On the night of the 28th, I had wondered if J and/or L pod would leave during the night, or stick around. Luckily, they stuck around! Upon seeing Southern Resident orcas heading North outside my window in the afternoon, I tagged along with Captain Spencer of Legacy Charters to see who all was around. Soon we were on scene with different J and L pod matrilines, who were spread along much of the West side of San Juan Island. During our encounter we saw members from the J4, J14, J16, J22, L4, L43, and L47 matrilines as they traveled, foraged, and socialized together. In particular, a young male named Takoda L109 was incredibly active, breaching over and over again.
Alki J36 back dives! She was born in 1999.
Nugget L55, Jade L118, Kasatka L82, Surprise L86, and others surface together.
Takoda L109 breaches! He was born in 2007.
Takoda breaches again!
Takoda breaches once more!
Slick J16, born around 1972.
Mike J26, born in 1991.
It has been so amazing to have J's and L's around for so long. Hopefully it means they are finally finding enough salmon and that their bellies are full! Special thanks to Captain Spencer for letting me tag along!
Please don;t use my photos without permission. Just ask :)
Please don;t use my photos without permission. Just ask :)
