On the evening of July 27th, J and K pod (minus the K16s and Cappuccino K21) returned to San Juan Island. The next day, both pods were still at the island and spent most of their day foraging for Chinook/King salmon. On the 29th, Group A of J pod (minus the J16s), the K13s, and the K14s headed North for the Fraser River while Group B of J pod (including the J16s) and the K12s stayed at the island. On the 30th, Group B and the K12s were still at the island while Group A, the K13s, and the K12s came down Rosario Strait. While the K13s headed over to San Juan Island, Group A and the K12s turned around and went back up Rosario. The next day, the K13s headed North and met up with Group A and the K12s who were coming down Boundary Pass. Group B and the K12s were out near Trial Island in the Strait of Juan De Fuca that morning but were back at San Juan Island by the afternoon. On the morning of August 1st, J and K pod (still minus the K16s and Cappuccino K21) were out at Constance Bank in the Strait Juan De Fuca but it was't long before they were back at the island. Group A of J pod (minus the J16s), the K13s, and the K14s then headed North for the Fraser River, while Group B of J pod (including the J16s) and the K12s remained at the island.
The next day (August 2nd) brought surprises. That morning, I went out to cliffs near my house and was happy to see that the L12s had returned to the island. They were moving South with Hy'shqa J37, Ti'lem I'nges J49, Spock K20, Rainshadow K37, and Comet K38 towards many more orcas that were spread out to the South of me in a very active and celebratory mood. I waited patiently until they all headed back North later in the day and went back out to the cliffs again once they were swimming past.
The orcas were spread out in lots of social groups and it soon became clear that other L pod members besides the L12s had returned to the island. When I arrived at the cliffs, Moonlight L83, Muncher L91, and Midnight L110 (from the L47s) were milling around close to shore, while Surprise L86 and Pooka L106 (from the L4s) were offshore. Pooka L106 tailed slapped multiple times and Surprise L86 did an inverted tail slap. Both of them spent a lot of time logging at the surface too, seemingly waiting for the other orcas to catch up with them. To the South of me, I could see Marina L47 and Mystic L115 milling about and many more orcas headed towards me.
The L47s, Surprise L86, and Pooka L106 then started to all merge offshore and milled about. Sprouter males Tika K33 and Nigel L95 (from the L43s) joined them and there was lots of rolling, spy hopping, pectoral fin slapping, and socializing from the group. Another group made it's way past that group and came in close to shore as they headed North. This group was made up of Granny J2, Princess Angeline J17, Oreo J22, Doublestuf J34, Cookie J38, and Moby J44. Sprouter male Doublestuf J34 was full of tail slaps and also played with some kelp multiple times. The group passed by me once and then they came back! This is when everyone, except for Doublestuf J34, started spy hopping, Princess Angeline doing so three times. Moby J44 also cartwheeled.
The next day (August 2nd) brought surprises. That morning, I went out to cliffs near my house and was happy to see that the L12s had returned to the island. They were moving South with Hy'shqa J37, Ti'lem I'nges J49, Spock K20, Rainshadow K37, and Comet K38 towards many more orcas that were spread out to the South of me in a very active and celebratory mood. I waited patiently until they all headed back North later in the day and went back out to the cliffs again once they were swimming past.
The orcas were spread out in lots of social groups and it soon became clear that other L pod members besides the L12s had returned to the island. When I arrived at the cliffs, Moonlight L83, Muncher L91, and Midnight L110 (from the L47s) were milling around close to shore, while Surprise L86 and Pooka L106 (from the L4s) were offshore. Pooka L106 tailed slapped multiple times and Surprise L86 did an inverted tail slap. Both of them spent a lot of time logging at the surface too, seemingly waiting for the other orcas to catch up with them. To the South of me, I could see Marina L47 and Mystic L115 milling about and many more orcas headed towards me.
The L47s, Surprise L86, and Pooka L106 then started to all merge offshore and milled about. Sprouter males Tika K33 and Nigel L95 (from the L43s) joined them and there was lots of rolling, spy hopping, pectoral fin slapping, and socializing from the group. Another group made it's way past that group and came in close to shore as they headed North. This group was made up of Granny J2, Princess Angeline J17, Oreo J22, Doublestuf J34, Cookie J38, and Moby J44. Sprouter male Doublestuf J34 was full of tail slaps and also played with some kelp multiple times. The group passed by me once and then they came back! This is when everyone, except for Doublestuf J34, started spy hopping, Princess Angeline doing so three times. Moby J44 also cartwheeled.
Granny J2, born around 1911, spy hops right off the cliffs.
Princess Angeline J17, born in 1977, spy hops.
Moby J44 cartwheels. He was born in 2009.
Oreo J22, born in 1985, spy hops. See the freckles on her eye patch?
It seemed that these orcas were also waiting for the other orcas to catch up and were curious on their whereabouts. Soon, Polaris J28 and Star J46 joined the group and they all continued North. The next group to arrive and mill about for a little bit before continuing North was made up of Shachi J19, Mike J26, Blackberry J27, Tsuchi J31, Doublestuf J34 (who had left the group he had just been with),Tahlequah J35, Alki J36, Mako J39, Eclipse J41, J51, J52, Scoter K25, Lobo K26, Ocean Sun L25, Mega L41, Onyx L87, Calypso L94, L121, and a few others. Offshore, Solstice L89, Cali K34, and many others surfaced, headed North.
From left to right: males Doublestuf J34, Blackberry J27, Mega L41, and Scoter K25.
I then headed North to Lime Kiln State Park to have another close encounter with the orcas from shore. The K14s and L4s were in the lead when I arrived and Kelp K42 did a really big belly flop! Lapis L103 and Jade L118 both tail slapped on their way past and Lapis L103 also did a dorsal fin slap and inverted tail slap. Granny J2, Slick J16, Shachi J19, Oreo J22, Mike J26, Blackberry J27, Tsuchi J31, Doublestuf J34, Alki J36, Cookie J38, Eclipse J41, J50, J51, J52, and a few others were close behind. Oreo J22 spy hopped again and little J50 breached.
Kelp K42 is mid belly flop. He was born in 2008.
There were lots of other orcas offshore. Onyx L87, and then Mako J39, were next to pass by. They were followed by some of the L12s, who had Deadhead K27 and Ripple K44 with them. L121 was very active with tons of tail slaps, a few aerial scans, and general splashing around. Spirit L22 and Solstice L89 were a little behind but eventually made their way past after milling a little outside of Deadman's Bay. Spirit L22 came by very close to shore and tail slapped, while Solstice L89 swam by slightly offshore. Skagit K13 and Cali K34 also passed by close to shore and the rest of the K13s were offshore. The J14s, Matia L77, Mystery L85, Nigel L95, Joy L119, and a few others were last to pass by.
L121, born in February of 2015, does an aerial scan next to mom.
Spirit L22 surfaces close to shore. She was born around 1971.
Though all the orcas had passed the park, I stayed put because it was likely that the L12s would turn around and head back South, which they did, but very, very slowly with lots of miling. Ocean Sun L25 and Mega L41 were in the lead and Ocean Sun L25 backdived and breached as she approached the park's shoreline. She also cartwheeled later on and tail slapped a few times. Calypso L94 and L121 were next, and Calypso L94 had a tail slap in her too. Matia L77, Mystery L85, Cousteau L113, and Joy L119 brought up the rear. Matia L77 tail slapped a few times as they went by and Mystery L85 belly flopped twice. A few miles North, Spirit L22 and Solstice L89 were still pointed North but eventually met back up with the L12s that evening.
Adult male Mystery L85 in mid belly flop. He was born in 1991.
On the 3rd, I was surprised to find the L12s off of the cliffs near my house again. They had actually spent the night and hadn't left the island as soon as they had come in like all of their other previous visits this season so far! That afternoon, J pod and the K14s came back down from their trip up North and met back up with the L12s a little South of Eagle Point. A party ensued with many tail slaps (especially from Granny J2), spy hops (two of them being from Granny J2), breaches (one from Spirit L22), belly flops, backdives, dorsal fin slaps (Cousteau L113), cartwheels, aerial scans, and more. While this was happening, other residents, who I assume were at least the K12s and K13s, if not the L4s, L47s, and L95, were coming down Boundary Pass and they made it to the island that evening. The next day, the residents were exiting the area through the Strait of Juan De Fuca. 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.
