A4s A5s and A30s travel together

Distant calls audible.

Yet another circle! Back eastward past Robson Bight once again.
Helena
15 Aug 2009 01:22:56 PDT

Distant calls audible.

We're hearing distant "A1" calls on the Critical Point hydrophone.
Helena
15 Aug 2009 08:10:12 PDT

Orcas rubbing on the shore bottom.

Off to the beach!
Helena
15 Aug 2009 09:29:59 PDT

Superb sounds!!

Despite the boat noise (it is busy out there), the sounds are great as the whales (A30 and A5 close and A4s distant) round the "corner" once again from the east!
Helena
15 Aug 2009 10:59:44 PDT

Distant calls audible.

This morning, at a fairly good clip, the A30s along with the A24s and the A5s, travelled quickly west. Except for the A8s, who had remained mid strait on the "run" to the beaches, the A30s, the rest of the A5s and the A24s were together. Then when off the Tsitika River Estuary, the A8s joined the others for the travel "up" (west) the Vancouver Island side. When the groups reached Kaikash Creek they crossed over toward CP. This was about 1:20pm. Frome there, the groups continued west along the Hanson Island shore.
Helena
15 Aug 2009 14:48:16 PDT

Orcas near mics.

This time the close A5 and A30 calls are close to CP as the groups move eastward. For most of the afternoon, the whales were west of CP but by 4:30pm they made their way back toward Blinkhorn and points east.
Helena
15 Aug 2009 17:45:25 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible.

It is quite remarkable that each night, for so long now, has followed such a similar pattern. A long swing to the west throughout the day, a long silent move toward the Bight in the afternoon and then a loud wake up in front of the Bight, a collective decision to go to the Beaches for a rub, then a shift back to the west afterward, only to return to the Beaches sometime during the night once again. This happened again today and the A30s, A24s and the A5s are now currently back west of Robson Bight again after an energetic rub. If the pattern holds tonight, this won't be the end of their east-west shuffle and the night might be long.
Helena
15 Aug 2009 23:34:06 PDT

Seasmoke reports
This morning the orcas were heading to the east inside the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve but as we travelled in their direction they turned back to the west. Our early sightings of them were from the Reserve Boundary but as they moved further to the west and were outside of the Reserve, we were able to view them more closely and identify them. They were travelling close along the Vancouver Island shoreline, the A23’s appeared in the lead close with the A25’s, the A24’s were behind them followed by the A30’s and back a distance behind them were the A8’s. Some foraging was observed when the pods slowed at Kaikash to feed, they had been travelling at a fast pace prior to this.