CONTACT
San Juan Orcas
  • HOME
  • ORCA ENCOUNTERS BLOG
  • IDENTIFICATION HELP
  • HELP THE ORCAS
  • LINKS

L Pod All Day Long On 6/22/14

6/25/2014

0 Comments

 
L pod decided to travel up and down the West side of San Juan Island all day on the 22nd, giving me multiple opportunities have close encounters with them from shore. In the morning, they quickly headed North past Lime Kiln State Park. After a little while, they turned around and swam right past again but this time they were in resting lines. Later on, I caught up with them one more time as they foraged and played together just a little South of the park. Nearly all of L pod has been around since the morning of the 19th, when everyone but the L54's (which includes Wave Walker L88 and Nyssa L84) came in. By the next day, the L12's and L22's had left, but the remaining matrilines (the L4's, L26's, L43's, and L47's) have continued to stick around.
Picture
Moonlight L83 breaches offshore of Lime Kiln State Park. She was born in 1990.
Picture
Marina L47, born in 1974, plays with kelp draped over her dorsal fin.
Picture
Picture
L pod members line up as they make their way past Lime Kiln State Park for the second time.
Picture
Crewser L92, born in 1995, and his sister Ballena L90, born in 1993.
Picture
Fluke L105, born in 2004, rolls on his side to slap his pectoral fin on the water.
Picture
Marina L47, Mystic L115, Surprise L86, Kasatka L82, Nugget L55, Jade L118, and Lapis L103 surface together.
Picture
Moonlight breaches again.
Picture
Moonlight tail slaps during my third encounter.
Picture
A young male named Takoda L109 spy hops while playing with two other youngsters; Midnight L110 and Jade L118.
Picture
Lapis L103, born in 2003, tail slaps.
I'm so happy that J and L pod have been around so much this summer! It has been the complete opposite of last year, which is when the presence of the Southern Resident orcas in the inland waters hit an all time low. They had literally never been so scarce in the area. At the moment, the orcas do seem to be finding salmon and they look pretty plump too! Hopefully their presence will continue through the rest of the season and K pod will come in soon to join the party!

Please don't use my photos without permission. Just ask.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Melisa Pinnow grew up on San Juan Island in Washington State. She attended The Evergreen State College from 2013 to 2017, receiving a Bachelor of Science in marine biology and ornithology. She has been a certified marine naturalist at San Juan Excursions since 2010. It is her hope that sharing her orca encounters will inspire others to love and protect these magnificent creatures for generations to come.

    Picture

    Archives

    October 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    March 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

Proudly powered by Weebly