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