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