15 October Orcalab reports:

Multiple pod calls audible.

We're listening to A & G clan calls on the Critical Point hydrophone. The orcas are probably mostly on the Cracroft Island side of the Strait, near Robson Bight. Sounds like the same groups as yesterday. They re-entered Johnstone Strait around midnight & have been making their way to the east since then.
Paul
15 Oct 2005 03:50:36 PDT

No orcas present.

(Maintenance complete) The A12's, A36's and the G's were vocal till about 6am and then headed farther east. We heard no calls since then.
Sven
15 Oct 2005 12:35:46 PDT

14 October Orcalab reports:

Distant calls audible.

We began to hear distant A1 and G clan calls on Flower Island hydrophone. Yesterday evening the whales remained at the top of Blackfish Sound for quite a while, so we'll see if they decide to come 'in' this time.
Sven
14 Oct 2005 01:20:39 PDT

No orcas present.

Obviously they G's and A1's decided not to come east this time. We heard no calls for more than one hour now.
Sven
14 Oct 2005 02:46:39 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible.

Just before 9am we once again heard the "gang" arrive within range of the Flower Island hydrophone. Once again they seemed to have stalled at the top end of Blackfish Sound no doubt enjoying hopefully a good feast of salmon. Yesterday Paul saw the largest group of finning chums he has ever seen. Finning is when the chum rise to the surface exposing their dorsal fin as they move along. It can be quite the sight. very often their heads poke up as well. So far we have heard both the A12s, A36s and the same G clan groups of the last several days. Still waiting to have a peek to confirm just who is out there. The offshores were last seen near Port Hardy. Graeme Ellis of DFO was up in the area and had the day & good conditions to get the ID photos. Very exciting.
Helena
14 Oct 2005 09:34:33 PDT

Distant calls audible.

We are not going to get our "peek". The whales decided to go into the Strait via Weynton Passage. We just started to pick up their calls way to the west of CP. Quite a miserable day out there - wind and rain.
Helena
14 Oct 2005 10:51:25 PDT

Superb sounds!!

We're listening to the A12s, A36s and several G's on the CP and Parson Island hydrophones. They're foraging in the entrance of Blackney Pass for quite a while already. The weather is rainy and windy again, so it's difficult to identify them.
Sven
14 Oct 2005 12:53:11 PDT

Superb sounds!!

The orcas (A12s, A36s, G18s, maybe others)have just travelled north through Blackney Pass & are heading west in Blackfish Sound. We're listening to them on the Flower Island hydrophone.
Paul
14 Oct 2005 15:01:34 PDT

No orcas present.

Good evening. It has been quiet for hours ever since the orcas headed off to the west. We had a wonderful surprise this afternoon just as the storm eased off . Many flocks of geese passed overhead. The Snow geese flew over Blackney Pass stark white against the dark green island shapes.
Helena
14 Oct 2005 21:48:06 PDT

13 October Orcalab reports:

Distant calls audible.

We've been listening to distant "G" & "A" clan calls on the Flower Island hydrophone for about half an hour. They sound like the same groups that were in Johnstone Strait yesterday afternoon.
Paul
13 Oct 2005 04:10:51 PDT

Boat noise

We began hearing distant calls, amidst boat noise, on the Critical Point hydrophone, about 45' ago, but are uncertain as to whether they were from resident or offshore orcas. After travelling rapidly to the east last evening, the offshores returned to the west, and were near Robson Bight around 1am. By 9am they were off Pearse Passage, near Alert Bay. They were still in that general area around 10:30am, when we heard calls that could have been from G clan or offshore orcas. Boat noise has been very persistent since then, and we've heard no more calls. We are waiting.
Paul
13 Oct 2005 11:24:21 PDT

Orcas near mics.

A short while ago we started to hear the A12s on Flower Island. Earlier this morning we must have been listening to the Offshores when they were stalled off Alert Bay. This is normally out of our range but every so often we experience extended coverage. The offshores are now off Port McNeill still west bound.
Helena
13 Oct 2005 13:43:11 PDT

Distant calls audible.

We're now hearing distant "A" & "G" calls on the Critical Point hydrophone, as well as continuing to hear the A12s on Flower Island. Sounds like at least some of the orcas that have been together over the last few days are back in Johnstone Strait, with the A12s nearby.
Paul
13 Oct 2005 14:43:38 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible.

We think everything shifted back to Blackfish Sound and the A12s. We are now listening to the several G groups in Blackfish and CP can no longer see any whales up near Blinkhorn. Most likely they moved back to Blackfish via Weynton. Maybe they were checking the Strait for those offshores! The tide is now ebbing.
Helena
13 Oct 2005 15:49:08 PDT

12 October Orcalab reports:

Orcas (may be) approaching cameras.

Good morning everyone! It's a cool, wet & windy morning here, with the A36s in front of CP, heading east. Channel A. We're also hearing G clan calls further away.
Paul
12 Oct 2005 09:13:43 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible.

The A36s sound like they went ahead toward Critical Point with the various G clan groups while this time the A12s followed behind. Currently we are listening to the A12s on CP and the others on Critical Point.
Helena
12 Oct 2005 10:44:20 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible.

Interesting that, although I thought I had selected the map highlight for the area including CP and Critical Point last time, only the CP area came up! Just after that the whales (the A36s and Gs) who had gone east of CP came back & joined up with the A12s off the entrance of Blackney Pass.
Helena
12 Oct 2005 11:58:30 PDT

Distant calls audible.

We're still hearing distant "A" & "G" calls on the Critical Point hydrophone, and think that the various groups that were foraging in the entrance of Blackney Pass earlier have moved off to the west. We're not sure about their exact location because it's raining too hard for CP to see. Boat noise is still very persistent in Johnstone Strait.
Paul
12 Oct 2005 15:24:42 PDT

Superb sounds!!

This is exciting! We had received reports around 3:30pm of a large group of whales moving through Pearse Passage (between Alert Bay and Pearse Islands) headed for the Strait. We had been listening to the A12s,A36s and various G groups all morning and when they headed off to the west we thought that they might be going to meet the incoming group. As the new group moved east in the Strait we started to understand that they were Offshores. The northern residents have been very quiet - listening too no doubt. The weather is very wet and quite dark. The boat noise is not making it very easy either.
Helena
12 Oct 2005 16:40:05 PDT

Superb sounds!!

The offshore calls are getting stronger as they move closer toward the Bight.
Helena
12 Oct 2005 18:30:04 PDT

11 October Orcalab reports:

10:32 PDT Distant calls audible.
just a short while ago we started to hear A1 and G calls on Critical Point. CP has seen one male mid strait off to the far west so most likely the whales came in via Weynton on the last of the flood and are making their way to the east.

10:55 PDT Distant calls audible.
We have heard the A36s along with the Gs. They are getting closer and are now in range of CP but still to the west.

12:34 PDT Distant calls audible.
The A36s and Gs have passed CP and are heading into the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve. They are traveling mid strait and along the Vancouver Island shore,we didn't get a clear look at the group this time and so we are not sure which Gs are present yet.

12:37 PDT Distant calls audible.
The Gs and the A36s have moved on closer to the Bight. They can still be heard even with the constant boat noise. They sound pretty relaxed & social. There are a lot of "quiet" calls with a few slightly more energetic bursts from time to time.

13:06 PDT Multiple pod calls audible.
It is beginning to sound like the A12s are there as well. Also there have been a few I31 type calls as well. Perhaps the same groups of the last week are again together in the Strait.

13:43 PDT Orcas near mics.
The groups have moved into the area near to Robson Bight.

14:27 PDT Orcas rubbing on the shore bottom.
Some of the orcas are rubbing.

15:28 PDT No calls but orcas nearby
It looks like the orcas have left the rubbing beaches and are returning to the west... possibly, we'll soon hear them again on the Critical Point hydrophone.

15:36 PDT Distant calls audible.
At least some of the orcas returning to the west have reached the area off Robson Bight. We're listening to them on the Critical Point hydrophone, along with a lot of boat noise.

16:13 PDT Superb sounds!!
Some of the orcas are closer to the Critical Point hydrophone now... we've heard the A36s & possibly G3s so far, along with another "G-G" group, and with others likely to come.

16:58 PDT Distant calls audible.
The whales after stalling near the Bight for a while may now be moving "up" the Strait to the west. We are hearing calls in the CP range.

17:19 PDT Orcas (may be) approaching cameras.
As they move westward, some of the orcas are coming within range of the surface camera at CP. Channel A.

18:46 PDT Orcas near mics.
The A36s are taking up the rear. They finally left the area off the Bight and are now approaching CP & the entrance to Blackney Pass area. We can still hear the others to the west of the A36s from time to time.

20:55 PDT Distant calls audible.
The distant A1 and G clan calls we're hearing are still on Critical Point. We just started to hear them on CP again after they disappeared there for about an hour. Sounds like they have turned on their way west and going east now with the flooding tide.

22:16 PDT Orcas near mics.
The A1's and G's went into Blackney Pass and we're now listening to them on the Local Left hydrophone as they're heading north.

07 October Orcalab reports:

Orcas near mics.
Good morning everyone! We're listening to A1 and G clan calls on the Critical Point hydrophone. It sounds like the A36s, A12s & at least part of the I31s (probably I46 & I80) are back in Robson Bight. We're not sure what route they took to get there, or if the "G-G" groups that have been with them lately are also there, but silent, or if they have separated. Nice way to start another rainy day!

08:42 PDT No calls but orcas nearby
We've heard no calls for over 2 hours, and think that the orcas we were listening to earlier were headed east past Robson Bight. They're probably not too far away, and though they could keep going, they might turn back to the west soon. We are waiting, and meanwhile enjoying what has turned out to be a lovely morning.

10:10 PDT Orcas (may be) approaching cameras.
It turned out that the orcas were headed east early this morning, and did turn around not too far away. They are now headed west, spread out across from Robson Bight, approaching the Sophias, and should be within sight of the CP camera soon. Channel A. We're hearing their calls on the Critical Point hydrophone. The large group sounds like it has the same members as it has over the last few days, i.e. A12s, A36s, I46+I80, G3s, G18s, though it's possible others are there too.

11:58 PDT Distant calls audible.
The orcas (A12s, A36s, I46+I80, G3s, G29s, not sure if the G18s are still with them) are now in Blackfish Sound, heading west, having passed quickly through Blackney Pass on the swiftly ebbing tide. We're listening to them in the distance on the Flower Island hydrophone.

06 October Orcalab reports:

09:29 PDT Superb sounds!!
Good morning everyone! We've been listening to the A36s in Blackfish Sound for the last couple of hours, and recently, to the A12s & Gs as well (probably the G3s & G18s). They all came back from the east last evening, and headed through Weynton Pass around midnight. Since then, they've been hanging out at or near the "top" of Blackfish Sound. Now, because the calls are getting closer to the Flower Island hydrophone, we think they may be heading back towards Johnstone Strait.

15:24 PDT No orcas present.
Rain, Rain & Rain. It is a wet one today! The ocean is calm and we were hoping that the whales would come down this way but there were just too many ebbing tide hours to go while they were off the top end of Blackfish Sound. Their collective sounds faded off our systems around 10:30am. At that point it wasn't clear if they were moving further into Weynton Passage or heading "out". It turned out that they were moving west into Queen Charlotte Strait. The Naiad Explorer saw the large group off Lizard Point later that morning. They have not yet returned on the flood. We are waiting.

05 October Orcalab reports:

11:18 PDT No orcas present.
Good morning! Other than the brief weird sounds at 5am (sealion close to hydrophone?) it was a quiet night. We lost track of the whales around 11pm when they were still vocal in the Strait. The tide was still ebbing at the time but due to turn withing an hour. So it is possible they went either direction with ease. The guess around here is split. It will be interesting to find out who guessed correctly. Any bets?

19:09 PDT Orcas near mics.
They are back! Clear A1 and G calls off Robson Bight. They sound like they are coming from the east.

20:48 PDT Orcas near mics.
It sounds like the whales have moved west up the Strait to the entrance of Blackney Pass. So far this evening we have heard both the A36s and the A12s along with the Gs of yesterday and the I31s (maybe still just I46 & I80).

21:51 PDT Distant calls audible.
They have kept to the Strait so far asnd we think they may have gone west past CP and the entrance to Blackney Pass. Still quite windy out but not as bad as last night.

04 October Orcalab reports:

14:25 PDT A "G-G" group of orcas, including the G18s, has just headed into Johnstone Strait via Blackney Pass & are in front of CP. Channel A.

16:22 PDT Superb sounds!!
After lots of foraging and playful behaviour all the groups for the time being at least have passed CP and are now going east.

17:31 PDT Superb sounds!!
The various groups of orcas are in or near Robson Bight... we're listening to them on the Critical Point hydrophone.

18:36 PDT Orcas rubbing on the shore bottom.
Some of the orcas have reached the rubbing beaches - Channel B.

19:10 PDT No calls but orcas nearby
The orcas have left the rubbing beaches and headed east. The sounds of pebbles moving that we're hearing are from waves crashing on shore at low tide, not from orcas rubbing. Apologies to those who logged on after we sent an alert, only to find the (brief) rub was over.