Monday, September 16, 2013

9/15-16/13 Color Coordinating the Whales

Sunday, Monday, September 15/16th

...it's getting confusing...all mixed up and in the fog...now to just see them before they all get back together again...you see, I believe they have split into at least two groups...
here's a recap:
#1...the group that went up through Active Pass on the 12th were Granny's Group minus the J16s = Group A- (9); all the K pod whales except the K Klik (16); a mix of L pod whales, Onyx L87, who travels with Group A all the time, Crewser L92 and his aunt Ballena L90, and the L37s or at least three of the L37s - Lulu L53, and Racer L72 and Fluke L105 (6)...that's a total of 31 whales...they stayed at the Fraser River for two nights and came down during a foggy day on 9-14 (see prior post)...
#2...the whales we had passed at Turn Pt. on that same day (9/12) were the J16s (4); Group B (13); K Klik (3)...they showed up the next day in the fog at Granny's Cove (see prior post) and they were with the L12s - proof of presence images of some of them...they have not been seen since 9-12...
#3...behind the group described in #2 were, I believe, the L4s and the L21s, these two family groups are usually seen with L92, L90, and the L37s...but I don't know where they went...they were last seen heading up Haro Strait several miles behind those in #2...
#4 - the L12s most likely stayed to the south as they often do...
Sunday
...whales coming up island in the early afternoon...the only whales I saw, as they passed Lime Kiln lighthouse, were some of the whales mentioned in #1...now that really had me curious...there were others way to far from shore, so I still don't know...but there just didn't seem to be an additional 14 whales...I will probably never know...

Monday
...another stay at home day to try to get rid of this cold...all of a sudden in the mid-afternoon I start hearing L pod calls on the Lime Kiln Hydrophones...
now which L pod whales might they be those in #2 or #3...I just had to find out...the calls were faint so I figured they were coming across and not at the park...it took a while but I found them...Capt. Jim had a trip and was heading that way and was taking pics...the whales were quite a distance for my camera...Mike J-26 was one...and the rest of his family, his mom, J16 and his two sisters, J36 and J42...but those were J pod whales and not L pod whales as I had heard on the hydrophones...I went down island a bit...thanks Denise! they were right in front of your place, well Mystery L85 was!  ah-ha, so I would surmise that the L12s were present too...
...when I got home I reviewed the recording, and on it sounded like a few K pod calls, so maybe those three K Klik whales - Cappuccino K21, Opus K16, and Sonata K35 were with them...if so, that would explain their general whereabouts over the last few days...

...then the Capt. calls me to let me know that whales are coming down Boundary...and just maybe they will make it before dark...nope, not to be...as I am writing this as it is turning dark...and just now at 7:17 I am beginning to faintly hear them on the OS hydrophones...

...there may be one last chance tomorrow, that is, if the whales are still here tomorrow, then we can either confirm that the #3 whales are present with the rest or not at all...

...well, I know they did split into two groups...one to the north and the other either south or west...and they are now about to be back together...or so it seems...we may know tomorrow...or not!

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