CWR encounter #58 • Bigg’s Killer Whales

EncSummary: After promptly departing the T109As and T100s, we set off for San Juan Channel in hopes of checking up on T65B2, who had been stranded the day prior. As we came down San Juan Channel, we started seeing fins off of Turn Rock, starting the encounter at 15:37 and launching the drone. The T65Bs cut across San Juan Channel to the Shaw Island shoreline before continuing up the channel. We continued up the Shaw Island shoreline with the slow-moving T65Bs, heading in for an ID pass to document T65B2’s condition. T65B2 and T65B3 were the first ones to surface, followed by T65B1 a bit ahead of them. After a few surfacings with the kids, T65B surfaced about 100 yards ahead, stalling out as her kids caught up. T65B made a westerly turn and surfaced off our stern, and her kids followed suit. On their next surfacing sequence, the T65Bs were off the San Juan Island shoreline, now heading up the channel on the San Juan side. The T65Bs began doing longer down times as they continued north, and after completing another drone flight with them, we ended the encounter at 17:05, 2 miles north of Point Caution. From a side view, T65B2 looked to be hunching his back and a bit stiff while surfacing, but from the drone, nothing appeared to be too out of the ordinary. Underwater, T65B2 was socializing with his family and matching their longer down times.