J Pod, K Pod, And The Fifteen Ls On 6/21/15

After J, K, and some of L pod returned the previous day, I woke up early on the morning of 6/21/15 and was eager to see which orcas had stuck around, if any. Soon, I was standing along some cliffs just a little North of my house and I could see lots of orcas spread out to the North of me and few to the South, with the Northern orcas slowly heading South towards me. A little North of me and a bit offshore, Onyx L87 (who travels with J pod instead of L pod) was socializing/rolling around with Marina L47 and Midnight L110. Onyx L87 spy hopped and tail slapped a few times and Midnight L110 was full of pec slaps, tail slaps, and inverted tail slaps.

There were more orcas further offshore, some of them being the Nigel L95, the J14, and the J19 matrilines. Inshore, Moonlight L83 slowly made her way past me and tail slapped a few times. She was followed by Ophelia L27, Surprise L86 (who also tail slapped), and Pooka L106. Then, the J14s and J19s began breaching and tail slapping and everyone turned around and headed back North. The K14s soon joined the rest of the Northbound orcas from the South.

I then drove North to Lime Kiln State Park to have another encounter from shore. The first orcas to pass me a little offshore off the park were Takoda L109 (who breached twice), Lapis L103, Nugget L55, and Jade L118. Sprouter male Tika K33 and his mother Sekiu K22 were not far behind them, and Sequim K12, Saturna K43, and Granny J2 were next. Further offshore was Kasatka L82 and her young son Finn L116. Then, closer in, the J14s, Pooka L106, and Surprise L86 went past. Rainshadow K37 surfaced nearby and Ophelia L27 was a little offshore of him. In the J14s, Suttles J40 tail slapped twice and Se-Yi'-Chn J45 tail slapped once. Then the J19s and K14s then passed by, and Onyx L87 surfaced super close to shore, playing with kelp along the way.

Adult male Onyx L87 with kelp wrapped around his dorsal fin. He was born in 1992.

Muncher L91 and Nigel L95 were next to pass by and both were very close to shore with kelp wrapped around their dorsal fins too. The L47s then made their way past and were followed by the K13s.

Muncher L91, born in 1995, surfaces close to shore at Lime Kiln.

Sprouter male Nigel L95 plays with some kelp. He was born in 1996.

Next in the procession were the J11s, J16s, J17s, J22s, and Sonata K35 in a big group very close to shore. Both Oreo J22 and Tahlequah J35 spy hopped as they went by. Polaris J28 and Tahlequah J35 took time to play with some kelp too. Offshore, Opus K16 and Cappuccino K21 surfaced.

New calf J52 surfaces next to his mother, Alki J36. J52 was born in late March of 2015.

Adult male Mike J26, born in 1991, surfaces close to shore at Lime Kiln State Park.

Tahlequah J35 plays with some kelp by lifting it with her tail fluke. She was born in 1998.

Tahlequah J35 spy hops right off the shoreline at Lime Kiln.

All the orcas continued past Lime Kiln but near the North end of San Juan Island, they split up and J pod broke into their Group A and B. Group A, almost all of K pod, and the fifteen Ls continued North, while Group B, the K16s, and Cappuccino K21 headed back South. The J16s then decided they wanted to be independent for a bit and dropped back miles behind the rest of the Northbound orcas but slowly aimed North. Where would everyone be the next day? Stay tuned!

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