Orca Encounters Blog

A Long-overdue Update

10/7/2018

Time for a long overdue update.

First, let me apologize for disappearing from this blog for over three months. I feel that I need to explain myself. In the beginning, I was slow to post because I was just busy and orca encounters kept piling up. But then events involving endangered southern resident orcas Tahlequah J35 and Scarlet J50 occurred and it has taken a long time to gather myself. I am sure many of you followed along with the news of these two orcas so I will just cover the basics.

Scarlet J50 was born in December 2014. Still nearly the size of a newborn calf, her body condition began deteriorating in June 2018. By August, she was skin and bones. It was at this time that NOAA, DFO, SR3, the Lummi Nation, SeaWorld, and others stepped in. Breath samples were collected from Scarlet and attempts were made to medicate her with darts and offerings of live salmon. Barely able to keep up with her family, preparations were made to capture her. She was declared deceased by the Center for Whale Research on September 13th after disappearing a few days prior.

While Scarlet was dying, Tahlequah J35 gave birth to a female calf on July 24th. Amazingly, the calf was born alive (southern residents have a 69% chance of late term miscarries when Chinook salmon is not abundant) but passed away half an hour later. Instead of letting the calf sink, Tahlequah carried the calf around for at least 17 days. She swam over a thousand miles while supporting this calf on her head/carrying it in her mouth or by its flippers. Tahlequah's family, especially her son Notch J47 and niece Star J46, stayed by her side through it all and also helped carry the calf. The calf's body decomposed and was gone by the morning of August 11th. Tahlequah was then finally able surface normally and focus on caring for herself again.

Some people are better at dealing with the possibility of extinction than others. I am very bad at it. Nothing is harder than watching those you love slowly wither away and carry their dead around in mourning. The grief and suffering that these orcas are going through is heartbreaking. It is infuriating that these orcas are dying because of damage done to the ecosystem by humans.

The remaining southern resident orcas need more Chinook/King salmon to recover their population. This means banning Atlantic farmed salmon net pens in Canada, breaching dams that are blocking salmon from spawning, restoring salmon and forage fish habitat, reducing pollution in our waters, and eating less Chinook salmon. Seals, seal lions, and birds need to stop being scapegoated for the decline of salmon as well. We are the ones responsible, always have been. Killing predators damages the ecosystem further and is just another band-aid solution. Killing seals and sea lions (people are advocating for this currently in both WA and BC) would cause the decline of Bigg's (Transient) orcas and then we would have two endangered orca populations on our hands instead of one.

Below are photos from some of my orca encounters over the last few months.

Please do not use my photos without my permission. Just ask.

My blog is down for the time being but you can view my most recent photos on my Flickr page.

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Transients Abound And The Return Of The Southern Residents: 5/13/18-6/29/18

7/2/2018

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On May 13th, the Odyssey found transient orcas known as the T36As, T63, T65 and the T100Bs milling off of Monarch Head in Boundary Pass. The social group had just made a kill and were sharing amongst themselves. T36A3 pushed lungs around at the surface while Chainsaw T63 tail slapped in celebration. T65 cartwheeled and gulls arrived to feed on the scraps. The orcas then continued up the Saturna Island shoreline toward East Point. This was my second time ever seeing Chainsaw T63 in my eight years on the water and he will never cease to amaze me with his. He acquired his name due to the two large nicks in his dorsal fin.

On May 26th, the Odyssey encountered the T86As, T100s, T100Bs, and the T124As in Boundary Pass aiming toward Flattop Island. The four matrilines were in a very social mood with many tail slaps, breaches, belly flops, spy hops, and lunges observed. T124A4’s breaches had a new twist, literally! T124A4 would lunge high out of the water as if a porpoise was being chased and then twist at the last second and turn it into a breach.

On May 27th, the Odyssey spent time with the T100s off of Stuart Island. The family was stalled out and playing with detached kelp and eelgrass at the surface in between long dives. It almost seemed like they were just killing time and waiting for other transients to show up. The T100Bs had been with them earlier in the day so perhaps they were waiting to see if they would catch up.

On May 31st, the Odyssey had the T86As, T101s, and T124A2s milling near Spieden Island. They were in the process of killing a harbor seal when we arrived and made short work of it. T86A spy hopped in celebration, showing her previously damaged jaw, and T101A tail slapped multiple times. The T124A2s split off during the celebration and headed into Spieden Channel before turning around and rejoining the others.

On June 9th, the Odyssey encountered many transients in San Juan Channel. They had all entered the channel through Cattle Pass and the T65As were in the lead mid channel off of Turn Island. Paralleling them closer to the Lopez Island shoreline were the T37As. Trailing behind them were the T49As, T75Bs, and T75Cs. In close to Lopez Island were males T49A1 and T65A2. The two were socializing instead of sticking close to their families further ahead. The transients then split, with the T65As, T37As, T49A1, and T65A2 taking Upright Channel while the T49As, T75Bs, and T75Cs continued up San Juan Channel and past Friday Harbor. This was my first time seeing T65A’s new calf, T65A6, who was born in April of 2018. So tiny!

On June 10th, the Odyssey saw the T49As, T75Bs, and T75Cs again, but this time they were near Patos Island. They were milling about and acting like they were on a kill. At one point, T75B lunged high out of the water and it was apparent with her huge belly that she is very well fed. She is a very robust and chubby. I wish I could say that about the southern resident orcas.

On the morning of June 11th, J and L pod (minus the L54s) returned to San Juan Island after a nine week disappearance. Sadly, Crewser L92 did not return with them and is considered deceased, bringing the southern residents down to just 75 individuals. But it may be 74 soon. Scarlet J50 (the first of the baby boom calves) is emaciated.

You may be wondering why the southern residents are so low in numbers and why they disappeared from their core summer habitat for nine weeks. The answer is the lack of their preferred prey in our area: Chinook salmon. Fraser River Chinook/King numbers are at a historic record low and that has caused southern resident orca attendance to hit a historic record low as well. Since April 1st, 2018 and as of today (July 2nd), only 33 Chinook salmon have been counted up at the Fraser River. That is not enough to support the 75 southern resident orcas, who, as a community, need over 1000 Chinook salmon a day to survive. You can find the daily Fraser River Chinook/King test fishery numbers here.

Reducing agricultural runoff into the river and banning Atlantic farmed salmon in Canada are just two things that could help increase Fraser River Chinook. Until then, the southern residents will spend increasingly less time here. We can only hope that they are finding salmon elsewhere off the outer coast of Washington, Oregon, California, and Vancouver Island but my guess is that they are just barely getting by. We have not had a surviving calf born to the population since November 2015 and miscarriages/stillbirths rates are extremely high when salmon is not plentiful.

Since their return on June 11th, J and 18 members of L pod (all of L pod minus the L12s and L54s) have made several more visits back to check out San Juan Island and the Fraser River but are quick to leave each time. They will stay if/when there is enough salmon for them.

On June 13th, the Odyssey met up with the 18 members of L pod off of Stuart Island as they headed toward San Juan Island. They were very spread out at first but eventually almost all of them came together into their family groups. Ballena L90 (aunt to recently deceased Crewser L92) was trailing behind everyone.

On June 14th, the Odyssey spent some time with J pod off the west side of San Juan Island. Most were spread out in search of salmon while a few were in a social mood. Males Se-Yi’-Chn J45 and Notch J47 were goofing off together. Mike J26 and his sister Alki J36 were messing around too.

On June 17th, the Odyssey encountered the T65As in Haro Strait. The family was traveling toward San Juan Island from Hein Bank but was in no rush to get there. New calf T65A6 sure is getting the grand tour of the area. It has been to almost all the major straits and channels in the area since its birth.

On June 20th, the Odyssey joined up with J and the 18 members of L pod off the west side of San Juan Island. We saw Princess Angeline J17 and her son Moby J44 looking for salmon off of Eagle Point. We then moved further up the island to Pile Point and found the J16s, Tsuchi J31, Mako J39, Se-Yi’-Chn J45, and Suttles J40 spread about the area. The J16s then all came together and were joined by Se-Yi’-Chn J45 and Suttles J40 for a social gathering. Breaches, tail slaps, pec slaps, and spy hops ensued.

Then the L47s, the L72s, and Ballena L90 in their own tail slappy social group arrived from further up island and joined the J16s, Se-Yi’-Chn J45, and Suttles J40. Magic L122 then proceeded to behave in a way I had never seen before. He laid at the surface, lifted his head up a little, stuck his tongue out for a few seconds (which was curled up on the sides), and then slipped back underwater. Maybe someday we will know what that means or perhaps he was just doing it for fun.

On June 21st, the Odyssey got to spend more time the T65As, this time off of Waldron Island. The family traveled past Sandy Point and had just entered Boundary Pass when the 18 L pod members were found just to the north of them by other whale watching boats. Transients and residents prefer to steer clear of each other and it was fascinating to see the moment the T65As realized the Ls were close by. They really picked up the pace, started going down on long deep dives, and veered toward Stuart Island. Still in L pod’s path of travel, they turned back toward Saturna Island, and quickly moved out of the way. We then joined up with the Ls, who seemed unfazed. They were continued traveling along in a few tight groups, with young males Takoda L109 and Midnight L110 goofing off together.

On June 23rd, the Odyssey encountered the T137s off of Waldron Island. They were just finishing up with a kill and the big male of the family, T137A, spy hopped just after we arrived on scene. The family then switched to travel mode, headed down between Orcas and Jones Island, and into San Juan Channel.
On June 24th, the Odyssey had the T49As and T65As slowly traveling up San Juan Channel toward Spieden Island. The youngsters were in a very playful mood, with calves T49A5 and T65A6 constantly breaching, belly flopping, tail slapping, and rolling around. Young males T49A3 and T65A3 were also full of breaches, belly flops, cartwheels, and tail slaps.

On June 27th, the Odyssey had J pod and the 18 Ls off the south end of San Juan Island. The orcas very spread out and working hard to find salmon. They had just arrived at the island for another short visit and it appeared that Shachi J19 (who seems to have taken up the lead role that Granny J2 had) wanted to go north. After milling about like everyone else, she pointed north, tail slapped three times, and then breached three times. We had our hydrophone down and were able to hear what breaches sound like underwater. We heard the explosive slaps from her breaches on the hydrophone before we heard it in the air even though she was only 200-300 yards away from us. The slaps were instantaneous underwater because sound travels faster in water than in air. Eventually, Js and Ls headed north and were checking on the Fraser River the next morning.

On June 29th, the Odyssey encountered the T124As and T124A2s in San Juan Channel. They were traveling slowly along in a tight group, with calf T124A6 surfacing abnormally high out of the water to take a breath. It has been doing that ever since its birth in late 2016. They did not make any obvious kills while we were with them.

Later that day, my friends and I headed to Deception Pass to meet super rare transients known as T175 and T176. Two other super rare juveniles were with them, as well as the T36As and T99s (who we know very well). We arrived on scene off of Hope Island and found the orcas in a celebratory mood with multiple breaches and tail slaps. It appeared that they had recently made a kill. After a bit more milling and splashing, the group headed back out through Deception Pass, formed a resting line, and turned up Rosario Strait toward Allan Island.

Once they reached Allan Island, the orcas woke up and became very social. Everyone tail slapped or pec slapped at some point. T36A1 breached at least twice, T36A3 breached many times, and T99 spy hopped at least twice. This flurry of activity went on for quite a while until they were in line with the Burrows Island Light House. That is when they settled down and continued up Rosario Strait. It was an honor to see T175, T176, and the two other exotic transients. T175 in particular is an impressive male and a large wonky dorsal fin. We may never see them again so I am glad to have met them. What will happen next?!

Please do not use my photos without my permission. Just ask.

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Transients Everywhere: 4/4/18 - 5/6/18

5/7/2018

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On April 4th, the Odyssey had an amazing encounter with the T2Cs, T10s, T23Ds, T36As, T37As, T49A1, T99s, and T124C off of Patos Island. Most of the whales were in an extremely social and tactile mood. A rare synchronized triple spy hop occurred and there were many tail slaps, inverted tail slaps, pec slaps, aerial scans, and breaches. Interestingly, while the T2Cs, T23Ds, T36As, T37As, and T99s socialized, the T10s, T49A1, and T124C kept their distance and milled about the area. This was my first time meeting the T23Ds and it was cool to see them spending time with some of our regulars.

The Odyssey witnessed a family reunion on April 8th. The T49As was slowly traveling past Saltspring Island and had just reunited with T49A1. T49A1 had split off from his mother and younger siblings late last year around the time of his newest sibling’s birth to travel with other matrilines. Siblings T49A1 and T49A3 were sticking to each other like glue while goofing off and paralleling the rest of the family. Towards the end of the encounter, T49A1 and T49A3 joined T49A, T49A4, and T49A5. Will T49A1 stay with his family or move on again? Time will tell.

On April 9th, the Odyssey spent some time with T49C and T65A3 as they traveled between Lopez and Decatur Islands. It was interesting to see young T65A3 away from his family and with T49C, a male who also travels away from his family. I wondered if T65A3 was away from his family because his mother was going to or already had a new calf. A few days later, T49C left the area and T65A3 was back with his family and there was a newborn calf with them! Just like T49A1, T65A3 split from his family when a new calf was born. Fascinating!

On April 18th, the Odyssey saw the T36As and T123s harassing birds off of East Point, Saturna Island. The whales were targeting long-tailed ducks and rhinoceros auklets. T36A3 likely killed a female long-tailed duck. We then got word of more whales nearby and headed down Boundary Pass to Blunden Island. It was the T49As again with T49A1 still in tow. The family was also heading toward East Point but was in no hurry to get there.

On April 19th, the Odyssey got to see the T49As again as they headed down Haro Strait. T49A1 and T49A3 were goofing off again out in front while T49A, T49A4, and T49A5 were trailing behind them. T49A and T49A4 then started playing with T49A5, lifting and tossing the calf into the air. T49A5 would go limp as it was lifted out of the water and even did a complete front flip during the highest toss. It looked a little rough but the calf seemed to be enjoying itself.

On April 26th, Dave Ellifrit and I had an encounter with Chainsaw T63 and his mother T65 in Georgia Strait. The two were slowly traveling west for most of the encounter but then started charging north. It appeared that they had heard other transients vocalizing in the area and were eager to get to them. This was my first time seeing Chainsaw after eight long years of waiting! The encounter summary can be viewed on the Center for Whale Research 2018 encounters page.

On April 28th, the Odyssey witnessed something different. While nearing spread out social groups of transients by Patos Island, males T101A, T101B, and T102 split off from T101, the T100s, and the T100Bs and started porpoising east toward the T36As and T123s. The T36As and T123s were attacking a sea lion but left it and porpoised away from the three males. The T36As and T123s gave the males a wide girth and headed east, then north in a tight group. The males stopped and slowly headed west back towards T101, the T100s, and T100Bs. I had never seen transients avoid each other before and it was weird for these individuals to avoid each other in particular since they have been seen socializing together many times before. I wondered if T36A or T123 was pregnant and close to giving birth. The evasive behavior reminded me of the behavior described in the recent discovery of killer whale infanticide.

On May 5th, the Odyssey encountered the T90s in Boundary Pass. They were accompanied by a female known as T2B. The whales were slowly zig-zagging toward Patos Island, pushing against the ebbing tide. This was my first time seeing the T90s and it was great to meet T90, a survivor of a satellite tag gone wrong. It was also awesome to see that T90B’s dorsal fin is starting to sprout.

On May 6th, I witnessed my first harbor porpoise kill while aboard the Odyssey. The T100s and T123s were sleepily traveling down Boundary Pass and had been down on a deep dive when a few of the whales erupted from the water and chased after an unlucky harbor porpoise. Both matrilines were involved in the chase at first but then everyone moved off to the side except for T123 and T123C.

Young T123C did most of the chasing and ramming until the porpoise was exhausted. It appeared that T123 was teaching porpoise hunting techniques to T123C. T123 then took over and finished off the porpoise. T123 took the porpoise over to the others, who had been milling and celebrating. After a bit of time feeding underwater, the T100s and T123s continued to celebrate their kill with breaches, tail slaps, dorsal fin slaps, cartwheels, and spy hops. A chunk of the harbor porpoise was seen in T123A’s mouth as he swam past.

What will happen next?!

Please do not use my photos without my permission. Just ask.

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Transients And J Pod: 3/15/18 - 3/29/18

4/2/2018

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On March 15th, my friends and I had an encounter with the T124A2s and T124C in Satellite Channel/Sansum Narrows. The T124A2s and T124C were behaving like they had heard other transient orcas vocalizing nearby and they eventually led us to the T86As and T124Ds. This encounter can be viewed on the Center for Whale Research (CWR) encounter page here.

On March 21st, J pod was inbound in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. My friends and I headed out on the water and arrived on scene off of Victoria. The pod was slightly spread out in large social groups and heading toward San Juan Island. Ken Balcomb (CWR founder) was also on scene and his encounter summary can be viewed on the CWR encounter page.

On March 28th, Dave Ellifrit (fellow CWR staff) and I had two lone males known as T49A1 and T124C traveling west in Haro Strait together. They took us over to Halibut Island and killed a harbor seal just before sunset. The encounter summary can also be viewed on the CWR encounter page.

On March 29th, my friends and I found the T37As and T99s off of Stuart Island. They were in a playful/social mood but formed a resting line later on in Swanson Channel. This encounter can viewed on the CWR encounter page as well.

Who will we see next?!

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T2Cs And J Pod: 3/9/18 - 3/11/18

3/13/2018

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On the evening of March 9th, orcas were spotted heading north in Haro Strait, close to the San Juan Island shoreline. My friends and I headed out on the water and soon found ourselves with the T2Cs as they slowly passed San Juan County Park. The family was in no hurry and occasionally milled about or logged at the surface as they waited for T2C2 to catch up. T2C2 has what is likely severe scoliosis of the spine and does not move very fast. He is almost always trailing behind his family but they do not leave him behind. They also appear to hunt for him.

The T2Cs arrived just outside of Snug Harbor by sunset and found a harbor seal as the light faded. They went after the seal, with almost all the family members lunging out of the water. T2C2 hung back for most of the hunt but moved in as it was drawing to a close. He even tail slapped a few times. We stayed with them until it was almost too dark to see. We left them milling and feeding in the same spot. Center for Whale Research coworker Dave Ellifrit was also on scene and his encounter summary/photos can be viewed here.

On March 11th, we had a short encounter the T2Cs again, this time in San Juan Channel. This encounter can viewed on the Center for Whale Research's encounters page. We then headed far north into Georgia Strait and acquired J pod. At first, the pod was very spread out over a large area but most of the members eventually came closer together. A social group even formed and those whales were full of breaches, tail slaps, cartwheels, tail slaps, etc. This encounter can also viewed on the Center's encounters page.

What will happen next?

Please do not use my photos without my permission. Just ask.

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Resident And Transient Encounters 1/14/18 - 3/4/18

3/6/2018

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Time for a long overdue update! I have had six more orca encounters since my first 2018 encounter on January 3rd with the T100s, some of the T124As, and T124C. All of the encounters have been Center for Whale Research encounters so the summaries and photos can be found on the Center’s 2018 Encounters page.

On January 14th, we spent time with a very spread out J pod in Boundary Pass and San Juan Channel.

On Feb 2nd, we had J pod in San Juan Channel again. This time, almost all of the pod was in a beautiful resting line. It was an amazing sight.

On Feb 10th, we had an interesting encounter with the T10s in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Haro Strait. T10C seemed to be toying with a harbor seal.

On Feb 16th, we spent some time with the T60s in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. They were rather elusive until they made a kill or two.

On Feb 24th, I got to see T87 for the first time while he traveled with the T124A2s and T124C in Rosario Strait. They were in a very social and playful mood. We also got to see the T124As and T124A1 in Harney Channel on the way back to the harbor.

On March 4th, we found J pod and K pod near Active Pass and followed them into Georgia Strait. It was wonderful seeing them all again and in a social mood for most of the encounter.

Who will we see next?!

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Transient Orca Encounters 12/16/17 - 1/3/18

1/11/2018

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Time for an update! On December 16th, we had an encounter with a group of marine mammal-eating transient orcas out on a friend’s boat in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The group was made up of the T30B, T75, and T77 matrilines and the encounter can be viewed on the Center for Whale Research’s 2017 encounters page here.

On December 31st, we were incredibly fortunate to have two transient orca encounters on the last day of 2017. During our first encounter, we got to spend some time with the T49As, T75Bs, and T75Cs as they slowly traveled up Boundary Pass together. In tow were three newish calves. All three of the adult females (T49A, T75B, and T75C) had given birth to a calf in late 2017! Then the T18s (one of my favorite transient matrilines) were found along the west side of San Juan Island. We left the T49As, T75Bs, and T75Cs in rough seas off of East Point, Saturna Island and headed for the T18s.

We joined up with the T18s a little north of Lime Kiln State Park. T18 and T19B were hunting close to shore while T19 and T19C were paralleling them slightly offshore. As they neared Open Bay, T18 and T19B searched for prey deep into the bay while T19 and T19C may have made a quick kill offshore. All four then joined up, took us past Henry Island, and into Spieden Channel. Once in the channel, T19 and T19C dropped back and poked around out Sentinel Island while T18 and T19B continued on, hugging the San Juan Island shoreline. Near Davison Head, it appeared that they made short work of a harbor seal but they did not celebrate their kill. Instead, they quietly traveled toward Green Point, Spieden Island. We still could not spot T19 and T19C behind us. As T18 and T19B approached Green Point, many Steller sea lions could be seen both in the water and resting on the rocky point. I wondered if T18 and T19B were going to attempt an attack but they just casually passed by the nervous sea lions and aimed for Flattop Island. This could have been a distraction.

We finally spotted T19 and T19C behind us. The two moved in toward the point and found a sea lion in the water. T19 started ramming the sea lion while T19C took a swipe occasionally. Suddenly, T18 and T19B rushed past us and immediately joined in the hunt. T18 started ramming the sea lion and T19B joined in a few times as well. The sea lion ever so slowly started making its way toward the Spieden Island shoreline while trying to dodge the swipes by the hungry orcas.

Amazingly, he made it to shore and climbed onto a rock to rest. However, there were still many sea lions in the water and the T18s turned their attention to them. The sea lions gathered tightly together in the water and held their heads high into the air in an attempt to keep track of the orcas. With the sun about to set, we had to leave but not before a sea lion stampede erupted in the water as they fled in fear of the orcas. We are not sure if the T18s successfully killed a sea lion after we left. This was my second time ever seeing transients attack a sea lion, the first time being back in 2013.

My first orca encounter for 2018 was with the T100s, some of the T124As, and T124C in Haro Strait on January 3rd. This encounter can also be viewed on the Center for Whale Research’s encounters 2018 page here.

Please do not use my photos without my permission. Just ask.

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Resident And Transient Orca Encounters 11/4/17 - 12/7/17

12/13/2017

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Time for another update! Since late October, I have had a few more orca encounters. On the afternoon 11/4/17, I was invited out onto the Centennial (a University of Washington research vessel) to try to catch a glimpse of the rare L54s (part of the salmon-eating southern resident orca population). The L54s had been sighted near Waldron/Flattop Island and as we left Friday Harbor and motored north, my excitement grew. I had not seen the L54s since 9/20/16 and had missed them dearly, especially Wave Walker L88. He and Nyssa L84 started traveling full time with Ino L54 and her two offspring after they both became the last living members of their own matrilines.

It wasn’t long before we reached Flattop Island and got our first looks at Nyssa L84 as he surfaced to breathe. Then Ino L54 and her offspring, Coho L108 and Keta L117, popped up nearby. They were all traveling toward Limestone Point, San Juan Island with some occasional milling about in their search for salmon. Wave Walker L88 was the last to appear, his fin slicing through the water as he caught up with the others. We left them still pointed at San Juan Island.

I was able to see the L54s again while out on a friend’s boat on 11/10/17. They had joined up with K pod and were in Admiralty Inlet. We found them northbound and very spread out off of Possession Point. We located Cali K34 traveling by himself first. Closer to shore on the Hansville side of the inlet, we could see Tika K33 and a few other whales. Ino L54 and Nyssa L84 appeared soon after. Both milled about for a few minutes before continuing on north together. Keta L117 hurried past to catch up to them.

As we slowly moved closer to shore, the other whales spread out near Tika K33 turned out to be Sequim K12, Spock K20, Cappuccino K21, Scoter K25, Lobo K26, Deadhead K27, Sonata K35, Rainshadow K37, Comet K38, and Coho L108. As we passed Double Bluff, some of these whales grouped up with whales we had seen previously (Cali K34, Ino L54, Nyssa L84 etc.), and some that we had not (Opus K16, Sekiu K22, Yoda K36, Ripple K44 etc.). Lots of excited tail slapping and splashing ensued. Sequim K12 breached twice. The grouping only lasted for a few minutes before the whales split up and fanned out across the inlet again.

We then spotted Wave Walker L88 traveling along the Whidbey Island shoreline and as we slowly headed his direction, we found Ino L54, Coho L108, Keta L117, and Cali K34 again. Coho L108 and Cali K34 were fooling around together. Nyssa L84 and Wave Walker L88 brought up the rear. They passed us by but while Nyssa L84 went off to forage, Wave Walker L88 joined up with Keta L117 to socialize and play. It only took a few minutes for Kelp K42 to join the party too. Keta L117 breached, tail slapped, and dorsal fin slapped multiple times with excitement. We left K pod and the L54s still spread out and northbound of off Bush Point.

My next orca encounter was on 11/16/17. With reports of J pod southbound in Haro Strait, my friends and I headed out on their boat. Our first whales were Slick J16, Shachi J19, Echo J42, and Scarlet J50 and they were right off of Kellet Bluff, Henry Island. They did a bit of milling about there before continuing south.

J pod was very spread out so we headed offshore into the middle of Haro Strait to look for more whales. Cookie J38 was spotted traveling by himself soon after, then Mike J26 and Blackberry J27 appeared over near Kellet Bluff so we headed back. Blackberry J27 stalled out and chased a salmon for a few minutes before he continued south. While we were watching him, Princess Angeline J17, Moby J44, Star J46, and Kiki J53 passed by and were also doing some of their own foraging.

We could see more fins out near Kelp Reefs so we headed over and found Se-Yi’-Chn J45 and Onyx L87 traveling together. With sunset about to commence, we started heading back towards the dock but found Moby J44 and Star J46 foraging outside of Open Bay along the way.

On the afternoon of 11/25/17, reports came in of marine mammal-eating transient orcas in Haro Strait. My friends and I were soon on scene near Kelp Reefs. It was the T2Cs and they were in a very celebratory mood. They likely had recently made a kill and very excited. I lost count of how many spy hops, aerial scans, tail slaps, inverted tail slaps, dorsal fins slaps, breaches, belly flops, leaps, and back dives.

For most of the time, T2C1 and T2C2 trailed behind the rest of the family. T2C1 could have been keeping his younger brother company. T2C2 likely has severe scoliosis of the spine so he usually moves slowly and trails behind the rest of his family. He may not even be able to join in hunts. Luckily, his family appears to be taking good care of him. It was obvious during the encounter that his family would often pause and wait for him to catch up. They were also swimming with the current, which would have been a lot easier on T2C2. We left the close-knit family as they neared Baynes Channel.

On 12/2/17, we had an encounter with J pod in San Juan Channel. A few days later on 12/7/17, we encountered J and K pod in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Both of these encounters can be viewed here on the Center for Whale Research’s encounters page. Who will be encountered next?

Please do not use my photos without my permission. Just ask.

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Resident And Transient Orca Encounters 8/29/17 - 9/27/17

10/28/2017

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A lot has happened since my last update. I had multiple encounters with the marine mammal-eating transient orcas. I also had a few encounters the salmon-eating southern resident orcas, who finally returned to the inland waters after an alarming month-long disappearance…

Aboard the Odyssey on August 29th, we were able to spend some time with two marine mammal-eating transient matrilines known as the T100s, T124Ds, and a lone female called T124A1 as they headed down Rosario Strait together. They were in travel mode and did not make a kills while we were with them. It was great to see how big the teenage male, T100C, is getting! His dorsal fin has grown much taller since I last saw him in March, 2016.

While out on the Odyssey on August 30th, we encountered T36A matriline as they headed up President Channel between Orcas and Waldron Island. They were in slow travel mode (perhaps resting) the entire time and were in no hurry to go anywhere.

On the evening of August 31st, my boyfriend and I went out to the west side of San Juan Island near False Bay to watch the T60s as they made their way along the coast. They were in hunting mode as they slowly made their way towards us and checked every crevice along the rocky shoreline for harbor seals. Soon after, they found their prey, began milling about, and quickly made short work of the seal. They then starting celebrating with tail slaps, aerial scans, and even did some backwards swimming as the sun set. Eventually, they were right at our feet in the kelp beds as they continued to share the seal and celebrate. This was the closest either of us have been to transients while on shore and it was absolutely amazing! It was also awesome to see the T60s again after not seeing them since January, 2015. They eventually moved away from us and slowly continued up the island as the light faded.

Aboard the Odyssey on September 2nd, we encountered the T65As as they traveled through New Channel and over to Gull Rock and Flattop Island. As soon as they arrived at Gull Rock, they started chasing a seal. They circled the rock a few times but we could not tell if they successfully caught the seal or not. They then moved over to Flattop Island and circled that island a few times. We could not tell if they successfully caught a seal there either but there were definitely plenty of them to feed on. Many seals watched the orcas nervously from the shallows or from the tops of rocks. We left them as the orcas aimed for White Rock.

On September 3rd, we had the T65As again and this time they were in Canada heading toward Monarch Head, Saturna Island. They were in travel mode but once they reached Monarch, they immediately found and killed harbor seal among the kelp beds. The family celebrated with a spy hop and then headed for East Point.

On September 4th, J pod, K pod, and L pod (minus the L54s) finally returned to the inland waters after a disturbing month-long disappearance. The Center for Whale Research’s Dave Ellifrit and I went out under permit to document them. You can find more of the encounter summary here.

We arrived on scene near Beaumont Shoal as the orcas rocketed across Haro Strait towards San Juan Island. Our first group was made up of Shachi J19, Mako J39, Sequim K12, Sekiu K22, Deadhead K27, Tika K33, Rainshadow K37, and Ripple K44. It was easy to see that the orcas were excited to be back home.

With other orcas further up Haro Strait, we left the group and found Cali K34, then Scoter K25. We could also see Spock K20 and Comet K38 together further inshore. Eclipse J41, Nova J51, and Saturna K43 appeared as they porpoised towards the island together. Then, further offshore, we could see another group. It was all the L12s (including the L22s) in a resting line and it was absolutely beautiful. All ten of them synchronized their breaths as they slowly surfaced shoulder to shoulder. They were all very relaxed, except for Cousteau L113, who was in more of a playful mood.

Further up Haro Strait we could see many more orcas in multiple social groups. These groups were incredibly playful, tactile, and vocal. I had never seen anything quite like it. They were SO happy to be home and together again! There were so many spy hops (even synchronized spy hops), aerial scans, tail slaps, inverted tail slaps, pec slaps, cartwheels, breaches, and above-water vocalizations that I lost count.

One group was made up of the Oreo J22, Hy’shqa J37, Cookie J38, Suttles J40, Moby J44, Star J46, Ti’lem I’nges J49, Lea K14, Opus K16, Lobo K26, Sonata K35, Yoda K36, and Kelp K42. Eventually, this group dispersed. The other group was made up of Slick J16, Mike J26, Blackberry J27, Tsuchi J31, Alki J36, Echo J42, Scarlet J50, and a very emaciated Sonic J52. Unfortunately, this would be the last time I would ever see Sonic J52.

After spending some time with the two social groups, we headed over to another one further inshore that was made up of Tahlequah J35, Se-Yi’-Chn J45, Notch J47, Matia L77, Calypso L94, Cousteau L113, Joy L119, and Windsong L121. Tsuchi J31 then came over to join them. Cappuccino K21 and Mystery L85 were offshore of this group by themselves.

Just as the sun was setting, another social group appeared! It was made up of the first group and some of the singles/pairs we saw at the beginning of the encounter plus the other social group that had dispersed. We headed back to Snug Harbor as the orcas continued to celebrate in fading light. I will never forget this very special encounter. The next day, J, K, and L pod (minus the L54s) were up in Georgia Strait.

On September 6th, J pod, K pod, and L pod (minus the L54s) were back at San Juan Island. Aboard the Odyssey, we joined up with them off the south end of the island at Salmon Bank. The orcas were spread out in singles/small groups and were more focused on finding salmon than socializing. Tsuchi J31 and Star J46 fished together while Spirit L22 and Solstice L89 headed offshore. Matia L77 swam by us as she headed inshore towards Mako J39 and Blackberry J27. Then, Rainshadow K37 and Racer L72 came over. Rainshadow K37 was being very flirtatious but Racer L72 didn’t seem very into it. Se-Yi’-Chn J45 soon rocketed over to the pair and tried to get in on the action too.

Eventually, many of the orcas started coming together to form social groups again. Princess Angeline J17, Mike J26, Moby J44, Notch J47, Kiki J53, Opus K16, Scoter K25, Cali K34, Sonata K35, Ocean Sun L25, Mega L41, Surprise L86, Ballena L90, Crewser L92, Calypso L94, Fluke L105, Cousteau L113, and Windsong L121 all trickled into the area and the party began with multiple spy hops, tail slaps, cartwheels, and breaches. The next day, J, K, and L pod (minus the L54s) were seen leaving the area via the Strait of Juan De Fuca.

On September 10th, the southern residents returned to the area again, but this time, is was only the L4 matriline by its lonesome. The family of nine foraged for salmon all day long at San Juan Island.

The next day, the rest of L pod (minus the L54s) arrived at the island. By that time, the L4s were already headed for Georgia Strait far to the north. The Center for Whale Research’s Dave Ellifrit and I went out under permit to check on the L12s, L26s, L47s, and L72s. You can find the encounter summary here. The next day, the L12s were still foraging along the island, while the L26s, L47s, and L72s were up in Georgia Strait with the L4s.

Aboard the Odyssey on September 13th, we got to see the L4s, L26s, L47s, and L72s travel through San Juan Channel. They were in resting mode but as soon as they neared Cattle Pass, they all woke up and exploded with synchronized breaches, cartwheels, tail slaps, inverted tail slaps, pec slaps, and spy hops. It seems like the southern resident orcas always get excited when they go through Cattle Pass. They even swam right past Whale Rocks, which made the local Steller sea lions a little nervous. Once through Cattle Pass, the L4s, L26s, L47s, and L72s figured out the L12s were nearby and headed straight for them. Synchronized breach/cartwheels, back dives, dorsal fins slaps, and tail slaps ensued. Once they met up, most everyone calmed down and fanned out to search for salmon. The next day, the L4s, L12s, L26s, L47s, and L72s left for the open ocean through the Strait of Juan De Fuca.

On September 16th, the Odyssey met up with marine mammal-eaters. It was the T65As and T99s in San Juan Channel. They made two kills while we were with them and they celebrated a little each time. After first kill, T99 spy hopped and after the second, T65A2 and T99C started goofing off and did a synchronized spy hop. Interestingly, juveniles T65A3, T65A4, and T99B were missing from their matrilines. Where could they have gone off to we wondered?

We got our answer the next day out on the Odyssey. We arrived on scene with the T46Bs off of Discovery Island, and three juveniles were in tow: T65A3, T65A4, and T99B! It appeared to be a playdate of sorts. And if that wasn’t cool enough, the orcas were harassing seabirds! This was something I had never seen before, though it is not uncommon, especially with the T46Bs. One of the juvenile orcas even came over to a Common Murre floating innocently in the water and tried to grab it while upside down! That bird escaped but others were not so lucky. It wasn’t but a few days later that T65A3, T65A4, and T99B were back with their families.

On the September 18th, the southern resident orcas returned to the area and headed down Admiralty Inlet in search of salmon in Puget Sound. The next day, I went out on the water with some friends. It wasn’t long before we found T49A1, the T65Bs, and T49Bs over near Smith Island. This was very cool group as I had never seen the T65Bs before, and had not seen the T49Bs since 2013. They were all in resting mode and after staying with them for a bit, we headed down into Puget Sound to find the southern residents.

We found the J16s spread out and foraging off of Possession Point all by themselves. Mike J26 and Scarlet J50 fished together while Slick J16, Alki J36, and Echo J42 milled about inshore of them. I looked hard for Sonic J52’s little fin to surface next to his mother. After about an hour, it was obvious he was gone and tears streamed down my face as I remembered my encounters with him.

I thought about how we were now down to 76 southern residents. I caught myself apologizing to him. “I am sorry you suffered so, especially at such a young age. I am sorry that there are people in this world that think what is happening to your population is OK. I am sorry there are people out there that reject the correlation between your population's die offs and low Fraser River Chinook abundance. I am sorry there are people who have concluded that there would be no guaranteed benefit for your population from Chinook salmon harvest reduction. I am sorry there are people in denial that endangered Chinook salmon stocks are declining. I am sorry your body was filled with toxins that impaired your immune system. I am sorry you were not able to make it to adulthood. I am sorry we couldn't save you.”

Then, many more southern residents suddenly appeared to the east of us and rocketed towards us. It was the rest of J pod and all of L pod (minus the L54s). There were orcas suddenly everywhere you looked in singles and small social groups. Some were goofing off while others were fishing. We continued north with them past Useless Bay until we ran out of time and had to head back home. This was another encounter with the southern residents that will stick with me forever. The next day, J pod and the Ls were all up in Georgia Strait checking on the Fraser River.

On the morning of September 22nd, the L12s returned to San Juan Island, while J pod and the other Ls remained up north in Georgia Strait. It wasn’t long before the L12s started making their way out of the area. Later that day, we met up with the T100s and an unrelated juvenile called T46C2 out on my friend’s boat. The orcas cruised past Kelp Reef and Sidney Island and did not appear to make any kills while we were with them. It was great to see T46C2 still looking good. He was rescued back in 2013 when he became trapped in a small bay for several weeks.

On September 23rd, J pod, the L4s, L26s, L47s, and L72s arrived back at the island from Georgia Strait. The orcas were spread out in singles/small groups as they headed north up the San Juan Island shoreline with purpose. Princess Angeline J17, Suttles J40, Moby J44, Se-Yi’-Chn J45, Kiki J53, Marina L47, Moonlight L83, Crewser L92, Fluke L105, Midnight L110, Mystic L115 and many more passed by the Odyssey. Last to pass by were the J16s and it was still heartbreaking to see Alki J36 without Sonic J52 by her side. J pod and the Ls were back up in Georgia Strait the next day.

On September 26th, my friends and I headed out on the water again. We went all the way out to the entrance of the Strait of Juan De Fuca and into the open ocean. As we motored over Swiftsure Bank, humpback whales started appearing all around us. They were spread out across the area in small groups and singles. As we slowly made our way back into the strait, we continued to find more and more humpbacks, totaling almost 100 by the end of the day. Once we were south of the Sheringham Lighthouse, we got to see a transient family I had never seen before, the T46Cs (family of T46C2)! And it got even better. We were also able to spend some time with the T11s as they made their way past Sooke. T11A remains one of my favorite transient males.

On September 27th, J pod, the L4s, L26s, L47s, and L72s returned to the island from the north. Aboard the Odyssey, we caught up to them off of Salmon Bank and spotted multiple social groups spread out in the area. The first social group was made up of Tsuchi J31, Tahlequah J35, Suttles J40, Star J46, Marina L47, Moonlight L83, Muncher L91, Pooka L106, and Magic L122. This group logged at the surface together between bouts of play. Both Marina L47 and Muncher L91 also made above water vocalizations. Notch J47 and Mystic L115 joined the group soon after. We then went to check out another group and found that it was Slick J16, Alki J36, Echo J42, Scarlet J50, Racer L72 and Fluke L105 milling about together.

The next day, the L4s, L26s, L47s, and L72s left for the open ocean while J pod headed down to Puget Sound. On the 29th, J pod left Puget Sound, passed San Juan Island, and headed up to Georgia Strait. They stayed in Georgia Strait until their return to San Juan Island on October 10th. J pod left for the open ocean the next day but returned to the area on the 15th. Surprisingly, the rare L54s were in tow. J pod and the L54s searched for salmon in Puget Sound over the next few days before leaving for the open ocean again. On the 24th, J pod and the L54s returned to San Juan Island. They headed for Georgia Strait but while J pod was committed to going north, the L54s were not and turned back. The L54s passed by the island and exited the area the next day. What will happen next?

Please do not use my photos without my permission. Just ask.

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Transient Orca Encounters 8/9/17 - 8/19/17

8/24/2017

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Since my last post, I have had several outstanding encounters with the marine mammal-eating transient orcas. As for the salmon-eating southern resident orcas, they have not visited the area since August 3rd. Their absence screams that there is not enough Chinook/King salmon for them to survive on here.

Fraser River Chinook/King numbers are at a historic record low and that has caused to the southern resident orca attendance to hit a historic record low as well. These orcas used to be here literally almost every day not that long ago. Since April 23rd, 2017 and as of today (August 24th), there have been only 219 Chinook salmon counted up at the Fraser River. That is not enough to support the NOW 77 southern residents, who, as a community, need over 1000 Chinook salmon a day to survive. You can find the daily Fraser River Chinook/King test fishery numbers here.

As days turn into weeks without the residents in, I constantly worry if they are ok and miss them dearly. There is an apparent void with them gone, and all though the transient orcas have helped fill that void a bit, the empty feeling still remains.

Without an abundance of Chinook salmon, the southern residents will struggle to grow as a population, as shown in their abnormally high rates of miscarries and stillborns during times when the Chinook salmon runs are low. Juvenile and adult orcas die off during these times of hardship as well. Though their story is heartbreaking, it must be told or nothing will change. They feel like a second family to many of us on the water and it is necessary to spread awareness so that their population can recover.

Anything that helps improve Chinook runs in the inland waters as well as off the outer coast (salmon habitat restoration, sustainable fishing, polluting less, removing dams, banning Atlantic farmed salmon pens) will in turn help save the southern resident orcas. There is still hope but we must act now. We must not give up. Here are some websites with more information and how to help:

http://www.whaleresearch.com/#!about-salmon/cjla
https://www.salmonsafe.org/livewell/help-wild-salmon
https://srkwcsi.org/
http://damsense.org/
http://www.wildorca.org/?page_id=3047
http://www.orcasalmonalliance.org/about.html
http://www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-recommendations

While the southern residents have been away, the marine mammal-eating transient orcas have been in the area nearly every day. I am happy to say that with a large supply of marine mammals, the transient population is growing fast and new calves are being observed each year.

Aboard the Odyssey on August 9th, we were able to see the T18s as they headed up Haro Strait. They were in travel mode and did not make a kill while we were with them. One of the T18 members, T19B, is one of my favorite transient males due to his funky dorsal fin and massive size so it is always great to see him.

On August 12th, we encountered a humpback whale heading down San Juan Channel but soon after, we got a report of transients coming up San Juan Channel. These transients were the T46s and we all held our breath to see what would happen when the humpback and orcas crossed paths. We wondered if the humpback would get spooked or harassed. Nothing happened, at least above water, but it was cool to see them so close to each other. The T46s continued up the San Juan Channel and kindly led us back to our dock in Friday Harbor.

On August 16th, we got to see the T137s as they swam into East Sound at Orcas Island. Once in the sound, the family of four decided it was lunch time and killed multiple harbor seals. After their first kill right after we arrived on scene, they went into travel mode for a bit and T137A (the teenage male) split off and paralleled his family by a few hundred yards. When mom and his two siblings found another seal, they must have called him because he rocketed back over to them and joined in the hunt. It was amazing to see them all work together as they chased the seal down.

On the morning of August 17th, I was out on the water with some friends at Smith Island. We were just finishing up birding (found 9 Tufted Puffins!) when I spotted dorsal fins! It was the T30s and they milled about for quite a while in the same place. It appeared that they had made a kill on some sort of marine mammal. They celebrated with tail slaps, pec slaps, half breaches, and a belly flop. Out on the Odyssey later that day, we caught back up with them off of Lopez Island. They were mainly in travel mode but likely made a harbor seal kill near the Lopez Island ferry dock. It was great to see this family again, as I had not seen them since 2012!

On August 18th, the Odyssey headed for Haro Strait to see the T46Bs. I was especially excited because I had never seen this family before! They made two harbor seal kills while were with them. The first kill took place right as we arrived on scene and T46B2 celebrated with the longest headstand I have ever seen an orca do. It seemed to last forever! The family then moved on but once out in the middle of strait they found another seal. This time, there was even more celebration! T46B1A tail slapped multiple times, T46B laid on her side her pectoral fin in the air, and T46B, T46B2, and T46B1A all happily carried chunks of seal around in their mouths as they hung out by the Odyssey! One of the young ones then spy hopped with a long chunk of seal hanging from its mouth! Needless to say, everyone were pretty excited and I was probably screaming the entire time.

On August 19th, we encountered a nice sized social group made up of the T34s, T36As, T37Bs, and T46s as they headed past Stuart Island and aimed towards Swanson Channel/Boundary Pass. It was another encounter full of everyone screaming excitedly as they suddenly surfaced nearby and decided to swim underneath the boat! We could clearly see both T34’s and T37B’s new calves as they swam by underwater. It will fun to see those two cuties grow up. What will happen next?!

Please do not use my photos without my permission. Just ask.

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A Long-overdue Update

Transients Abound And The Return Of The Southern Residents: 5/13/18-6/29/18

Transients Everywhere: 4/4/18 - 5/6/18

Transients And J Pod: 3/15/18 - 3/29/18

T2Cs And J Pod: 3/9/18 - 3/11/18

Resident And Transient Encounters 1/14/18 - 3/4/18

Transient Orca Encounters 12/16/17 - 1/3/18

Resident And Transient Orca Encounters 11/4/17 - 12/7/17

Resident And Transient Orca Encounters 8/29/17 - 9/27/17

Transient Orca Encounters 8/9/17 - 8/19/17

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