A30s A4s and A5s travel together

Distant calls audible.

Distant now but great sounds from the whales when they once again went back to the beaches. Starting at 1:43am, after they had passed Critical Point, were the first distant calls heard on the rubbing beach system. Ten minutes later, they were rubbing and they stayed there for over half an hour. Their calls are once again distant after moving off and away.
Helena
11 Aug 2009 02:44:53 PDT

Distant calls audible.

After departing (to the east) around 3am we are once again hearing distant A5 calls off the east end of the Reserve.
Helena
11 Aug 2009 08:09:46 PDT

Multiple pod calls audible.

The A23s with the A50s, A30 and A38, with the A8s following, went past the Cliff to the west. When they arrived at the Pig Ranch (east of the Sophias on Cracroft Island), they turned and "bee lined" straight over to the Ecological Reserve. All the groups are in the Reserve now. Thanks to Marie on the Cliff for the update.
Helena
11 Aug 2009 11:54:53 PDT

Orcas rubbing on the shore bottom.

Whales (A5s) just now entering the Rubbing Beaches.
Helena
11 Aug 2009 12:21:01 PDT

Orcas near mics.

At 12;40pm the whales turned west while near the Rubbing Beaches. From there, they travelled west past Critical Point and by 2:30pm they were off Kaikash Creek. The A24s with A73 had been spotted earlier along vancouver Island. They have been very quiet for the last day or so and we thought we might have lost track of them completely. It was good to get the report from the Naiad Explorer. The A24s ended up going the furthest west (again), this time right to Beaver Cove. They were also the last to turn back east. The main turn happened at 3:43pm but the A24s didn't start back until around 4:35pm. Right now, the A30s and A5s are spread out off CP foraging, perhaps by shifting eastward.
Helena
11 Aug 2009 18:04:45 PDT

Distant calls audible.

The A30s and A5s have shifted their scene over to Vancouver Island where they are continuing eastward. The A24s were reported on that side earlier.
Helena
11 Aug 2009 19:09:01 PDT

Superb sounds!!

What can one say? A30s, A24s and A5s have found the Bight once again.
Helena
11 Aug 2009 21:21:44 PDT

Distant calls audible.

The A30s and A5s have shifted their scene over to Vancouver Island where they are continuing eastward. The A24s were reported on that side earlier.
Helena
11 Aug 2009 21:46:32 PDT

Distant calls audible.

Still calls on the Critical system but now A5 calls also on the Rubbing Beach system getting louder as the whales shift to the east.
Helena
11 Aug 2009 21:48:04 PDT

Seasmoke reports
It was at the Pig Ranch that the orcas were sighted, the same pods as yesterday and they were travelling slowly towards the west when they turned suddenly and began moving towards the Vancouver Island shore and the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve. Within minutes, most of the orcas were inside the boundary, some were foraging, others were making their way directly to the rubbing beaches. On our afternoon tour we found the leading pod of orcas, the A24’s west of Kaikash Beach, they were travelling fast along the Vancouver Island shoreline but turning back often to forage. Meanwhile, the other pods, the A30’s and the A5’s (A8’s, A25’s and A23’s) had crossed over to the Hanson Island shore and had made it as far west as Big Bay before turning back; they were observed to be foraging and resting. When they turned back they were in resting lines and began heading across the Strait towards the VI shore. It was beautiful viewing and mesmerizing to watch. At this point we turned back and it was up near Bauza Islets that we again sighted the A24’s, they had been foraging in Beaver Cove and had made their turn back to the east some 40 + minutes after the other pods had turned.