5-27-17 Ts Last Monday and Swiftsure Race Today

Ts encounter from May 22nd.

Ts (aka Bigg's) killer whales were seen coming up from the open water area of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and into Haro Strait...they kept on coming up...and they even passed by the lighthouse relatively close to shore and at one point even closer than anyone knew about!
...two of the first group of five - some of the T124As...

...evidently the rest of the T124As - T124A2 (T124As' second offspring), T124A2-A, and T124A2-B had been traveling behind by about a mile as they came up the west side...

...with the T124A2s was T87...T87 was closer to shore and as they were approaching the lighthouse the T124A2s began to move in toward T87...yes, everyone on shore was waiting...waiting for them to surface close...but they had a different idea...

...their down time was about 5 minutes and when they surfaced again they were inside of the cove just up island from the lighthouse...yep, from the angle of where they dove and where they surfaced they had been close to shore, but little did we know :)

...notice T87's dorsal fin tip...how it bends...back in 2010 it stood straight by the following year it began to lean.  Now it hooks even more.

..there have been some Ts in the area, minke whales, and humpbacks too...but no Southern Residents seen since they departed on May 13th...
...they'll be back...when is always the question...

...today there is a sailboat race - it's called the Swiftsure Race and it starts off Victoria, BC, out to Swiftsure Bank and back in tomorrow.
The race just started and there are over 200 boats, I was told.  oops!  there goes another cannon shot...another race group is on their way! (will post more on this)
There isn't a lick of wind out there...smooth sailing and with no wind, calm seas, and plenty of sunshine I hope they all have the binos out and are looking for an influx of wild Chinook salmon (I can hope) and for the Southern Residents!  I know a few of the folks who are racing today...good luck, have fun, and find the salmon and the Rezzies please!!