Tag Talk

Photo: T14 "Pender" taken by Adam U aboard the Sea Lion this June.

We had an interesting encounter today with the T18s, not only because of their behavior, but because we could catch a glimpse of a research vessel in action as well.

We saw the T18s in Rosario just outside of Thatcher Pass. The research vessel Phocoena was on scene and had just put a tag on T19B. From chatter on the radio, it seemed the animal was darted in the middle of his fin and the device will stay on a few days and record his pattern of travel over time. It would be interesting to see what the Ts' travel patterns are. Although in the short term, they seem to be erratic, they may have a "pattern" over time. (Like T14 who seems to circumnavigate Vancouver Island.)

The animals moved from Thatcher Pass up Rosario and then back through Peavine Pass and we left them in Upright Channel. It was difficult to predict their movements today because they were making long dives and swimming in no particular direction. They would dive going one way and surface somewhere completely different! Typical Transients! The data the research vessel collects should make an interesting picture... probably like a two year old's nonsensical scribbling.

Despite their inconvenient dives, we had a spectacular trip and really got to see the typical movement of Transients.

Megan Young, Naturalist