Minke Whale Follows L Pod Members On 6/22/13

Much of L pod returned to San Juan Island during the night of 6/20/13. On 6/21/13, the orcas spent most of the day foraging along the West side of the island for Chinook salmon, and on 6/22/13, I woke up to see two L pod matrilines called the L12's and L22's outside my window as they did the West side shuffle. Once aboard the "Odyssey", of San Juan Excursions, we caught up with members of the L12s near Eagle Point. The first orca we saw was Mega L41, the oldest and largest male of the Southern Resident population.

Mega L41, born in 1977. His dorsal fin alone is five feet tall.

Extremely cropped picture of Mega L41's unique dorsal fin and saddle patch.

Nearby was Ocean Sun L25, the second oldest female in the Southern Resident orca population, the first being Granny J2, estimated to have been born in 1911.

Ocean Sun L25, estimated to have been born in 1928. Ocean Sun is thought to be Lolita the captive orca's mother. To learn more about Lolita, click on this picture.

The next orcas we were with were Matia L77 (Mega L41's younger sister), and her calf L119. L119 was looking healthy and is as adorable as ever. We watched the two as they circled and milled about off our bow for a few minutes and that is when something happened that surprised all of us!

L119, first seen on 5/29/12.

L119 (left) surfaces next to her mother Matia L77, who was born in 1987.

L119 (left) dives with her mother's tail flukes visible next to her.

SUDDENLY A MINKE WHALE SURFACES! The minke whale's snout pokes out of the water (top right) as he/she surfaces a few feet away from Matia and L119!

We had not known that there had even been a minke whale in the area but here one was following Matia and L119, often surfacing in unison with them. This sort of thing has happened a few times this year as well as in the past, but I had only seen it once before, and far away. I wonder if it's the same minke??

The minke whale's back and dorsal fin.

A minke whale is a baleen whale that can often be found around San Juan Island and they are just about the same size as the orcas, maybe a little bigger. Since these were Resident orcas who only eat salmon, this minke whale was not on the menu and the minke seemed well aware of this. We watched as the minke followed the two orcas closely for a few minutes and every turn the orcas made, the minke would do the same. Later on, another whale watching boat saw the same minke follow Mega around for twenty minutes.

This encounter made me wonder about the possible interactions happening underwater. Were they socializing? Playing? Was the minke helping herd salmon for the orcas? Were the orcas helping herd herring for the minke? Or was the minke just kind of in the background? Maybe someday we will find out what is happening underwater when minke whales hang out with J, K, and L pod, but for now it's a mystery.

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As the sun was setting on 6/22/13, I got a report of orcas heading toward my house on the West side of the island. It was the L22 matriline, which consists ofSpirit L22, and her two adult sons; Skana L79 and Solstice L89. The water was calm, and there was no sound but the breaths of these three orcas. A great way to end the day.

Spirit L22, born around 1971, surfaces just offshore of my house.

Solstice L89, born in 1993, surfaces in front of the Olympic Peninsula.