T36a
T68C and T68C2
Encounter 58 was conducted by Ken Balcomb with transient killer whales spread out near the Victoria waterfront on 10 December 2009. The high points of this encounter were: photo-documentation of a young "white" killer whale that Ken considers another case of Chidiak-Higashi Syndrome that has appeared episodically in transient killer whales of this region; and, photo-documentation of the condition of a satellite tag applied to T36A on 20 September 2009. For more information about Chidiak-Higashi syndrome in killer whales see http://www.rockisland.com; and, for more information about satellite tagging killer whales see http://www.cascadiaresearch.org. T36A has apparently gone out the Strait of Juan de Fuca and is headed along the coast toward California.
Dec. 10
After a preliminary viewing of Ken (Balcomb's) and my transient shots from December 10 it seems as though the inshore group contained T036A, T036A1, T137, and T137A. The group offshore which had the grey orca (most likely Chediak- Higashi Syndrome) contained T068, and T068A. Will wait to get confirmation from G. Ellis and J.Towers of P.B.S and D.Ellifrit of C.W.R. to confirm if it belongs to T068C and rest of ID's.
Mark Malleson, Victoria B.C.
This is the same pod that has been in Admiralty Inlet today - will share any further info. and confirmation on IDs as we get them -
Dec. 10
I always call Ron Bates when heading out on a trip, like today. We were headed off to see Speiden Island, since the earlier sightings of Residents going north had turned into Residents going south near Whidbey. Ron didn't have any news, but called back in a few minutes to let me know that some Transient orcas had been sighted off the Victoria waterfront. Off we zoomed. I called Goldwing on the VHF as we got close, about 5 miles south of Trial Island, (3:15 today) and were told that one of the Orcas had a gray dorsal fin. Gray fin? It was the whole Orca that was gray and white, not just the fin. It's a calf and one of the T11s. In over twenty years of viewing Orcas in this area, I've never seen a gray Orca. I was flabbergasted! Here are some pictures of the calf. (All of the pictures have been cropped.) I think Ken Balcomb also got some shots.
