Biggs encounter logged by Center for Whale Research

EncSummary: Mark and Joe departed Victoria early in the day to complete a survey of the central Juan de Fuca Strait. The weather was ideal, and they made it as far as Sombrio Point before turning back to the east. Wandering male T049C had been spotted by a commercial whale-watch vessel just southwest of Constance Bank late in the morning, but a strong ebb current and fast travel through the water had brought him well into range of Mike 1’s survey area, so the team stopped to document his movements south of Sheringham Point.
The solo bull was maintaining an impressive 8-knot travel pace, into a building westerly swell. At one point, flanked by an overtaking container ship and an outbound tug and tow struggling to keep pace with him, he seemed set on his path for the west entrance of the strait. T049C is not uncommonly seen exhibiting this sort of “patrol” behaviour when he visits the Juan de Fuca, often seen returning just days after departing with pace.
The team shadowed him for a while, hoping to observe some predation or even a meeting with another group to explain his effort, but none was seen. They ended the encounter northeast of Clallam Bay and departed for Victoria.
Interestingly, T049C was most recently documented in the Salish Sea in the company of T049A1 as they shadowed a group of females and juveniles up Haro Strait, and on this day, T049A1 would eventually be reported westbound from Constance Bank himself, just 4-5 hours behind T049C and taking a slightly more northerly route on his departure from the inside waters.