CWR logs two encounters with J Pod

EncSummary: After receiving reports of what sounded like SRs heading south in Admiralty Inlet near Port Townsend, the team headed down to Edmonds marina and left in “KCB3” at 1000. We headed northwest from Edmonds and then up Admiralty Inlet past both Useless and Mutiny Bays on Whidbey Island before seeing our first whales. The encounter began at 1042 between Bush and Nodula Points.

J pod was very spread out in small groups and individuals that were all heading south in Admiralty Inlet at a pretty good clip. The whales’ speed made it difficult to get into position for dropping the hydrophone array but we headed for a group on the east side of mid-channel. The J19s got by us on the first hydrophone drop but the first group to pass us was J16, J26, and J42. There were some trailing whales on the western side of the channel and we positioned for those animals next. These whales ended up being a spread out J38 and J59 while behind them J49 traveled tightly with his mom, J37. J22 was loosely spread from them to their west. As J pod traveled down Admiralty Inlet, we set up for several more hydrophone drops and drone flights. We had pass bys from various whales at varying distances including the J19s, J31s, J35s, J36, J38, J39, and J44. We ended the encounter at 1515 as J pod spread out into the Possession triangle to forage.