While driving past Lime Kiln State Park on San Juan Island on my way to my house, I could see some Southern Resident orcas headed for the park so I quickly turned around and ran down to the shoreline. It was Group A of J pod, K pod (minus Cappuccino K21 and the K16s), and the fifteen Ls who I had seen swim South past the Center for Whale Research earlier in the day after they had headed North into Canada (probably to check out the Fraser River for Chinook salmon) the previous day. Now the orcas were heading back North past Lime Kiln and eventually past the center again.
The first to arrive at the park's shoreline was Shachi J19, Eclipse J41, J51, Lea K14, and Yoda K36. Seemingly waiting for the rest of the orcas to catch up, the five of them socialized and moved back and forth along the coast. Eclipse J41 rolled over and did a few inverted tail slaps, then righted herself for a few tail slaps, Shachi J19 did one big breach, and Lea K14 tail slapped. Interestingly, J51 surfaced in Yoda K36's slip stream a few times instead of Eclipse J41's (his mother). The five of them then moved a bit North then moved back South and Yoda K36 began tail slapping repeatedly when her brother Lobo K26 and other orcas finally made their approach to the park. Lobo K26 then joined in with a few tail slaps of his own. Shachi J19 tail slapped too for good measure and someone did a inverted tail slap and pectoral fin slap. All the orcas then merged and headed back North together.
The first to arrive at the park's shoreline was Shachi J19, Eclipse J41, J51, Lea K14, and Yoda K36. Seemingly waiting for the rest of the orcas to catch up, the five of them socialized and moved back and forth along the coast. Eclipse J41 rolled over and did a few inverted tail slaps, then righted herself for a few tail slaps, Shachi J19 did one big breach, and Lea K14 tail slapped. Interestingly, J51 surfaced in Yoda K36's slip stream a few times instead of Eclipse J41's (his mother). The five of them then moved a bit North then moved back South and Yoda K36 began tail slapping repeatedly when her brother Lobo K26 and other orcas finally made their approach to the park. Lobo K26 then joined in with a few tail slaps of his own. Shachi J19 tail slapped too for good measure and someone did a inverted tail slap and pectoral fin slap. All the orcas then merged and headed back North together.
New calf J51 surfaces. He was born in February of 2015.
Eclipse J41, born in 2005, and her mother Shachi J19, born in 1979.
Lobo K26, born in 1993, and his younger sister, Yoda K36, tail slap in unison. Yoda K36 was born in 2003.
There were more tail slaps as the orcas passed by, some of them by Shachi J19, Comet K38, Eclipse J41, and Samish J14. There were pec slaps too. It was a big group to pass by all at once but while I was frantically taking shots in the choas of orcas surfacing all over the place just a few feet from shore, I could see representatives from the J14, J16, J19 (Group A of J pod), K12, K13, K14, L47 and L4 matrilines. I'm sure Nigel L95 was there too. Some of the orcas surfaced so close to play in the kelp that it might have been the closest I have ever seen them in to the shore. The type of close were you try to zoom out with your camera but can't manage fit a whole orca in your photo! Just like the day prior, Onyx L87 popped up with kelp wrapped around his dorsal fin again.
Big boy Lobo K26 surfaces close to shore.
Someone drags kelp with their dorsal fin just feet from shore.
Adult female Nugget L55, born in 1977.
Samish J14, born in 1974, tail slaps beside her daughter Suttles J40, born in 2004.
Then, just like that all the orcas had passed the park and were well on their way into Canada again. What an extraordinary encounter!! It sure had my heart pounding!
Please do not use my photos without my permission. Just ask :)
Please do not use my photos without my permission. Just ask :)
