All of K pod and everyone from L pod except for the L54, L12, and L22 matrilines returned to area on the night of 7/18/13. Early the next morning they both zoomed up the West side of San Juan Island and were already at Pender Island in Canada soon afterwords. K pod continued North past Saturna Island for the Fraser River while the L's turned around at Patos Island and began to head back South. Aboard the "Odyssey", the San Juan Excursions boat I work on, we headed up to Patos and soon found ourselves with Surprise L86 and her family.
Jade L118, niece/nephew to Surprise, tail slapped and breached a few times, giving me a look at the belly markings. Jade appears to be a female, and this is the second photo I have gotten of a probable Jade showing belly markings, with the other shot showing female markings as well. But the Center for Whale Research will be the one to officially declare the gender of Jade once they get a picture of his/her belly markings.
Jade L118, niece/nephew to Surprise, tail slapped and breached a few times, giving me a look at the belly markings. Jade appears to be a female, and this is the second photo I have gotten of a probable Jade showing belly markings, with the other shot showing female markings as well. But the Center for Whale Research will be the one to officially declare the gender of Jade once they get a picture of his/her belly markings.
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Jade L118 breaches.
After Jade L118, Surprise L86, Kasatka L82, Finn L116, and Lapis L103 swam past, Surprise's son Pooka L106 and her nephew Takoda L109 began wrestling and goofing off nearby.
Takoda L109, born in 2007, rolls over his cousin Pooka L106, born in 2005.
Super cropped photo of Pooka doing an aerial scan while playing with Takoda.
Takoda surfaces to take a breath.
Pooka swims on his side while playing with Takoda, exposing his tail flukes.
Pooka surfaces.
In the distance Kasatka L82, born in 1990, spy hopped and right afterwords her aunt Surprise L86, born in 1991, back dived.
Pooka lifts his tail flukes in the air while playing with Takoda, who's dorsal fin is visible in the lower left hand corner.
In the distance I could see a few other L pod matrilines, including Racer L72's family, Marina L47's family, and Crewser L92, with his aunt Ballena L90.
Muncher L91 cartwheels. She is one of Marina's daughters and was born in 1995.
 Moonlight L83, Marina's other daughter, breaches a few times! |  She was born in 1990. |
By sunset, L pod was back on the West side of San Juan Island, but was soon exiting the area through the Strait of Juan De Fuca for the open ocean. K pod spent the night up at the Fraser River, continuing to hunt for Chinook salmon.
