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Resident Orcas From 7/18/15 To 7/25/15

7/27/2015

The Southern Resident orcas have been around quite a bit since my last blog post but I attended the fourth annual Superpod event (which was awesome!) that took place here on San Juan Island last week so that put me a little behind in posting my encounters here. Thus, this post will summarize all of my recent encounters and will pretty long with lots of photos!

On July 16th, the J14s, J19s, K13s, and K14s were up North near the Fraser River in their search for Chinook/King salmon. The next day, those four matrilines were back down at San Juan Island. The J14s, J19s, and K14s then headed back North while the K13s and Onyx L87 remained at the island. On the 18th, the J14s, J19s, and K14s were back at San Juan and were joined by the J11s, J16s, J17s, and the J22s who returned to the island with Onyx L87 and the K13s in tow that evening. To find out who returned, some friends and I headed out on the water. When we departed Snug Harbor, we immediately spotted the J16s and J22s, who were headed North for Kellet Bluff on Henry Island. The orcas were in no hurry as they foraged along the bluff.

We then headed down the South end of San Juan to find the other orcas. We found them spread out offshore of South Beach, starting with Polaris J28 and Star J46, then Yoda K36 with the K13s, followed by Blackberry J27, then Lobo K26, Lea K14, and Tsuchi J31. During our encounter we also saw a minke whale (who was near Blackberry J27) and on our way home, a humpback whale popped up near Eagle Point headed South. As we passed Lime Kiln State Park we bumped into the J16s and J22s again, who had turned around since we had first seen them and were now headed South. J50, born in December of 2014 and part of the J16s, was full of breaches as she went by the park.

Sprouter male Doublestuf J34 forages off of Kellet Bluff. He was born in 1998 and is part of the J22 matriline.

Star J46 tail slaps offshore of South Beach. She was born in 2009.

Adult female Spock K20, born in 1986. She is part of the K13 matriline.

Adult male Blackberry J27 surfaces offshore of South beach. He was born in 1991.

The next day (the 19th), the J11s, J17s, J19s, and J22s spent their morning foraging off the cliffs near my house. J51, born in February of 2015 and part of the J19s, was very active with multiple spy hops/peeps, tail slaps, rolls, and many loud above water vocalizations. Just one of J51's above water vocals was close to a J pod call, while the rest sounded like baby talk. While I was watching J51 and company, the J14s, K14s, and Onyx L87 were headed North, and later in the day the K13s headed North too. That evening, the K12s, L4s, and maybe the L47s returned to the island with the J16s in tow. Even more orcas were reported but were still out West in the Strait of Juan De Fuca so my friends and I headed out on the water again to try to find them and see who they were. What if they were the L54s? Unfortunately, rough water prevented us from finding them out there so we headed back to San Juan Island and had a very cool encounter with the other orcas.

We found the J11s, J16s, J17s, J19s, J22s, and L4s in a mosh pit offshore of Andrews Bay, with the K12s inshore of them. During the moshing, Tahlequah J35, Oreo J22, and Star J46 spy hopped, a few of the juveniles (one of them maybe being Finn L116) breached multiple times, Oreo J22 played with some kelp, a few individuals tail slapped. Young males Cookie J38 and Pooka L106, who were a short distance away from the mosh pit, wrestled around together and showed off their sea snakes. Once the moshing was over, all the orcas headed South together.

J51, born in February of 2015, spy peeps off of the cliffs near my house.

Oreo J22 surfaces off the cliffs near my house. She was born in 1985.

From left to right: Kasatka L82, Surprise L86, Tsuchi J31, J51, and Shachi J19 after the mosh pit.

On the 20th, the J14s, K13s, K14s, and Onyx L87 came back down to San Juan Island from the North and the L4s, J16s, and others left the area through the Strait of Juan De Fuca. The K13s then went back North. The next day, the K13s came back down to the island again while the J14s, K14s, and Onyx L7 headed back to the island from Partridge Bank and they headed North.

On the 22nd, the J11s, J16s, J17s, J19s, J22s, shuffled up and down the West side of the island. Later that day, the K12s, K16s, L4s, L26s, L43s, and L47s returned to the island and they formed a big, tight group with the J11s, J16s, J17s, J19s, and J22s right off the cliffs and slowly made their way North. Their slow travel speed also gave me enough time to catch them at two other spots to up the shoreline, including Lank Bank. Many of the orcas were in an active mood as they passed the cliffs. Slick J16, Blackberry J27, Polaris J28, Doublestuf J34, and Cookie J38 played with kelp, Tika K33, Sekiu K22, Jade L118, J50, and few others tail slapped, Tika K33 did an inverted tail slap and a pectoral fin slap, Kasatka L82 lunged past someone who was in the middle of an inverted tail slap, Opus K16 cartwheeled, others did dorsal fin and pectoral fin slaps, and some, including Shachi J19 swam by the cliffs upside down.

When I headed quickly North and caught the group again, Princess Angeline J17, Moby J44, Kasatka L82, and Finn L116 were tactile and rolled around together. J52 practiced some spy peeps and aerial scans, Tahlequah J35 spy hopped, Moonlight L83 dorsal fin slapped, and Cookie J38 tail slapped. I then headed North to Land Bank and caught them again. Most of the orcas were no longer close to shore. Tahlequah J35, Kasatka L82, Sequim K12, and a few others got into a breaching mood and there were many cartwheels from some excited individuals too. Tika K33 did an inverted tail slap again, someone was being tactile with Mystic L115, Mike J26 played with kelp, and somebody tail slapped. That evening, the J14s, K14s, and Onyx L87 came back down from the North and probably had a big party with the rest of the orcas.

Polaris J28 in the big group off the cliffs. She was born in 1993.

Big male Crewser L92, born in 1995.

Sprouter male Tika K33 tail slaps. He was born in 2001.

Jade L118 tail slaps. She was born in 2011.

Tahlequah J35 spy hops. She was born in 1998.

Tahlequah J35 breaches off of Land Bank.

On the 23rd, the J11s, J17s, and J22s stayed at San Juan, while the J14s, J16s, J19s, K12s, K13s, K16s, L4s, L26s, L43s, and L47s went North. The K14s went north independently later in the day. The next day, everyone who went North the previous day joined the J11s, J17s, and J22s at San Juan and then everyone headed back North. On the 25th, J, K, and L pod (minus the L12s and L54s) came back down from the North. Out on the Odyssey of San Juan Excursions, we caught up with the orcas as they headed towards San Juan Island from Stuart Island. They were all very spread out. We saw the K13s first and Skagit K13 caught a salmon right off our bow! She could have called to her adult son, Scoter K25, who was nearby because he then rushed over to her and they both dove. I am inclined to think that they shared the salmon underwater. I think Comet K38 (Skagit K13's grandson) also caught a salmon a few minutes later. He then played with some kelp afterwords. Next, we saw the J19s and the K14s (and may more orcas in the distance) who were inshore of us, and then the K16s, including Cappuccino K21, passed by. We saw the K12s, L4s and L47s last.

Adult female Skagit K13 surfaces with a salmon in her mouth! She was born around 1972.

Adult male Cappuccino K21, born in 1986.

The next day (the 26th), J, K, and almost all of L pod exited the area through the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Wow! It's been crazy, but super amazing!!

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

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Js, Ks, And Ls On 7/12/15

7/16/2015

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The morning of July 12th revealed that some more J, K, and L pod members had returned to the area and were down at Salmon Bank off the South end of San Juan Island. By the afternoon, the J14s, J19s, and K14s had made their way back down to the island from their trip North the previous day and met up with the rest of the orcas. Aboard the Odyssey of San Juan Excursions, we headed out to see about 48 out of the 81 Southern Resident orcas.

The first orcas we saw when we arrived on scene was the J16 matriline. Slick J16, her new daughter J50, Alki J36, and her new son J52 passed by inshore of us, while Mike J26 and Echo J42 were offshore. J50 belly flopped twice at one point. Tsuchi J31 popped up near the J16s and offshore some the K12s surfaced. All the orcas were very spread out in small groups as far as the eye could see but most everyone was angling South at this time. The next orcas we saw were the J17s. Princess Angeline J17 and her son Moby J44 were spread out further inshore, while Polaris J28, Tahlequah J35, Star J46, and Notch J47 traveled tightly together as they passed us.

J50, born in December of 2014, and her mother, Slick J16.

Then, off in the distance to the South, we could see that many of the orcas were gathering together and had formed two big resting lines. We headed over to the closest one, which was Westbound and made up of the J11s, J19s, and K13s (thirteen individuals all together at that point). Nearby, Mike J26 belly flopped two times in a row but he did not join them.

The J11s, J19s, and K13s in their resting line, the two males being Scoter K25 and Blackberry J27.

Adult male Mike J26 belly flops. He was born in 1991.

Then, the K12s popped behind us and they soon joined the J11s, J19s, and K13s in their line (now 18 individuals). On the other side of the Odyssey, the other resting line was surfacing so we focused on them for a bit. This second resting line, which was heading Northwest, was made up of the Granny J2 (who was full of tail slaps), the J14s, K14s, Onyx L87, Moonlight L83, and Midnight L110 (thirteen individuals all together). Then, both lines seemed to transition into more of a travel mode.

When I looked back at the other larger group we had been with, I noticed that Tahlequah J35, Notch J47, and Muncher L91 had joined them, so that group was now made up of twenty one individuals! This larger group began to point North just before we were about to the leave the scene. Other orcas were still scattered around the area and had not joined the two large groups. These orcas would have been the J16s, the rest of the J17s, three of the L4s, and the rest of the L47s.

Muncher L91 tail slaps. She was born in 1995.

The next day, some of these Js, Ks, and Ls headed North for the Fraser River. On the 14th, Js and Ks were back at San Juan Island but Granny J2, the J14s, J19s, K13s, K14s, and Onyx L87 headed back North again while the J11s, J16s, J17s, J22s, and K12s stayed at the island. On the 15th, some of the orcas were outbound in the Strait of Juan De Fuca, while the K13s came back down to the island via Boundary Pass, and Granny J2, the J14s, J19s, K14s, and Onyx L87 came back to the island via Rosario Strait. What will happen next!?

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

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Ks And The L22s On 7/8/15

7/15/2015

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With reports of orcas off the West side of San Juan Island on the morning of the 8th, I drove over to Land Bank near Lime Kiln State Park on the island to see who was around. From shore, I could see a few orcas milling off of Deadman's Bay and they soon decided to head South towards Land Bank, allowing me to see that it was the K13 matriline (Skagit K13, Spock K20, Scoter K25, Deadhead K27, Cali K34, Comet K38, and Ripple K44). The seven of them passed by close to shore and I expected them to keep going South so I headed to some cliffs near my house further South on the island to see them again. However, they actually continued to hang out off of Land Bank/Lime Kiln for a bit. Eventually, they did make it to the cliffs but they were super far offshore in a resting line.

(Almost) sprouter male Cali K34, born in 2001, surfaces off of Land Bank.

With other orcas reported further South off of Eagle Point, I left the K13s, drove down to American Camp, and sped walked down to Granny's Cove, which overlooks the point. It was no surprise that it was the L22s (Spirit L22 and Solstice L89) at the point. The two of them had been milling/foraging around there since the 5th. I could also see sprouter male Tika K33 and a few other orcas off in the distance to the North, which I assume was the rest of Tika's family known as the K12 matriline (Sequim K12, Sekiu K22, Tika K33, Rainshadow K37, and Saturna K43). Spirit L22 and Solstice L89 milled about at Eagle Point but also came over close to Granny's Cove a few times, while the other orcas stayed at or North of the point. Hopefully they were finding enough Chinook/King salmon to eat there.

Adult male Solstice L89 surfaces off of Granny's Cove. He was born in 1993.

Then, I could see whales watching boats heading North which made me think the K12s were heading North for the cliffs near my house, so I left the L22s and headed back there. The Northbound orcas turned out to be the K13s again who were now closer to shore and still in resting mode. Once they had made their way past me, I headed back home.

From left to right: Cali K34, Deadhead K27, Scoter K25, and Skagit K13.

As the sun was setting that evening, I headed back to Lime Kiln State Park to see who I thought was going to just be the K13s from shore again but it turned out to be J pod, the rest of K pod, and some Ls who had snuck back into the area a few hours before! I caught the last of the trailers at the park as they headed North. I saw Cookie J38 and Doublestuf J34, Scoter K25 passed by offshore, and Tika K33 and his mother, Sekiu K22, brought up the rear. Later that night, I made a two recordings of the orcas as they partied it up on the Orcasound hydrophone. You can listen to them here.

Adult female Sekiu K22, born in 1987, surfaces right of the rocks at Lime Kiln.

The next day, some Js, Ks, and Ls, including Spirit L22 and Solstice L89, exited the area through the Strait of Juan De Fuca, while Group A of J pod (minus the J16s) and the K14s came down Boundary Pass and down to the West side of the island. On the 10th, Group A and the K14s were in the Strait of Juan De Fuca but were coming back into the area instead of leaving. Once at they reached the island, they did the "West side shuffle" in their search for salmon. On the 11th, Group A (still minus the J16s) and the K14s headed North for the Fraser River but would be back at island the next day for a very cool encounter!

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

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J, K, And Nearly All Of L Pod On 7/6/15

7/12/2015

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On July 5th, J, K, and almost all L pod made an appearance at San Juan Island. The L12s were soon set to leave again though and were headed West for the open ocean in the Strait of Juan De Fuca by the afternoon, except for the L22s, who split off from the L12s and foraged off of Eagle Point. While the L12s and L22s were doing their thing, J, K, and the rest of L pod (minus the L54s) headed North for the Fraser River. The next day, the L12s were gone but the L22s were still hanging around Eagle Point and J, K, and L pod (still minus the L54s) came back down to San Juan Island from the North.

Later that afternoon, the orcas did a little "West side shuffling". From shore at Lime Kiln State Park, I watched as J, K, and nearly all of L pod headed North past the park and again few hours later as J pod (now minus the J16s), the K14s, and the Ls came back South past the park while the J16s and rest of K pod decided to continue North and did not pass the park again.

On their first pass, the orcas went by in two large groups with a few matrilines sprinkled in between. The first large group was made up of Granny J2 (who was full of tail slaps), the J11, J14, J17, J22, K12, and K14 matrilines. The J19s and K13s might have passed by before them because they are not in my photos and I think I missed some orcas before I got to the park as I was just driving past and chanced on their pass by. Next to pass the park were the K16s and Cappuccino K21, who were a bit offshore. Then came the L4s, L26s, L43s, and L47s in the second big group. This was my first time seeing Racer L72 and Fluke L105 (from the L43s), plus Ballena L90 and Crewser L92 (from the L26s) this season as the four of them had not visited the island until the day prior! Fluke L105 is sure getting big! Last to pass by slightly offshore of the park was the J16 matriline.

Granny J2, born around 1911, tail slaps off the rocks at Lime Kiln State Park.

Polaris J28 surfaces close to shore. She was born in 1993 and is part of the J17 matriline.

From left to right: Muncher L91, Ballena L90, Crewser L92, and Pooka L106.

A few hours later, J pod (now minus the J16s), the K14s, and the Ls came back South past the park while the J16s and rest of K pod continued North. The first to pass by were the J14s and K14s close to shore, followed by the J11s, J17s, J19s, J22s, L4s, L26s, L43s, L47s, and Onyx L87 all spread out offshore.

Adult male Lobo K26, born in 1993. He is part of the K14 matriline.

Sprouter male Doublestuf J34, born in 1998. He is part of the J22 matriline.

The next day, the K13s headed down Boundary Pass and returned to San Juan Island. The J16s were also around and hung out near Lime Kiln for a bit. The L22s were still foraging off of Eagle Point and the K12s were also down in that area. However, J and nearly all of L pod were on their way of the area through the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Where would they all be the next day?

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

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Js And The K14s At Lime Kiln On 7/2/15

7/10/2015

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On July 1st, J pod and the K14s were headed back into the area in the Strait of Juan De Fuca after seemingly escorting the L12s out (see previous encounter). Once the orcas crossed Haro Strait and reached San Juan Island, Group A of J pod (minus the J16s) and the K14s headed North while the rest of J pod remained South. The Next day, the J16s and J22s were outbound in the Strait of Juan De Fuca while the rest of J pod and the K14s did the "West side shuffle" at San Juan Island.

That evening, I headed to Lime Kiln State Park to watch the orcas from shore as they were headed North. The orcas were very spread out, with Granny J2, Lea K14, Lobo K26, and Onyx L87 being some of the first orcas to pass by offshore. More were coming up from the South but it took them a little longer to the reach the park as they stalled out in front of Deadman's Bay and appeared to be either intensely socializing or herding/chasing salmon. There were lots of direction changes, lunges, porpoising in unison every which way, a few spy hops, and lots of splashes. The rambunctious orcas turned out to be Samish J14, Shachi J19, Tsuchi J31, Hy'shqa J37, Suttles J40, Eclipse J41, Se-Yi'-Chn J45, Ti'lem I'nges J49, and J51 once they passed the park. Hy'shqa J37, Suttles J40, Se-Yi'-Chn J45, and Ti'lem I'nges J49 were a little spread out closer to shore while Samish J14, Shachi J19, Tsuchi J31, Eclipse J41, and J51 traveled tightly together slightly offshore. Then, Suttles J40 decided she wanted to travel with the tight slightly offshore group so she paused, turned, and headed out to join them.

Ti'lem I'nges J49, born in August of 2012, surfaces next to his mother, Hy'shqa J37, born in 2001.

Bringing up the rear were the J17s, in order of Tahlequah J35 and Notch J47, followed by Polaris J28 and Star J46, and lastly, Princess Angeline J17 and Moby J44. Soon everyone, except for Princess Angeline J17 and Moby J44, were North of the park and out of view. Then, Moby J44 and Princess Angeline J17 both breached repeatedly, and Moby J44 did an inverted tail slap. The two of them then turned around and headed back for the park, followed by everybody else.

Moby J44, born in 2009, breaches North of Lime Kiln State Park.

During this second pass by, most of the orcas were very close to shore and traveling closely together. Tsuchi J31 (who cartwheeled a few times) passed by first, followed by Polaris J28, Star J46, Se-Yi'-Chn J45, Samish J14, and Suttles J40. Next to pass by was Shachi J19, Eclipse J41, J51, Hy'shqa J37, Ti'lem I'nges J49, Lea K14, Yoda K36, Lobo K26, Kelp K42, Tahlequah J35, Notch J47, and Princess Angeline J17. On one of Lobo K26's surfacings, he had kelp dangling from his tall dorsal fin. Granny J2, Blackberry J27, Mako J39, and Moby J44 were also somewhere in the chaos and Onyx L87 brought up the rear very far offshore.

Samish J14, born around 1974, surfaces super close to shore, her unique closed saddle patch visible.

Lea K14, born in 1977, and her son Lobo K26, born in 1993, surface together right off the rocks at the park.

Hy'shqa J37, Yoda K36, Lea K14, and Kelp K42 surface close to shore.

The next two days (July 3rd and 4th) were a little confusing in terms of which matrilines from J pod were where, but they, as well as the K14s, were in the area. However, July 5th brought a big surprise with the return of the rest of K pod and all of L pod (minus the L54s) to the island! Stay tuned!

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

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J Pod, The K14s, And The L12s On 6/30/15

7/9/2015

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While volunteering at the Center for Whale Research on June 30th, reports came in of the J16s off the South end of San Juan Island, and later that Group A of J pod and the K14s were headed down Boundary Pass. Then, more orcas besides the J16s were found off of False Bay and Mega L41 was reported, indicating that the L12s (a matriline we don't see too often anymore) could have returned to the island. To confirm, I left the center and drove down to the cliffs near my house. Mega L41 surfaced off the rocks and Ocean Sun L25 popped up offshore. Both were headed North quickly, the flood tide giving them an extra push. Tahlequah J35 and her young son Notch J47 (members of Group B of J pod) were offshore too, fighting the flood tide as they aimed South.

With the L12s back in town, I met the Center for Whale Research's Dave Ellifrit at Snug Harbor and we headed out on the water under permit to see them. We headed down Haro Strait and arrived on scene with Spirit L22 and her adult son Solstice L89 just a little North of Pile Point. The two were pointed South but were also milling about in their search for Chinook/King salmon. We could see a few more orcas to the South of us so we headed on down and identified them as Notch J47 and Tahlequah J35. Even further South was Mega L41, Ocean Sun L25, and inshore of them, Cousteau L113. Ocean Sun L25 then shot South towards Eagle Point where we came upon Calypso L94 and her new calf L121 (born in February of 2015) who were also headed South. L121’s older sister, Cousteau L113 soon joined them and Ocean Sun L25 and Mega L41 continued South past them. There was some occasional porpoising from Cousteau L113 and L121 as they traveled and L121 practiced a tail slap.

Then, Echo J42 and her new younger sister J50 (born in December of 2014!) joined Calypso L94, Cousteau L113, and L121 just a little North of Eagle Point and the five of them played/socialized together for a bit. Echo J42 and Cousteau L113 surfaced side by side in unison a few times and the two calves darted around together. Cousteau L113 also tail slapped a few times and so did J50. Echo J42 then began pushing and lifting J50 out of the water, which caused J50 to make an excited little squeak!

We then headed offshore into rougher water and found adult males Blackberry J27 and Mystery L85, as well as Matia L77 and her young daughter Joy L119 (who I named!) as they headed South. Mike J26 was also nearby but he moved inshore and inverted tail slapped at one point. Blackberry J27 and Mystery L85 interacted and surfaced together a few times and Joy L119 was super playful as per usual with multiple tail slaps, pectoral fin slaps, dorsal fin slaps, a spy hop, a cartwheel, and a big aerial scan!

We then headed inshore for a bit and found Polaris J28 and her young daughter Star J46 Northbound off of South Beach. Echo J42 and J50 then reappeared near us with Slick J16 and the three were soon joined by Alki J36, her new son J52 (born in March of 2015!), Calypso L94, Cousteau L113, and L121. They all then turned and aimed North. We now had a social group that contained three out of the four new Southern Resident orca calves and it was crazy! Again, J50 was pushed around at the surface, but this time it was by her mother, Slick J16. Cousteau L113 tail slapped again, someone did an inverted tail slap, and Slick J16 did a big spy hop.

J50 getting lifted/pushed around by her mother, Slick J16. If you look closely, J50's eye is open! Photo taken under NMFS Permit 15569/ DFO SARA 272. Do not use without permission.

Back offshore of Eagle Point, we found Spirit L22 and her son Solstice L89 again. The two were zigzagging around, usually pointing offshore or North. Spirit L22 did a half breach, a cartwheel, a spy hop, and multiple tail slaps during our time with them. Blackberry J27 then reappeared with his sister Tsuchi J31 and the two of them headed North after Blackberry J27 milled about with Solstice L89 a little. Way offshore of us we could see more orcas who were probably the rest of Group B of J pod (minus the J22s). Mega L41 and Ocean Sun L25 also passed us again as they headed North. Calypso L94 and L121 showed up soon after and L121 traveled North in Spirit L22's slip stream while Calypso L94 went off on her own temporarily. L121 then reunited with Calypso L94 and the two dropped back behind Spirit L22 and Solstice L89.

Adult male Solstice L89, born in 1993. Photo taken under NMFS Permit 15569/ DFO SARA 272. Do not use without permission.

As we traveled with Solstice L89 and Spirit L22, Solstice L89 picked up the speed, ditched his mother, and aimed North with purpose. Most of the orcas we had been with were now headed North quickly as well. Group A of J pod and the K14s had arrived on the West side of the island and were headed South for the Group B and the L12s, who could probably hear them now. We soon saw Group A of J pod and the K14s spread out off of Hannah Heights.

When Solstice L89 reached the leaders of Group A and the K14s, he greeted Samish J14 and her young son Se-Yi'-Chn J45 as they headed South past him before he continued North. Calypso L94, L121, and Spirit L22 soon arrived after porpoising up from the South and inshore, we could see Lobo K26 and a few others Southbound. Mystery L85 made a reappearance from the North but soon passed us and headed for False Bay. Samish J14 and Se-Yi'-Chn J45 then turned around and joined up with Hy'shqa J37, Ti'lem I'nges J49, Calypso L94, Cousteau L113, and L121 to roll around and socialize briefly. Se-Yi'-Chn J45 showed curiosity in L121 and followed the calf around and one point, Calypso L94 logged at the surface, repeatedly making L pod calls above the water! While Calypso L94 was above water vocalizing, L121 stayed next to her and even did a little spy peep! Then, Samish J14, Hy'shqa J37, Se-Yi'-Chn J45, and Ti'lem Inges J49 left Calypso L94 and her kids to head South. Ti'lem I'nges J49 gave a breach and a tail slap as they separated.

L121 spy peeps next to its mother, Calypso L94, as she above water vocalizes. Photo taken under NMFS Permit 15569/ DFO SARA 272. Do not use without permission.

Then, Shachi J19, Eclipse J41, and her new calf J51 (born in February of 2015!) appeared with Solstice L89 in tow as they all headed South. Mega L41 was trailing them and Spirit L22 was inshore. We left the orcas as they all continued South near Kanaka Bay. Dave and I ended up seeing all four of the new Southern Resident calves in one encounter! How cool is that!? To read more details of our encounter, see the Center's version here.

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

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The J16s On 6/28/15

7/3/2015

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On the 28th, Group A of J pod, the K12s, K13s, and K14s left San Juan Island and headed North towards the Fraser River in Canada in their search for Chinook/King salmon. Almost all the orcas chose Swanson Channel and Active Pass to get there, but the J16s split off and decided to take Boundary Pass instead. Aboard the Odyssey of San Juan Excursions, we caught up the matriline of six in Canada as they milled about off of Saturna Island before continuing to make their way towards East Point and closer to the river.

The J16 matriline is made up of Slick J16, her four offspring named Mike J26, Alki J36, Echo J42, and J50 (born in December of 2014!), and her grandson, J52 (born in March of 2015!). The family was spread out for the most part. Slick J16, Echo J42, and J50 stayed close to the shoreline while Mike J26, Alki J36, and J52 were more offshore. At one point, Alki J36 logged momentarily at the surface to get some rest and her son J52 did the cutest little spy hop next to her! Alki J36 then chose to bring her calf right past our bow. Soon after, the two of them met up with Mike J26 and he became the babysitter for a few minutes while Alki J36 took a deep dive to forage. J52 treated his uncle just like he would his mother and surfaced in his slip stream a few times!

J52 spy peeps next to his resting mother, Alki J36, who was born in 1999.

J52 surfaces in his uncle's slip stream while being babysat! Look at the size difference!

Adult male Mike J26 surfaces off of Saturna Island. He was born in 1991.

Once J52 was back with his mom, he started tail slapping and continued to practice the behavior nearly all the way to East Point. Once they all made it to the point, Echo J42 breached and we turned to head back towards San Juan Island. The next day, Group A of J pod and the K14s were back down at San Juan Island but they then headed back North for Canada, taking an interesting route around Spieden Island and the Cactus Islands to get into Boundary Pass. While they were doing that, the J16s, K12s, and K13s were down at San Juan Island doing the "West side shuffle". However, the next day (the 30th) would bring a surprise!

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

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T036As, T075Bs, And T077A On 6/27/15

7/3/2015

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Aboard the Odyssey of San Juan Excursions on the 27th, we departed Friday Harbor, headed up San Juan Channel, and up into President's Channel to see some marine mammal eating Transient orcas that had been reported by other whale watching boats. When we arrived on scene near Waldron Island, the orcas were traveling slowly down the middle of the channel and may have made a kill before we arrived as there were some tail slaps, splashes, and an aerial scan. However, they soon settled back down. Off in the distance towards the shoreline of Orcas Island, a loner male known as T077A very loosely associated with the other orcas and paralleled them. Then, the group we were with, which we had been keeping a respectful distance away from, suddenly "mugged us" right off the bow, and their close pass revealed that they were the T075Bs and (after later ID confirmation at home) the T036As.

The T075B matriline is made up of T075B, her two offspring, T075B1 and T075B2 (born in April of 2015!), and her younger sister, T075C. The T036As are made up of T036A and her three offspring: T036A1, T036A2, and T036A3 (born sometime in early 2015!). It was so cool that these two families, both with new calves, were hanging out together!

T075C, born in 1998, shows her unique freckled eye patch while surfacing off the bow.

The T036As and T075Bs then picked up the speed and made their way over to Jones Island in search of their marine mammal prey. Their next stop was Yellow Island and for a moment T077A popped back up again near them but then continued on his way, angling across San Juan channel towards the San Juan Island side. The T036As and T075Bs also headed down San Juan Channel (crossing the path of a Washington State Ferry at one point) but stuck to the Shaw Island side.

Sprouter male T077A, born in 1996. He often travels by himself or with other matrilines besides his own.

T036A3, born sometime in early 2015, surfaces next to its mother, T036A.

T075B2, born in April of 2015, surfaces next to its mother, T075B.

We then said our goodbyes and headed for the dock in Friday Harbor, which the orcas had pretty much escorted us right back to! This was such an awesome encounter as it is not every day we get to see Transient orca calves that are just a few months old!! Stay tuned!

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

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The K And L Pod Shuffle On 6/24/15

7/2/2015

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All day long on June 24th, the K12s, K13s, and the fifteen L pod members from the L4 and L47 matrilines (plus Nigel L95) did the "West side shuffle" off of San Juan Island while Group A of J pod (usually made up of Granny J2, the J14s, J16s, J19s, and Onyx L87) and the K14s headed North for the Fraser River in their search for Chinook/King salmon. I watched the orcas from some cliffs near my house for most of the day and the K12s passed by me six times in total as they headed South, then North, then back South, then North, South, and back North again. The K13s passed me three times in total (North, South, and back North), and the Ls headed South towards me from the North once but turned around just as they passed me and headed back North.

Sekiu K22 breached and tail slapped beside her son Tika K33 when I first arrived at the cliffs and further offshore Saturna K43, who was with her mother Sequim K12 and older brother Rainshadow K37, joined in with some tail slaps. The orcas were headed South but then stopped and milled about/foraged for a bit before heading North together. Tika K33 logged at the surface for a short time before he rolled over, slapped his pectoral fin, righted himself, tail slapped, cartwheeled, and tail slapped again. However, the orcas did not get too far away before they turned back around and came slowly back South towards me in resting mode. Sequim K12, Rainshadow K37, and Saturna K43 pulled ahead of Sekiu K22 and Tika K33 and the three of them formed a little resting line. All five eventually came in close to shore for their passes, allowing me to get some great shots, especially of Rainshadow K37, who I rarely see for some reason.

Rainshadow K37, born in 2003. He is just about ready to sprout!

Sprouter male Tika K33, born in 2001.

Once they passed, Sequim K12, Rainshadow K37, and Saturna K43 woke up and got active. Rainshadow K37 breached, while Sequim K12 turned around, came back over extremely close to shore, and played in the kelp. Saturna K43 started cartwheeling, tail slapping, pec slapping, and backdiving. Once Sequim K12 was out of the kelp and heading South again, she breached high out of the water, tail slapped many times, and ended with another big breach.

Rainshadow K37 breaches!

Sequim K12 coming in extremely close to shore to play in the kelp! She was born around 1972.

Seqium K12 swims around while supporting a tiny strand of kelp on her rostrum.

Sequim K12 breaches!

Of course, it was not long before the five orcas had turned around and were headed back North past me. This time however, the K13s were right behind them in the short trip North. Skagit K13 came closest to shore, while her offspring (Spock K20, Scoter K25, Deadhead K27, and Cali K34) and grandsons (Comet K38 and Ripple K44) were further offshore. Then, the K13s and K12s were swimming back past me again, headed South, with the K13s in the lead and the K12s trailing.

Skagit K13, born around 1972.

I went back home for a little bit and then returned to the cliffs to find Kasatka L82 and her son Finn L116 close to shore headed South. Muncher L91 and other members of the L4s and L47s were offshore of them. Kasatka L82 then cartwheeled and tail slapped and all the Ls turned around and went back North. Back up from the South, the K12s and K13s appeared and passed by me again slightly offshore (and for the last time) as they followed the Ls North. Saturna K43 was tail and pec slapping again and Tika K33 was full of inverted tail slaps and pec slaps. Then, Saturna K43 poked her head out the water with her mouth wide open and continued to swim around like that for about half a minute! Sekiu K22 came closest to shore and did a lazy cartwheel as she passed by me.

Saturna K43 pokes her head out the water with her mouth open! She was born in 2010.

The next day, the K12s, K13s, and the fifteen Ls were seen exiting the area through the Strait of Juan De Fuca by whale watching boats, while Group A of J pod and the K14s were back down at San Juan Island after their quick trip to the Fraser River. I was out on the water with some friends for a little bit that morning to see who all was around and got some good looks then as the orcas made their way North from the South end of island, as well as later in the day from the cliffs near my house as they headed back South.

Mike J26, born in 1991, does an inverted tail slap on the morning of 6/25/15. He is part of the J16 matriline.

On the 26th, Group A split up and Granny J2, Onyx L87, the J14s, and the K14s headed for the Fraser again while the J16s and J19s stayed at San Juan Island and hung out in front (but slightly offshore) of Lime Kiln State Park that evening. More to come!

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

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