MAIACETUS: tully

JULY 31, 2009 Day 8 CCGS Tully cruise: Homeward bound!

Today was a sad day for those of us who were going home. We pulled into Port Hardy around 0630, finished packing, had breakfast and then were taken to shore by the FRC. I realized that I usually take many photos of wildlife and sunsets but none of the people and where I live during these adventures so I snapped a few more photos before getting off the ship. As well, one of our crew, Bruce, took a group photo of most of us before we all dispersed.

Thank you to all those who were more experienced with life on the Tully...and to the coast guard crew who safely took us to and around the marine animals we saw on this cruise. It was a great week and I'll never forget my first Tully cruise!

The hall leading to our cabins

The officers lounge...where we would relax reading books and watching movies

Most of the scientific crew who were on the Tully for the past week

Jared posing in his great shirt!

and...the shirt

Above 2 photos: stopping in Sayward on the way home

The dock shop in Sayward...a perfect backpack for marine mammal enthusiasts!

JULY 30, 2009 Day 7 CCGS Tully cruise: Even more killer whales including some elusive Transients!

I went on watch at 0700 this morning and luckily for me I spotted our second group of Transient 'mammal eating' killer whales (Orcinus orca)! The FRC was promptly launched for encounter #12. The group of six transients included T139, T140, T140B, T141, T141A and a new calf (Transient ID catalogue) and their behaviour indicated that they were hunting around Gosling Rocks. Those of us who remained on the ship used the ship's Big Eyes to track and observe the group; they were swimming and taillobbing right in the kelp bed surrounding the rocks. It was a difficult group for the FRC crew to track through all the rocky islets and the whale's unpredictable dive patterns and our tracking from the ship was important to inform the FRC crew where the whales were. At one point we nearly lost the group showing how difficult it can be to track six killer whales!

The encounter ended at 1130 and the ship headed south through Hakai Pass to make its way towards Port Hardy at the north end of Vancouver Island where we are due back tomorrow morning. Amazingly, at 1800 another group of killer whales was spotted to the west of Egg Island and both FRCs were launched for encounter #13 with the groups of ~68 Northern 'Resident' fish eating killer whales! The encounter ended at 2100 and the two crews came back to inform us that they had photo-ID'd the B, G (except G17s), A34 and I33 groups of the Northern Resident community. That means that we had a total of 168 different Northern Resident killer whales and 7 different Transient killer whales over the past week...a record for these Tully cruises!

Above 2 photos: members of the T139 group of Transient 'mammal eating' killer whales

Launching the FRC for encounter #12!

And launching again to photo ID the ~68 Northern Resident 'fish eating' killer whales

Encounter #13!

Above photos: the amazing sunset on our last night at sea

JULY 29, 2009 Day 6 CCGS Tully cruise: Record for number of killer whale encounters on a week long cruise!

The killer whale (Orcinus orca) sightings started even earlier this morning with the first group sighted at 0603 in the morning! The I12s and I15s, Northern 'Resident' fish eating killer whales (catalogue), were still in the area since yesterday and John and Jared went out to get some more photo ID shots for this years catalogue. More Northern Residents were spotted at 1430, the I35s at Goose Island, and then R17s, R5s and R22s were spotted at Queen Sound at 1624!

We've now reached the record for the most killer whale encounters in a week long survey: the killer whale count for this survey so far is 98 different individuals, including the single male Transient 'mammal' eating killer whale T162, who was spotted on the first day of survey!

Looking up to the bridge from the bow of the Tully

Murray, the captain, pearing out at us from the bridge

Breach!

Heading out to do photo-ID

The FRC crew on the way to start their encounter

John and Jared

Above 5 photos: Humpback whales at Blenim Island

JULY 28, 2009 Day 5 CCGS Tully cruise: yet more Northern Resident killer whale groups!

The whale sightings started at 0730 this morning with groups of Northern 'Resident' fish eating killer whales (Orcinus orca) spotted in Rennison Channel between the north end of Aristazabal and Rennison Islands. Then we received another report of killer whales at 0900, which ended up being the A24s and I11s that we saw yesterday, at Campania Island which lies north of Aristazabal Island (area map). Over the course of the day we ended up seeing the I12s, I15s, W3s and I35s (Northern Resident catalogue).

In the evening I was lucky enough to head out with the FRC crew to do photo ID on the I15s, W3s and I12s and we even saw I51 with her new calf. I learned today that the Northern Resident calves often have a speckled look that I have never seen on the Southern Resident killer whale calves. It was quite an interesting day with lots of killer whales!

James, the whale spotter at a camp for Cetacea Lab on Rennison Island...he gave us lots of useful info about whale sightings and calls he heard on their hydrophone