blackney and stopped with calling. Now they cleared already to the north into Blackfishsound and started with calling again. Nice to see them again.
Melanie
22 Oct 2006 18:18:26 PDT

Saturday, October 21, 2006

21 October 2006, Orcalab reports:

No orcas present.

As you may have guessed the whales continued to the east. We just received a report from DFO that they are currently off Adam River and heading west. if they keep their direction it will be a few hours before we are able to hear them.
Helena
21 Oct 2006 08:59:47 PDT

Distant calls audible.

Now the A36's and the big group of G's are coming up to CRPT from the east and aproaching the bight. But there are also a lot of Tugboats in the strait.
melanie
21 Oct 2006 12:45:59 PDT

Distant calls audible.

We hearing sporatic distant calls from the G's and A36's on CP with louder echo to Crpt. So probably they turned and going east again.
Melanie
21 Oct 2006 15:57:07 PDT

No orcas present.

After the A36's, A12's and the G's visited the bight, they are on the way to the east again.
melanie
21 Oct 2006 18:44:14 PDT

Friday, October 20, 2006

20 October 2006, Orcalab reports:


Superb sounds!!

Very close and very beautiful! The A12s,A36s are in good company with the Gs and the I31s and perhaps the I11s as well. All groups are lingering near Robson Bight: Friday night and all dressed up and somewhere to go.
Helena
20 Oct 2006 20:00:23 PDT

Monday, October 16, 2006

16 October 2006, Orcalab reports:

Multiple pod calls audible.

Finally, the whales have given up their mystery tour of the east. Sounds like they are westbound on the flooding tide. So far both Gs and A1s (? the A36s) have been heard.
Helena
16 Oct 2006 08:04:02 PDT

Superb sounds!!

The Gs,the A36s and the A12s have come up to Cracroft Point and the entrance to Blackney Pass. Great calls!
Helena
16 Oct 2006 10:45:57 PDT

Distant calls audible.

A short while ago the Gs and the A36s together with A12 and A33 travelled north through Blackney Pass. We saw the G3s, G12s,G18s, G29s and the G2s. We did not see the A34s, I31s or G17s.
Helena
16 Oct 2006 13:52:55 PDT

Distant calls audible.

It sounds like the G17s have just crossed the top end of Blackfish Sound after travellling through Weynton Pass. They will be following the others into Queen Charlotte Strait. Meanwhile, both dolphins and transients have occupied the Strait after the resident orcas left to the west.
Helena
16 Oct 2006 16:15:08 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby

We just heard blows in Blackney Pass. The silent orcas were Strait bound along the far side of Blackney. A few dolphin calls is all we have heard since.
Helena
16 Oct 2006 22:37:32 PDT

Sunday, October 15, 2006

15 October 2006, Orcalab reports:

Multiple pod calls audible.

So here is what we know. Around 5:30am, we heard A1 calls off Cracroft Point. Soon after there were both A1 and G calls in the entrance to Blackney Pass. The G calls unfortunately ceased. However, we are fairly confident that the A12s entered the Strait at this time and headed east. Independent of the A12 calls was another A1 group further east. To make matters more complicated as the A12s were entering a group headed north in Blackney Pass. As this group reached Blackfish Sound we heard a few A1 N3 calls so we know one of the 3 A1 groups went that direction. Acoustic discrimination was difficult because the group only made "resting calls" .Then as if this wasn't enough activity, a small group of transients headed south through Blackney around 8am. We have since heard the A12s travel past Critical Point and continue east. Whew! and it is not yet 10am. Hopefully, we will get the chance to sort out who left & who stayed later today.
Helena
15 Oct 2006 09:33:44 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby

This day just keeps being interesting. We just saw A12 and A33 travel north through Blackney Pass. (It was probably their calls we heard earlier). We have no clear idea where the A34s (the rest of the A12s) might be. Just what is going on?
Helena
15 Oct 2006 14:35:35 PDT

Orcas near mics.

We are hearing once again A12 calls on the Cracroft Point system. Perhaps a12 and A33 have returned to Johnstone Strait.
Helena
15 Oct 2006 21:50:55 PDT

Sunday, October 01, 2006

01 October 2006, Orcalab reports:

Distant calls audible.

Dolphins and orcas both in Johnstone Strait. The A1s ssound like they have returned via Weynton Pass. The dolphin group, may be the 400+ strong group which went east yesterday and may be taking up a goodly stretch of the Strait.
Helena
01 Oct 2006 05:54:07 PDT

No calls but orcas nearby

The A30s came up from the east briefly and then turned back quickly off of Critical Point. The Naiad Explorer reports that the A12s are in Browning Pass (western Queen Charlotte Strait). The dolphins we heard earlier this morning were later reported off the Eve River still travelling eastward.
Helena
01 Oct 2006 11:36:03 PDT