Whale Recearch trip

[Plincker]

Here are a few pics from a Cetecean Research Trip I just got back from. We left from Port Hardy on the Coast Guard Ship the John P. Tully. We searched from Ucluelet, West coast of the Charolettes, Juan Perez on the east coast of the Charolettes, across Hecate straight and down to Cape scott. We saw over 400 Ceteceans (whales) and saw a dozen different species. It was an amazing trip. Off Tasu Sound we had 6 Humpbacks check out the Tully and 2 of them stayed with us for over 2 hours. They where rubbing themselves on the hull and where being very curious of us. They would spy hop and sit right at the surface watching us. It was a very cool feeling being only 10 ft from such a large animal that wanted to be so close. We didn't follow them at all they just stayed with us.

The Killer Whales where off Tasu Sound on the West Coast of the Charolettes. The where a group of five California Transients.

http://s688.photobucket.com/albums/vv241/BCwheeler/?action=view&current=DSC_1391-1.jpg


http://s688.photobucket.com/albums/vv241/BCwheeler/?action=view&current=DSC_1364.jpg


Humpbacks.

http://s688.photobucket.com/albums/vv241/BCwheeler/?action=view&current=DSC_0191.jpg

http://s688.photobucket.com/albums/vv241/BCwheeler/?action=view&current=DSC_0404.jpg


I hope the pics work!

[Ddog]

sounds like a very cool trip, how long were you gone?
any pics of the boat?

[bowhunterbruce]

totally awsome pics,my father had a charter business out of gibson and was out one day when a pod desided to surround his boat for over an hr while he was trolling,another boat close by got video of it all including one that breached right in front of the boat with my lil sister sitting on the bowsprit,the insuing splsh totally soaked her and the look on her face was that of totally freaked out lol .again great pics
bruce

[tomahawk]

Nice pics..........

[Plincker]

I was gone for two weeks. The group of biologist I went with have the ship for another 4 weeks to do more research, IDs and biopsies. On the leg I was on we did ID of KW's, Biopsies and I guy was onboard doing water samples at various depths and plancton samples.

CCGS John P. Tully

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/abyss/mission/images/tully2.jpeg

[Fixit]

wow, awsome orca shots