CWR logs another Biggs encounter

EncSummary: The T90s had been making the rounds in the central Saish Sea for the past week or so, and they were reported again this morning near Cattle Pass. Hoping for some good drone opportunities, the team headed down to Snug Harbor and left on “KCB3” at 1240. After a quick stop at Roche Harbor to top off the fuel, we headed down the west side of SJI and got on scene just outside of Cattle Pass at 1350.

The T90s were still pointed north into Cattle Pass but were “on a treadmill” as they made no headway facing an ebbing tide. We got the drone up for the first of a couple of flights. Around 1400, the T90s moved over to Whale Rocks, and T90C and T90D made a quick swoop in before being met by a wall of Steller sea lions. The T90s passed close to the upset sea lions but did not risk a confrontation with so many of them around. The T90s then left the rocks and began making progress north up Cattle Pass and into Griffin Bay. The whales took a brief left north of Harbor Rock but then continued north up the mouth of Griffin Bay. Towards the north end of Griffin Bay, the group split up with T90B and T90C traveling tight together about a quarter mile to the west of the other two. T90C soon moved back east, closer to the others, while T90B traveled north by himself towards Pear Point. We had a close right-side pass on T90B, but he would not arch for us. We then moved almost a half mile east over to the other three, who were traveling loosely together. We got some nice lefts on them before heading back over for one last look at T90B. He was being mellow as we tried to get a left side ID on him, but once again, he would not arch for us. We ended the encounter at 1535 about a mile east of Turn Island with T90B moving closer to the other three.