T046Bs, T075Bs, and T065Bs KELȽOLEMEĆEN

June 18, 2025

Members of T046B2 and T046B2B

Matriarch T046B

Members of T046B2 and T046B2B

T065Bs

June 18th, our team set out to conduct BRUVS surveys in Tumbo Channel. On our transit, we encountered a vessel motoring through the Pender Vessel Restricted Zone. We documented this vessel and came alongside it to notify them of their position in a no go zone. They were already aware of the zone and told us they’d move offshore. Encounters like these happen too often, purposeful non-compliance because there is no action from the government of Canada to enforce the management measures they have put in place, and no authority given to First Nations who are on the water and in a position to do enforcement. We encountered another vessel cutting the corner of the Pender VRZ as we were ending our day. Likely there were many more infractions while we were elsewhere.

After speaking to the unlawful vessel in the Pender VRZ, we continued towards Tumbo Channel. On our route, we saw a group of killer whales across Boundary Pass with whale watching. We approached the group and monitored Marine Mammal Regulation compliance from afar. These whales were ID’d as the T065Bs and T075Bs. This group had vessels watching them for hours, before and after we were with them. After an hour of monitoring compliance, we saw 5 vessels watching these whales. When only one vessel was left, we departed to another group of whales that was subjected to 5+ vessels watching. Upon arriving, we noticed straitwatch already on scene monitoring compliance. We took photos of the whales for ID, who we determined were the T046Bs, and then left as straitwatch was already present, and we wanted to reduce noise acoustic disturbance to this group.

The BRUVS sampling will have to wait for tomorrow!

All photos are taken with a 200-600 zoom lens.