With reports coming in of J pod in the vicinity on the 30th, my friends and I headed out onto the water. After a short ride from Snug Harbor to Battleship Island, we found Granny J2, Cookie J38, and Doublestuf J34 slowly meandering around. Sprouter male Cookie J38 was active and tail slapped five times, then rolled over to do an inverted tail slap. Soon after, he found a pile of detached bull kelp that was floating around and played with it for an extended period of time, and at one point poked his head out the water with the kelp hanging from his mouth. We did not see any other orcas for awhile, due to them being very spread out.
Granny J2, born around 1911.
Sprouter male Cookie J38 tail slaps. He was born in 2003.
Blackbery J27 eventually popped up over near Danger Shoal, so we headed over to take a look at his new barbed satellite tag that he acquired on December 28th. It was still attached by the titanium leaves but was a little crooked, similar to how Onyx L87's tag sat. I hope that when the tag detaches over the next few weeks or months, the barbs do not stay in his fin like they did with Scoter K25. Scoter K25 was tagged in December of 2012, and still can be seen with the barbs protruding from his swelled dorsal fin.
After circling around Danger Shoal for quite a bit of time, Blackberry began to head North, and was soon paralleling Granny J2, Cookie J38, Doublestuf J34, and Oreo J22. At one point, Oreo J22 spy hopped, and awhile later Blackberry J27 breached. The five of them loosely headed up Haro Strait together and once they reached Turn Point on Stuart Island, we left to them try to spot other J pod members further North. The next orcas we saw were Polaris J28, Tsuchi J31, and Star J46, which Ken Balcomb and Dave Ellifrit of the Center for Whale Research were with off of Moresby Island. To help Ken and Dave find more orcas, we headed up in Swanson Channel to do a little scouting. We first spotted Princess Angeline J17, Shachi J19, Eclipse J41, and Onyx L87, then Samish J14 and Se-Yi'-Chn J45. In the distance, we also saw Hy'shqa J37 and Ti'lem I'nges J49.
As we neared Mouat Point on North Pender Island, Ken and Dave spotted Slick J16, Echo J42. They also noticed that as Slick J16 surfaced, a tiny calf was tucked in her slip stream!! This new calf, designated as J50, was born sometime in late December of 2014. The relationship between Slick J16 and J50 was unclear. Born around 1972, Slick is expected to be post-reproductive, so it is possible that Slick's daughter, Alki J36, is J50's mother and that Slick was just baby sitting her grandchild so Alki could have a break. I did spot Alki towards the end of our encounter as she traveled loosely with Princess Angeline J17, Tsuchi J31, Moby J44, and Star J46, so she is not missing. Hopefully the next encounter with J pod will confirm who the mother is. Someone is at least producing milk because the calf looked healthy and was not acting lethargic. It should also be noted that J50 is extremely raked up along its dorsal fin and flanks. It is thought that J50's birth was a difficult one and that an adult whale helped pull the calf out of the mother's uterus.
After circling around Danger Shoal for quite a bit of time, Blackberry began to head North, and was soon paralleling Granny J2, Cookie J38, Doublestuf J34, and Oreo J22. At one point, Oreo J22 spy hopped, and awhile later Blackberry J27 breached. The five of them loosely headed up Haro Strait together and once they reached Turn Point on Stuart Island, we left to them try to spot other J pod members further North. The next orcas we saw were Polaris J28, Tsuchi J31, and Star J46, which Ken Balcomb and Dave Ellifrit of the Center for Whale Research were with off of Moresby Island. To help Ken and Dave find more orcas, we headed up in Swanson Channel to do a little scouting. We first spotted Princess Angeline J17, Shachi J19, Eclipse J41, and Onyx L87, then Samish J14 and Se-Yi'-Chn J45. In the distance, we also saw Hy'shqa J37 and Ti'lem I'nges J49.
As we neared Mouat Point on North Pender Island, Ken and Dave spotted Slick J16, Echo J42. They also noticed that as Slick J16 surfaced, a tiny calf was tucked in her slip stream!! This new calf, designated as J50, was born sometime in late December of 2014. The relationship between Slick J16 and J50 was unclear. Born around 1972, Slick is expected to be post-reproductive, so it is possible that Slick's daughter, Alki J36, is J50's mother and that Slick was just baby sitting her grandchild so Alki could have a break. I did spot Alki towards the end of our encounter as she traveled loosely with Princess Angeline J17, Tsuchi J31, Moby J44, and Star J46, so she is not missing. Hopefully the next encounter with J pod will confirm who the mother is. Someone is at least producing milk because the calf looked healthy and was not acting lethargic. It should also be noted that J50 is extremely raked up along its dorsal fin and flanks. It is thought that J50's birth was a difficult one and that an adult whale helped pull the calf out of the mother's uterus.
Meet J50, born sometime in late December, 2014!
J50 with Slick J16, who was born around 1972. Slick's relationship with the calf is still unclear. Is she J50's mother, or grandmother?
As we watched Slick J16, Echo J42, and J50 slowly make their way along the North Pender Island shoreline towards Active Pass, the trailing orcas slowly caught up with them. The first to catch up were Suttles J40 and Se-Yi'-Chn J45 and they both quickly headed straight over to J50 and its family. There was then a burst of activity as Suttles and Se-Yi'-Chn darted around the calf. They could have been trying to play or were just really excited over the newest member of J pod. Slick J16 then began to do high aerial scans and carried J50 on her head for an extended period of time. Whether Slick was joining in the fun/excitement, or becoming upset over the hyper youngsters around J50, I can't say for sure, but Suttles and Se-Yi'-Chn did leave Slick, Echo, and J50 soon after.
After a little while longer, we also left the J50 and family, and headed to Active pass and then slowly headed back down Swanson Channel to pick up any individuals we hadn't seen yet on the way back home. In order of appearance, we saw Ti'lem I'nges J49, Hy'shqa J37, Se-Yi'-Chn J45, Alki J36, Notch J47, Tsuchi J31, Princess Angeline J17, Star J46, and Moby J44 on our way back through Swanson.
After a little while longer, we also left the J50 and family, and headed to Active pass and then slowly headed back down Swanson Channel to pick up any individuals we hadn't seen yet on the way back home. In order of appearance, we saw Ti'lem I'nges J49, Hy'shqa J37, Se-Yi'-Chn J45, Alki J36, Notch J47, Tsuchi J31, Princess Angeline J17, Star J46, and Moby J44 on our way back through Swanson.
With the birth of J50, the Southern Resident orcas are now back up to 78 members, a step in the right direction. I'll be back at Evergreen State College soon, but hopefully Ken and Dave will have another encounter with J pod soon and confirm who the mother is. What a special, once in a life time encounter on the first day J50 was ever seen!! Hopefully the calf will live a long life.
Please do not use my photos without permission. Just ask.
Please do not use my photos without permission. Just ask.
