CWR logs first encounter with K47

EncSummary: Mark and George were getting ready to leave Victoria Harbour on Mike 1, planning to survey the Juan de Fuca and follow up on an earlier report of westbound killer whales near Sooke, when Mark received word of a group of 10 -12 killer whales heading down San Juan Island’s western shore, near Eagle Point. Although there had been a lot of Bigg’s around in the last few days, Mark felt it may be K pod. Perhaps this was wishful thinking, as he had hoped the Center would have its first encounter with the whales since the newest addition to the Clan, K47.

With moderate southeast winds brewing near the San Juans, the guys decided to begin southwest, toward Race Rocks, to take advantage of the near-perfect sea conditions there…unless the group seen off of San Juan Island were confirmed to be K pod! One of the commercial whale-watch vessels out of Friday Harbor soon confirmed that it was indeed K pod, so Mike 1 took a hard turn to port east of Race Passage and headed east towards Salmon Bank, where the residents were reported to be spread out moving southward for Admiralty Inlet.

The seas were starting to build as Mike 1 approached Hein Bank, but it looked like they would have a short window of working conditions, as the wind hadn’t filled in yet to where the whales were. Mark was hopeful that the whales would turn to the west and better sea conditions. As luck had it, the first whale they came across was K20, heading quickly southwest! They could see the rest of the pod spread out to the northwest of her, taking a line similar to K20, aiming for Hein Bank. The four-year-old K45 was close to her mom and also moving swiftly southwest. 22-year-old bull K37 was the next one photographed, and he was followed closely by K27. Mark and George spotted a few other spread-out single animals to the north of them, before Mark spotted a couple up ahead of this southwest charge; sure enough, it was who they were looking for: K36 with the new little K47 tucked alongside! K27 and K45 had caught up to join them at the same time, Mike 1 got alongside to get photos. This foursome continued moving swiftly southwest before K36 started foraging approximately four nautical miles southwest of Hein Bank. She had both the new calf and K20’s four-year-old daughter, K45, with her while she foraged. A short while later, K47 was photographed traveling in echelon with K43, so more encounters will be needed to confirm which female is K47’s mother. Once they were able to get a few decent left and right side shots of K47, they finished the encounter with proof of presence shots of K14, K35, and K42, who were slightly west of the group as they slowly departed the area, the pod now appearing to be trending south.