We just had a group of transients quietly head North in Blackney Pass!
Marie & Leah
31 Mar 2011 10:35:09 PST
The transients that went by the lab yesterday were T023, T023C, T023D T023C3, T068, T068A, T123, T123A, T123B. Thanks to DFO Pacific Biological Station for the ID's.
Marie & Leah
01 Apr 2011 18:42:50 PST
19 April 2011,
4-19-11 on the Western Prince at about 1:30 pm we encountered many transient orcas attacking a Steller sea lion just south of Patos Island lighthouse. T36 and a couple juveniles were off, while others were in the fray just a few hundred yards to west.
The whales identified were members of the T36s, T99s, T65As, and T123s. The largest male, among all of these whales, was a sprouter T123A. It appeared to be a training session with groups taking turns attacking the sea lion. When we left the scene the Steller sea lion was still alive. About two miles away and approaching the general area of the whales and the sea lion, were more whales. Identified in this group were T101, T101A, T101B and T102.
April 20, 2011
Transients everywhere today (4/20)!! We saw our first whales just north of Sand Heads in the Strait of Georgia. 4 whales, I was able to ID T123 and T123A who is sprouting now and his dorsal fin is getting huge! We left that group and started heading home when we saw splashing in the the distance and as we got closer we could see breaching, tail slaps, spy hops so we were convinced it was residents but as we approached, we realized after seeing T87 that it was a large, active group of T's! (between 12-15). T87 seemed to have the top of his dorsal fin either missing or flopped over, I couldn't really tell but here is a picture of him and another of sprouting T123A.
Cheers,
Gary Sutton, Wild Whales Vancouver
Photo by Gary Sutton, Wild Whales Vancouver
April 23, 2011
A group of transient orcas was located at around noon today (4/23) in Georgia Strait, in the middle, west of Deltaport. The group consisted of the T36A's, T123's, and T137's. Initially, they were doing the typical transient travel - 5 minutes underwater, followed by about 5 breaths, and repeat. As the group traveled northwest, they came upon a California sea lion. The attack was immediate, with the females and even the juveniles getting in on the act. While the moms were doing all the work, T123A breached 3 times some distance away from the sea lion, then proceeded to perform tail waves. As it turned out, his anticipation of a warm lunch was not to be, as the sneaky sea lion managed to get away. The whales passed by the area where the sea lion had last been, but after a short time, they turned away and continued to the northwest. T123A and T137A were very chummy, swimming seperately from the mom & kids group, and doing alot of rolling around together. It was a perfect day on the water - almost flat calm, clear skies and the mountains of the North Shore and Howe Sound as a picturesque backdrop. Happy passengers, happy crew and one relieved sea lion.
Joan Lopez, Naturalist, Vancouver Whale Watch
April 23, 2011
April 23rd we saw T123A again traveling with T137A along the Galiano Island shoreline (see phot below). They were very active with breaches, tail slaps and the classic belly to belly activity. There were a few other T's in the area too.
Gary Sutton, Wild Whales Vancouver
Transients off Galiano Island, B.C. April 23, 2011
Photo by Gary Sutton, Wild Whales Vancouver
June 20
Out with Aboriginal Journeys watching Transient orcas T-123/T-123A/T-123B off of Cape Mudge, Campbell River. Zig-zag foraging in the flat calm waters of the Salish Sea!Nick Templeman
