A12 travels with A36 again

No orcas present.

All is pretty quiet. CP last reported that there were whales going west. We could hear A30 calls getting more distant but the A36s seemed to be getting louder so we wondered if they went east beyond the Reserve. The A24s were reported eastbound off Naka Creek at around 8pm. There were two whales, a male and a female reported off Donegal Head but we never heard any calls and so can't shed any light on who that may have been.
Helena
03 Aug 2009 00:46:02 PDT

Distant calls audible.

A pretty quiet night. Katie woke up for the 4:20am calls. This did not last long but then at 6:20am Tomoko started to record the A36s in Johnstone Strait as they moved west. CP saw them go by at 7:20am. At that time, there was a report of two more orca heading across to Blinkhorn. So the orca shuffle continues. The A36s are still only across the entrance to Blackney Pass from CP but they may be crossing toward Blinkhorn as well.
Helena
03 Aug 2009 08:20:44 PDT

Distant calls audible.

The A36s with A12 were the only group in western Johnstone Strait this morning. They went past CP at 7:20am and after a while longer off the top end of Hanson Island they travelled past the Plumper Islands to Blackfish Sound. They began calling a short while ago and now may be headed toward Blackney Pass.
Helena
03 Aug 2009 11:01:00 PDT

Distant calls audible.

The A36s with A12 scooted through Blackney Pass in a rush to get to Johnstone Strait. They were all together. A12 looked lovely in the middle of the big boys. A39 followed a while after and he was followed by all the rest of the A30s who cleared our view at 12:13pm. They are now approaching the Ecological Reserve.
Helena
03 Aug 2009 13:04:54 PDT

Distant calls audible.

With A12 in the lead, the whales are westbound and just abpout the exit the Ecological Reserve.
Helena
03 Aug 2009 15:02:32 PDT

Orcas near mics.

It sounds like the A24s are arriving back from the east, now off Robson Bight. The A30s & Co went off to the top end of hanson island and beyond but headed back east. At 7:18pm they were east of Kaikash Creek opposite CP.
Helena
03 Aug 2009 19:48:36 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible.

The A36s are off Telegraph Cove while the A30s enter the reserve and Robson Bight. A gathering!
Helena
03 Aug 2009 19:53:55 PDT

Orcas rubbing on the shore bottom.

The A24s are at the rubbing beaches. The A30s are not far away and the A36s are moving east too, now past CP.
Helena
03 Aug 2009 21:11:57 PDT

Seasmoke reports
The A36’s with A12 and the A30’s were inside the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve when we neared the western Reserve boundary but as we watched a male orca was making his way back to the west and it looked as though a female was as well. We watched from the distance of the boundary and sailed with our main sail hoisted and while trailing the hydrophone we listened to their A-Clan calls. The male orca when outside of the western boundary began moving across Johnstone Strait and was identified as A38 while the single female orca who had been sighted earlier was not alone and was identified as A54 with her three calves and they were foraging steadily along the Vancouver Island shoreline, westbound as well. A39 was sighted a distance out from the shore, A50 and her calves were further behind while the A36’s and A12 were further across on the West Cracroft Island side of Johnstone Strait.The viewing was wonderful and as we watched, the calves were playful and interacting together. With the hydrophone deployed again, ecolocation could be heard and their A-Clan calls were clearly audible and wonderful to listen to.