Saturday, November 25, 2006

25 November 2006, Orcalab reports:

Distant calls audible.

Around 7:43am we began to hear the A30s in the distance in Johnstone Strait. The Alaska ferry was coming west through the Strait at the same time. It has since cleared into Blackfish Sound after coming through Blackney. The whales are still calling.
Helena
25 Nov 2006 08:27:24 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

We now understand that the whales are west of Cracroft Point.
Helena
25 Nov 2006 09:48:50 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

The A30s continued west and around 2pm were heading toward Queen Charlotte Strait.
Helena
25 Nov 2006 14:46:10 PST

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

22 November 2006, Orcalab reports:

No orcas present.

Eary this morning the A30s headed east past Robson Bight. The last calls were around 3am.
Helena
22 Nov 2006 08:59:00 PST

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

21 November 2006, Orcalab reports

Boat noise

We began hearing the A30s in Johnstone Strait a short while ago, but now we're only hearing boat noise!
Helena
21 Nov 2006 23:30:21 PST

Monday, November 20, 2006

20 November 2006, Orcalab reports:

Distant calls audible.

A short while ago we began to hear the A30s in Blackfish Sound. The calls are very distant.
Helena
20 Nov 2006 10:39:52 PST

Distant calls audible.

There are now distant A1 calls in Johnstone Strait along with a lot of boat noise. The A30s may have used Weynton Pass to re-enter the Strait.
Helena
20 Nov 2006 12:34:26 PST

Orcas near mics.

The A30s are now off the entrance to Blackney Pass in Johnstone Strait.
Helena
20 Nov 2006 16:39:18 PST

No orcas present.

We believe the A30s travelled past Robson Bight to the east a short while ago.
helena
20 Nov 2006 23:04:17 PST

Saturday, November 18, 2006

18 November 2006, Orcalab reports:

Orcas near mics.

It sounds like the A30s have returned to Johnstone Strait with the I31s. They are presently getting close to Robson Bight & are calling frequently. Boat noise is persistent in the background of an otherwise lovely recording.
Helena
18 Nov 2006 00:54:55 PST

No orcas present.

In addition to the I31s and the A30s in Johnstone Strait early this morning, there was also a vocal humpback (maybe even two) somewhere between Cracroft Point and Robson Bight.
Helena
18 Nov 2006 17:02:29 PST

Thursday, November 16, 2006

16 November 2006, Orcalab reports:

Superb sounds!!

The A36s, followed by the other A1s, headed north through Blackney Pass just before & just after daylight, and are presently in Blackfish Sound. We're listening to their lovely calls without boat noise, and are sorry not to be able to share them with you, as our connection is still down.
Helena
16 Nov 2006 08:54:18 PST

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

15 November 2006, Orcalab reports:

No orcas present.

We have re-established our connection. let us know how it sounds. The A30s were in Johnstone Strait earlier today. They were ever so briefly vocal around 10am and sounded as if they were not too far off Robson Bight. There are also dolphins around, first in Blackfish Sound last night and then into Johnstone Strait. The heavy rain & southeast winds are over. it is now blowing hard from the northwest.
Helena
15 Nov 2006 15:40:48 PST

Superb sounds!!

Hey it is an A1 day! The A30s,A12s and the A36s (vocal at the moment) have travelled south through Blackney Pass on their way to Johnstone Strait. They look like they might be excited by the prospect! We are.
Helena
15 Nov 2006 16:28:14 PST

Orcas near mics.

The A30s, A12s, and A36s are in Johnstone Strait now.
Helena
15 Nov 2006 17:09:50 PST

Performing maintenance

Unfortunately, we lost our connection again earlier this evening, while we were enjoying listening to all the A1 matrilines being together. This time, the problem is beyond our control, but we're hoping to be "up" again tomorrow. Please excuse the inconvenience.
Paul & Helena
15 Nov 2006 23:11:00 PST

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

14 November 2006, Orcalab reports:

No calls but orcas nearby

We've been listening to occasional A1 calls in western Johnstone Strait since late this afternoon, probably from the A30s. They've been silent for the past hour, so we're not sure where they are at the moment. We are waiting.
Helena
14 Nov 2006 19:57:27 PST

Monday, November 13, 2006

13 November 2006: Orcalab reports:

Orcas near mics.

The A30s continued eastward earlier and currently are off Robson Bight in Johnstone Strait.
Helena
13 Nov 2006 04:01:23 PST

Distant calls audible.

After commenting on the lack of consistent calls when single groups are around the A30s have done well by calling throughout the night while moving around Johnstone Strait.
Helena
13 Nov 2006 08:31:39 PST

Distant calls audible.

The A30s are travelling north through Blackney Pass on their way after their chatty night to Blackfish Sound.
Helena
13 Nov 2006 10:56:20 PST

Orcas relaxing.

The whales (probably A30s) have made it back into the Strait. We're listening to their "resting calls" on the Critical Point hydrophone.
Helena
13 Nov 2006 21:27:05 PST

Sunday, November 12, 2006

12 November 2006, Orcalab reports:

Orcas near mics.

The A30s are off the entrance to Blackney Pass and may be headed into Blackney from Johnstone Strait.
Helena
12 Nov 2006 21:51:55 PST

Boat noise

The slack tide to an ebb brought a lot of traffic past & through the entrance to Blackney Pass. The A30s are still in the Strait.
Helena
12 Nov 2006 23:02:13 PST

Saturday, November 11, 2006

11 November Orcalab reports:

No calls but orcas nearby

The A30s have headed east past Robson Bight. When first heard this morning they were east of Cracroft Point already.
Helena
11 Nov 2006 07:48:15 PST

Distant calls audible.

Hmmm... The last comment needs revision. The A30s are still west of Robson Bight perhaps closer to Cracroft Point. The tide will ebb at 9:18 am PST and this may be influencing their direction.
Helena
11 Nov 2006 08:26:54 PST

Distant calls audible.

The A30s have been off the entrance to Blackney Pass for the last while.
Helena
11 Nov 2006 09:58:48 PST

No calls but orcas nearby

We just heard from the MacKays that there are about a dozen whales in Beaver Cove foraging. So this means that besides the A30s, who were east of Beaver Cove until recently, there are other groups in the Strait as well. Exciting!
Helena
11 Nov 2006 10:59:21 PST

Distant calls audible.

We started to record at 4:15pm soon after the first clear A30 call in Johnstone Strait. The A30s are now on both the Critical Point and Cracroft systems, perhaps heading east. We also had another two reports about other orcas. At noon, a group was seen heading west past Ledge Point near Port McNeill. Also, a lone male was seen at the top end of Blackfish Sound just before noon. Tempting to think that these whales were transients.
Helena
11 Nov 2006 17:18:20 PST

Distant calls audible.

Tracking a single group is probably harder than doing 10 because of the long gaps between bursts. Keeps us on our toes but also scratching our heads from time to time. The A30s are still being heard on Critical Point and CP. They may be east of CP now but they seemed very spread out with independent calls on both these stations.
Helena
11 Nov 2006 19:10:09 PST

Friday, November 10, 2006

10 November 2006, Orcalab reports:

Boat noise

We began hearing "A1" calls a short while ago, and think at least the A30s are off the entrance of Blackney Pass. Boat noise is now dominating.
Helena
10 Nov 2006 22:06:30 PST

Distant calls audible.

The boat noise has gone & we've resumed listening to the A30s & possibly other A1s in Johnstone Strait off the entrance to Blackney Pass. The calls sound loudest on the Parson Island hydrophone, but are also on the Cracroft Point & Critical Point hydrophones.
Helena
10 Nov 2006 23:41:15 PST

Saturday, November 04, 2006

04 November 2006, Orcalab reports:

No orcas present.

Yesterday the A12s and the A30s came back into Johnstone Strait via Weynton Pass and headed east from there. Today has been uneventful.
Helena
04 Nov 2006 20:41:50 PST

Friday, November 03, 2006

03 November 2006, Orcalab reports:

No calls but orcas nearby

We still have our broadcast problems but for the last several hours we have been listening to the A12s and the A30s at the western end of Blackfish Sound. The calls have stopped and we are not sure where the whales ended up.
Helena
03 Nov 2006 13:33:54 PST

Thursday, November 02, 2006

02 November 2006, Orcalab reports:

No orcas present.

Around 8pm last night the A30s turned up in Blackfish Sound and travelled south through Blackney Pass to Johnstone Strait. Once through the Pass they met up with the A12s who may have returned to the Strait via Weynton Pass. It was an energetic meeting. But as if an echo of October 28th both groups just vanished off our radar. Finally, just before 3am we heard A1 calls once again in the Strait. The calls didn't last long and it has been quiet since. Stormy day today.
Helena
02 Nov 2006 08:13:42 PST

Orcas near mics.

Of course, as soon as we posted the no calls sign, the whales turned up off of Robson Bight. Both the A12s and the A30s are likely westbound in Johnstone Strait. There is also loud boat noise.
Helena
02 Nov 2006 08:28:15 PST

Orcas near mics.

The A12s and the A30s came west to the entrance of Blackney Pass. Two hours before the slack to ebb tide they began their entrance into the Pass & into view. With the A12s in the lead the whales have slowly made their way towards Blackfish Sound. The A30s are now opposite the Lab mid channel while the A12s are most likely already in Blackfish Sound. Good calls from both groups. Very sorry we are still unable to broadcast sound.
Helena
02 Nov 2006 12:50:30 PST