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Transient and Resident Orcas (7/15/17 - 8/3/17)

8/4/2017

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Since my last update, I have had lots of encounters with the marine mammal-eating transient orcas and a few encounters with salmon-eating southern resident orcas.

On July 15th, we saw the T34s and T37Bs twice on the Odyssey of San Juan Excursions. On our morning trip, we watched as the two matrilines (each with a new calf) as they hunted harbor seals along Fattop Island. They definitely made at least one kill there and celebrated with multiple spy hops. After a bit of milling around, they eventually moved over to White Rock, made another kill, and celebrated again with a spy hop, tail slaps, aerial scans, and other excited behaviors. It was amazing to see how the orcas maneuvered very close to the rocky shorelines and worked together to catch their prey. On the afternoon trip, we met back up with them up in Georgia Strait. They were slowly traveling up the strait, with their bellies likely quite full after having such a successful morning!

On July 16th, we encountered the T34s and T37Bs again on the Odyssey as they headed up Rosario Strait. It was lunch time for them as they circled and milled about at Peapod Rocks while frightened harbor seals looked on. They likely made at least one kill while we were with them and they celebrated with a spy hop and aerial scans.

On July 18th, a few salmon-eating southern resident orcas returned to San Juan Island. It was four matrilines from L pod known as the L4s, L26s, L47s, and L72s (19 out of 35 L pod members). I watched the Ls from shore as they looked back and forth along the island for Chinook/King salmon to eat. The next morning, they were already leaving the area in their search for a place with greater salmon abundance.

On July 23rd, the southern residents were back. The L4s arrived first from the Strait of Juan De Fuca, followed by the L26s, L47s, L72s, and all of J pod. We got to see more than half of the entire endangered southern resident orca population (only 78 orcas) from the Odyssey. It was great to see the Js and Ls socializing and having some fun. They seemed excited to back in what was historically their home for much of the year when Chinook/King salmon were plentiful. However, they could not stay for long and headed back out the Strait of Juan De Fuca a few days later.

Aboard the Odyssey on July 27th, we saw the T34s and T37Bs again up near Sucia and Matia Island. When we first arrived on scene they were in travel mode but they then switched to hunting mode and milled about for a bit. It was unclear if they managed to successfully catch whatever they were hunting while we were with them.

On August 2nd, the T18s came into the area from the Strait of Juan De Fuca and the Odyssey traveled up the west side of San Juan Island with them. Amazingly, when they reached Open Bay, they turned and swam into Mosquito Pass, passed Roche Harbor, and popped out in Spieden Channel. I have never heard of transients going all the way through Mosquito Pass in recent years, if ever! It was also great to see one my favorite transient males, T19B!

On August 3rd, the 19 Ls returned to San Juan Island, with the L4s arriving first, just like on July 23rd. Aboard the Odyssey, we spent time with the L4s as well as three humpbacks that seemingly felt threatened by them. They seemed to think that the L4s were marine-mammal eaters instead of salmon-eaters. The three humpbacks stuck close together, trumpeted loudly as they exhaled, and moved away from the orcas. What an interesting encounter!

The Ls started to leave the area that night and were outbound in the Strait of Juan De Fuca the next day. Since April 23rd, 2017 and as of today (August 4th), there have been only 72 Chinook/King salmon counted up at the Fraser River so it is better that they look for salmon elsewhere at this time.

Please do not use my photos without my permission

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Transient Orcas Common and Resident Orcas Rare in Late June/Early July, 2017

7/14/2017

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Hello again! My boyfriend and I are back home on San Juan Island permanently now! A few weeks ago, I graduated from Evergreen State College with a BS in marine biology and ornithology and we now have our own place on the island!

After returning to the island on June 17th, my first orca encounter for the summer took place on June 21st aboard the Odyssey of San Juan Excursions. It was two marine mammal-eating transient orca matrilines known as the T75Bs and T77s. As they headed north in Rosario Strait, they paused and killed what was likely a harbor seal along the shoreline of Blakely Island. T75B spy hopped twice in celebration.

On the 22nd, the Odyssey encountered another transient matriline called the T65As off of Saltspring Island as they slowly traveled toward Satellite Channel. They did not appear to make any kills while we were with them.

On the 25th, I woke up very early in the morning and headed out to the west side of San Juan Island to scan for orcas. As I stepped out onto the rocky coastline near my old house, salmon-eating southern resident orcas were suddenly within a few feet of me as they headed north. It was all of J pod and one matriline from K pod known as the K14s. It was great to see them again but were they going to find enough Chinook/King salmon to sustain themselves here like they did historically? After spending a few days at San Juan Island and making a few trips up to the Fraser River, J pod and the K14s left on June 30th. They have not been back since.

This summer will likely be very hard for the southern residents unless something changes up at the Fraser River. Much like the summer of 2013, Fraser River Chinook/King numbers have been very low so far and that means that J, K, and L pod will spend less time in the inland waters than they did historically. Since April 23rd, 2017 and as of today (July 14th), only 43 Chinook/King salmon have been counted up at the Fraser River. That is not enough to support the 78 southern residents, who, as a community, need over 1000 Chinook salmon a day to survive. While we all miss the J, K, and L pod very much, the best thing for their health is to stay away from here until there is enough Chinook/King for them. You can find the daily Fraser River gill net test fishery results here.

Without abundant Chinook/King salmon, the southern residents will not be able to grow as a population, as shown by their abnormally high rates of miscarriages and stillborns during times when the salmon runs are low. Anything that helps improve Chinook/King runs in the inland waters as well as off the outer coast will in turn help save J, K and L pod. Here are some websites with more information and how to help:


https://www.whaleresearch.com/about-salmon
https://www.salmonsafe.org/
https://srkwcsi.org/
http://damsense.org/
http://www.wildorca.org/?page_id=3047
http://www.orcasalmonalliance.org/about.html
http://www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-recommendations

While the southern residents have been away, the marine mammal-eating transient orcas have been in the area nearly every day. With a huge supply of marine mammals, the transient population is growing fast with new calves observed each year.

On June 30th, the Odyssey encountered a large social group of transients that was made up of T36, the T36Bs, the T37As (including T37A1), T51, and the T99s. They were all headed north in San Juan Channel and at one point, the T99s spooked and scattered a large group of harbor seals that were hauled out on a large rock. Almost all the seals flew into the water as T99 and her three offspring passed by close to the rock.

On July 1st, the Odyssey spent some time with the T49As as they headed north in San Juan Channel. The sprouter male of the matriline, T49A1, has grown so much since I last saw him. His dorsal fin is quite impressive.

On July 2nd, the Odyssey encountered the T34s, T37, the T37Bs, and the T46s as they headed north in Rosario Strait. And there was a surprise! Make that two surprises! Both T34 and T37B had new calves with them!

On July 6th, the Odyssey got to see the new calves again as the T34s, T37, the T37Bs, and the T77s headed toward Rosario Strait between Sinclair and Lummi Island.

On July 13th, the Odyssey was with the T34s, T37, the T37Bs, and T51 again as they headed south in Rosario Strait. Who will we see next?

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

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Transient and Resident Orcas Over Spring Break

4/6/2017

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On the evening of March 24th, my boyfriend Johnny and I returned home to San Juan Island for spring break. The next morning, marine mammal-eating Transient orcas were sighted. Aboard our friend’s boat, we arrived on scene off of Flattop Island. They were the T36B and T46 matrilines and they soon headed over to O’ Neal Island and went into hunting mode. Co-worker Dave Ellifrit was also on scene and you can visit the Center for Whale Research’s encounters page to read his encounter.

The T36Bs and T46s milled about for a while and may have made a kill when the T99s arrived out of nowhere and joined the other two matrilines. As the T99s were joining them, members of the T36Bs and T46s logged in a line the surface, almost like what greeting ceremonies looked like with the salmon-eating Southern Resident orcas (J, K, and L pod). All the orcas then got very tactile, and social. There were multiple breaches, back dives, headstands, tail slaps, pec slaps, dorsal fin slaps, cartwheels, spy hops, and aerial scans. The T36Bs, T46s, and T99s then continued down San Juan Channel and past Friday Harbor, occasionally returning to excited tactile and social behavior temporarily. We left them as they had just passed Turn Island, aiming for Cattle Pass.
 
On the 28th, J pod appeared in San Juan Channel late in the day. We quickly jumped aboard Maya’s Legacy Charter’s vessel ‘Imagine’ for a quick look and arrived on scene with all the J17s swimming past Jones Island as they headed south in a loose group. Onyx L87 was further out in the middle of the channel trailing the J17s. More Js then popped up off in the distance further up the channel. We left as the J17s were approaching Yellow Island. It was still very sad to see the J17s without Polaris J28 and Dipper J54, and Onyx L87 without Granny J2.
 
At 7:00 in the morning on the 29th, we headed out on the water with our friends in search of orcas. Not long after we left the dock, a report came in of a pod seen nearby at West Beach, Orcas Island. We headed for West Beach through slightly lumpy seas and rain and Johnny spotted the orcas right away offshore of Freeman Island. It was almost all of J pod and they were in two resting groups paralleling each other as they slowly moved north in President Channel. The larger group was made up of the J11, J14, J19, and J22 matrilines. It was still sad to see the J22s without Doublestuf J34. The other group was made up of the J16s and they were closer to the Orcas Island shoreline. The J17s and Onyx L87 were not accounted for and had split off from the rest of the pod.

The two groups then moved away from each other as the J16s continued around Point Doughty, Orcas Island, while the J11s, J14s, J19s, and J22s aimed for Patos Island. Both groups woke up soon after with multiple breaches, belly flops, spy hops, tail slaps, and cartwheels. The J11s, J14s, J19s, and J22s moved further away and eventually disappeared in the choppy seas and rain.

The J16s headed east between Sucia and Orcas Island and eventually, Mike J26 split off from them and aimed for the channel between Patos and Sucia Island. After a while, the rest of the J16s also turned in that direction. The now spread out J11s, J14s, J19s, and J22s re-appeared with some making their way along the Sucia Island shoreline, while others were further out in the channel. The J16s paralleled the others and they soon all passed Parker Reef heading southeast. The seas quickly deteriorated and we left them as Sonic J52 breached, cartwheeled, and tail slapped next to his mother Alki J36 in sharp 3-5 foot waves and building winds.

On the morning of the 30th, the J16s were spotted in Boundary Pass. That evening, we headed out on our friend’s boat to join them. We arrived on scene a little south of East Point, Saturna Island. The family of six were headed for Boiling Reef. Slick J16, Alki J36, Echo J42, Scarlet J50, and Sonic J52 were closer to shore, while Mike J26 was offshore.

Once they reached Boiling Reef, Mike J26 joined the rest of his family and they went between the reef and Saturna Island. They then continued past Tumbo Island slightly spread out, then re-grouped and moved further out into Georgia Strait. Slick J16, Mike J26, Echo J42, and Scarlet J50 formed a resting group, while Alki J36 and Sonic J52 paired up behind them and also rested. We left them aiming for Texada Island. What a great spring break! See ya'll in the summer!

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

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J pod and Transient Orcas Over Winter Break

1/8/2017

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On the evening of December 19th, I returned home to San Juan Island for winter break. On the 21st, I had my first winter break orca encounter when I went out under permit with co-worker Dave Ellifrit to check on J pod. Visit the Center for Whale Research’s encounters page to read about that encounter.

On December 28th, J pod was back again, this time in San Juan Channel. Jeff Friedman aboard "J1" found them in the channel as they headed north off of Yellow Island. When Dave Ellifrit, as well as my friends and I arrived scene, the orcas were very spread out in singles and small groups, with some individuals already near Spieden Island, while others were still further down the channel. We saw Shachi J19, Tsuchi J31, Hy’shqa J37, Suttles J40, Eclipse J41, Ti’lem I’nges J49, and Nova J51 milling/socializing together before we headed down the channel from Green Point, Spieden Island.

Soon, there were blows up ahead and they turned out to be from Mako J39 and Star J46 as they headed north. We then found Mike J26 foraging and slowly heading north by himself. As we aimed towards Jones Island, we saw Onyx L87 and Se-Yi’-Chn J45 heading north together. We continued towards Jones Island and found Echo J42 and Scarlet J50 milling together. Alki J36 and Sonic J52 joined them soon after and the four headed north together. Slick J16 had joined them by time they reached Flattop Island.

We moved back over to Spieden Island as more and more members of J pod appeared. Eventually all of J pod filed up the shoreline of Spieden Island and into New Channel. I had never seen southern residents in New Channel before, though I know they had used the route before. This was my first time seeing all of J pod after the loss of a few members. It was sad to see the J17s without Polaris J28 and Dipper J54, and hard to see the J22s without Doublestuf J34, who was found dead the week prior.

Someone else was missing too. Granny J2 was not there. Granny was the 10th southern resident to die in 2016 (if you count the unnamed calves). However, she likely died of old age. It has been years since we have had a southern resident die of old age. She likely did not die prematurely like almost everyone else has in recent years. She lived a long life, like very southern resident should but often do not get the opportunity to because of us. I am happy she lived as long as she did (estimated age of 105 years old) and hope other southern residents are able to do the same in the future. Granny will always be missed. We left J pod under an overcast sky and with the sun about to set, as they rounded the backside of Spieden Island and aimed for Battleship Island in Haro Strait.
 
On the morning of December 30th, I was out on the water with some friends and we had just passed Constance Bank in the Strait of Juan De Fuca when orcas were spotted back at San Juan Island. Dave Ellifrit was alerted and we soon joined him in the search. Dave quickly found them off of Battleship Island. It was T77A and T49A2. The pair zig-zagged their way from Battleship Island, to Spieden Island, and on to Stuart Island, where they entered Reid Harbor. Once in the harbor, they found of what was likely a harbor seal and gave chase. After multiples lunges and direction changes, the smell of blubber oil was in the air. Seagulls noticed and arrived to pick up the scraps. T49A2 celebrated the kill with many tail slaps, as well as a few cartwheels and breaches. T77A tail and pec slapped a few times and breached once.

As Dave was leaving T77A and T49A2 to head back to the dock, he spotted more blows off of Spieden Island! It was the T86As and T124As. And for an added surprise, there were two new calves in tow: T124A6 and T124A2B! The orcas made their way down Haro Strait and then turned toward Sidney Island. Once they neared Sidney Island, they went up Miners Channel. As they passed Halibut Island, a kill took place and T124A2 surfaced with a chunk of a seal in her mouth. The two matrilines regrouped after the kill and quickly passed Mandarte Island. As they neared Forrest and Domville Island, they split up, spread out, and there were many direction changes, but no kill could be confirmed. They then regrouped again and continued on between Forrest and Domville Island. We left them as the sun was about to set, still between the two islands and aiming for Moresby Passage. This was my last encounter in 2016.

On January 5th, I had my first orca encounters of 2017! My friends and I were in the Strait of Juan De Fuca and as we neared the entrance of Port Renfrew from the east, the dorsal fin of a large male orca surfaced inshore of us. Then many more whales appeared. We moved towards the large, tight group and found that there were thirteen individuals from the T11, T41, and T109 matrilines! I had been waiting years to meet the T11s, especially the massive male known as T11A! The group headed west at about 5 knots and we left two miles west of where we found them.

After leaving the T11s, T41s, T109s off of Port Renfrew, we started back home for San Juan Island. As we were crossing Haro Strait and nearly back to Snug Harbor with a little time to spare before sunset, a small group of orcas popped up off the port side. They were T124A3, T124A2, T124A2A, and T124A2’s new calf, T124A2B, again (saw them on Dec 30th, 2016). They headed south at 10-11 knots for a few minutes before we was realized they were joining up with other orcas. Two more groups appeared: the rest of the T124As (with the other new calf, T124A6) and the T86As, who now had the two T124Ds with them. With light fading, we left the whales east of Seabird Point, Discovery Island.

On January 7th, a small group of orcas was spotted off the west side of San Juan Island late in afternoon. With not much light left in the day, my friends and I quickly departed Snug Harbor and found their blows within minutes of leaving the dock. The orcas were just south of Smuggler’s Cove, headed north. When they surfaced again, I was extremely excited to see that it was the T18s! The family contains T19B, my favorite transient male! The family of four continued north, passed Open bay, and rounded Kellet Bluffs on Henry Island. With the sun about to set, we left them as they aimed for Battleship Island. What a great way to end winter break!! See ya'll spring break!

Please do not use my photos without my permission. Just ask.
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September: Last Days With The Orcas

9/24/2016

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Time for another update. On September 22nd, I left home on San Juan Island to head back at Evergreen State College for my senior year! In the days that led up to the 22nd, I was lucky enough to encounter both southern resident and transient orcas, many humpbacks, and even a gray whale. Below is a slideshow that shows some of the photos I took during these encounters.

This was a difficult summer and year for the southern residents. Chinook salmon abundance was low and the orcas suffered because of it. Samish J14 (1974-2016) passed away in August, and Polaris J28, as well as her calf Dipper J54, still continue their battle to survive in their emaciated conditions (update:
Polaris J28 and Dipper J54 both passed away in October). However, there were losses before summer too. In January, J55 was born but passed away soon after, and Tsuchi J31 was seen supporting what was likely a stillborn calf at the surface. In March, the body of an undocumented female southern resident calf was found near Sooke, and then Nigel L95's (1996-2016) body was recovered too. Then in May, Deadhead K27 was seen supporting a deceased premature calf at the surface.

With only two calves that were actually born alive (but passed away soon after), and two born dead, plus the losses of the two adults, the southern resident population went backwards this year. Hopefully Polaris J28 and her son will survive, and there will be no more losses in 2016. Hopefully we will see stronger Chinook salmon runs next year, especially from the Fraser River. If not, hopefully the southern resident orcas find enough Chinook elsewhere. If the four lower Snake River dams were breached, it could give them the boost that they need.


Now that I am at college, orca encounters will likely slow down until next summer. However, when I am back up on the island during breaks, I will likely catch up with orcas again.
Thanks so much for following my posts here, and see you and the orcas next summer!

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

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Resident Orcas: August-September

9/6/2016

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 Time for an update! Since August 16th, the southern resident orcas have continued to move in and out of the area in their constant search for Chinook salmon. August was a hard month for the southern residents with the sudden and unexpected loss of Samish J14, as well as Polaris J28’s battle to survive whatever is ailing her. Amazingly, Polaris J28 is still alive (as of September 4th) and may be slowly recovering, but it got to a point in mid-August where I would go out and check for her or her nursing calf J54’s body along the shoreline of San Juan Island because I thought they were that close to death. But that was weeks ago and I remain cautiously hopeful for both Polaris J28 and her calf J54.

There are three amazing encounters I want to highlight since my last update. The first was on September 17th. As I stood along the rocky shoreline at Lime Kiln State Park, J pod (minus the J17s and J22s), the K14s, and K16s were slowly swimming past in social groups. Then one group, consisting of the J11s, J14s, and J16s came right into the kelp! You could see their entire bodies underwater as they glided past just feet from shore! This is the type of encounter you dream about happening at Lime Kiln!

Another encounter took place on August 3rd. I was watching part of the J17s, Suttles J40, Se-Yi’-Chn J45, and some of the K12s from the cliffs near my house. The rest of J pod, the K14s, K13s, and the L12s were also around, spread out before me for miles. The first close pass by was from Tahlequah J35, Suttles J40, Se-Yi’-Chn J45, and Notch J47. The four of them were in a tight resting line as they slowly passed by super close to shore.  A little while later, Tahlequah J35, Suttles J40, and Notch J47 came back to the cliffs and joined up with Princess Angeline J17 and J53 and everyone logged at the surface together in a line, except for J53 who did not want to rest and kept darting around! I had never seen so many individuals log at the surface together in a line so this was a very unique sight for me to see. The logging group then woke up and Notch J47 breached. Offshore, Sequim K12, Sekiu K22, and Saturna K43 were acting similarly and at one point, Sequim K12 tail slapped a few times.

Something interesting to note is that Suttles J40 and Se-Yi’-Chn J45 ended up staying at the island while the rest of the family (Granny J2, Hy’shqa J37, and Ti’lem I’nges J49) headed north for the Fraser, along with the J16s, J19s, K13s, and K14s. I can’t help but think the loss of Samish J14 has made this family less close-knit.

The third encounter was on August 4th. Aboard the Odyssey of San Juan Excursions, we met up with the J11s, Suttles J40, Se-Yi’-Chn J45, and the L94s as they socialized offshore of South Beach. I love seeing the orcas socialize because they often show their playful sides. Mako J39 and his older brother Blackberry J27 would leave the larger group, mess around, and then rejoin the group again. They did this multiple times. Mako J39 was full of tail slaps and must have done them at least a dozen times. He also rolled onto his side (nearly on top of his brother’s head) and did an inverted tail slap. At one point, Blackberry J27 also did an inverted tail slap. He then laid on his back and slowly sank his lower body so that he became vertical in the water. We could see his giant face just under the water as he seemed to be staring up at the sky! The larger group were also energetic and tactile, with many tail slaps, a few inverted tail slaps, spy hops, and belly flops.

Towards the end of the trip, the group began to disperse. Mako J39 and Blackberry J27 left and went their separate ways. Calypso L94 and Windsong L121 headed north, but Tsuchi J31, Suttles J40, Se-Yi’-Chn J45, and Cousteau L113 continued to roll around together. Suttles J40 then forcefully lifted Cousteau L113 out of the water and the sound if their bodies making contact sounded like two boulders colliding. Cousteau L113 then tail slapped and continued rolling around with Suttles J40 and the other two.

Below is a slideshow that shows some of the photos I took during these three encounters, as well as a few other encounters between August 16th and September 4th. Please do not use my photos without my permission.

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Resident Orcas: July And August

8/16/2016

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Time for another update! Since July 18th, the southern resident orcas have been moving in and out of the area and have kept me very busy! I think the photos in the slideshow below can speak for themselves on what my encounters have been like with these amazing marine mammals.

There are two encounters I want to highlight. The first was on August 8th. My boyfriend Johnny and I were watching J pod from shore that morning. Polaris J28, Star J46, and J54 were milling about close to shore and it looked like Star J46 successfully caught a few salmon. Star J46 then began breaching and cartwheeling. Off the distance, we noticed a male we expected to be from J pod but as he got closer we realized he was Lobo K26! K pod had finally returned to the inland waters for the first time since early June! Johnny and I rushed to alert my coworkers at the Center for Whale Research and we were out on the water under permit soon after. It was so great to see K pod again after their long absence. The encounter summary can be viewed on the Center’s blog.

The other encounter took place on the evening of August 14th. I was standing along the cliffs near my house when the K12s and K13s passed by extremely close to shore. It was great to see the orcas in such a playful mood as they frolicked in the kelp beds, breached, spy hopped, cartwheeled, and tail slapped. Spock K20 and sprouter male Cali K34 were the two most interested in the kelp and both spy hopped multiple times very close to shore. Cali K34 even surfaced with a strand of kelp hanging from his gaping mouth. His teeth look very nice! Deadhead K27, Cali K34, and Ripple K44 were the breachers. Sprouter male Tika K33 also came over close to shore as the sun was about to set, the mist from his exhale illuminated in the evening light. This encounter will stay with me for a long time. Enjoy the photos.

Please do not use my photos without my permission. Just ask.
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Resident Orcas From 7/8/16 - 7/18/16

7/18/2016

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Time for an update! Since July 7th and up to today on July 18th, some southern resident orcas have been around every day. Let’s just hope they are finding enough Chinook salmon here to survive. On July 8th, the J14s, J19s, and Onyx L87 came down Rosario Strait from the north and arrived at San Juan Island, while the rest of J pod (minus the J11 matriline) joined them via Juan De Fuca Strait from the open ocean. I watched from shore as the orcas spread out along the island in forage mode, eventually committed to a direction, and headed back north towards the Fraser River.

On July 9th, J pod (minus the J11s) came back down from the north via Boundary Pass, were at San Juan Island again and then turned back north in slow moving social groups very close to shore. I saw them from shore in the morning at Lime Kiln State Park when they arrived and then aboard Odyssey of San Juan Excursions later when they had turned around. Cookie J38 and Se-Yi-chn J45 were having some male bonding time offshore of the groups inshore that were full of breaches, tail slaps, spy hops, pectoral fin slaps, and more above water behaviors.

On the 10th, the Js came back down to the island from the north via Rosario Strait. From the cliffs near my house that evening, I could see Sonic J52 breaching, tail slapping, and cartwheeling over and over again offshore. Samish J14, Suttles J40, and Ti’lem I’nges J49 also came very close to shore. They all then headed back north.

On the 11th, J pod (minus the J11s) came down Rosario again but once they were at San Juan Island, they headed offshore and seemed to be leaving the area. Eclipse J41 and her son Nova J51 came over close to shore near my house before they turned and headed far offshore with the other orcas.

On the 12th, the J14s, J19s, and Onyx L87 headed north towards the Fraser while the J16s, J17s, and J22s stayed at the island. From the cliffs near my house at noon, I watched as Slick J16, Echo J42, Scarlet J50, Oreo J22, and Doublestuf J34 socialized and foraged extremely close to shore. At one point, Doublestuf J34 got very excited and began high speed porpoising before doing a crazy back dive like leap! The other four were also very excited. The encounter so intense that I teared up after it was all over!

On the 13th, the J14s, J19s, and Onyx L87 returned to the island from the north. The J16s, J17s, and J22s were still at the island and during the morning I watched Notch J47 as he breached repeatedly from shore. All the Js then met up and headed north. As the Js headed north, L pod (minus the L54s, plus the J11s) arrived at the island at sunset. As I sat on shore with binoculars, I could see the spread out Ls as they made their way over to the island. Far off in the distance was Solstice L89, which meant L12s were making their first appearance at the island. As it got dark, I identified Nugget L55 and Kasatka L82 by moonlight.

On the 14th, I was out under permit with L pod (minus the L54s, plus the J11s) as well as the rest of J pod, who had come back down from the north via Boundary Pass. The encounter summary can be seen on the Center for Whale Research’s blog.

On the 15th, all of J pod was back up north. The L12s (including the L22s) remained at the island while the rest of L pod (minus the L54s) was outbound for the open ocean in Juan De Fuca Strait. I headed out with some friends on this day and we saw Spirit L22 and Solstice L89 off of False Bay first. Out near Hein Bank were Matia L77, Cousteau L113, and Joy L119. The two youngsters seemed to be playing with something but I wasn’t sure until later that evening. Not far away were Calypso L94 and Windsong L121, and Mystery L85 was also in the area. We then moved on to a fin whale that had been sighted near Eastern Bank. Around the fin whale were at least five humpbacks, some close, some off in the distance. It was amazing experience to see the fin whale, which was massive both in its body size as well as the towering mist from its exhale. After a while, most of the humpbacks and even the fin whale began lunge feeding!! This was my first time seeing both types of whales feeding in this way and I was even able to see their baleen! The fin whale would lunge forward on its side with its mouth agape and pectoral fin and fluke sticking out of the water. The humpbacks were doing the same thing, as well as lunging head first out of the water and flick feeding with their flukes.

On our way back to the island, we spotted Ocean Sun L25 and Mega L41 and then saw Joy L119 tossing around a dead harbor porpoise. She and Cousteau L113 were playing with the porpoise earlier in the day near Hein Bank but I had not been sure of what I had seen until now. Cousteau L113 was now gone and Joy L119 was playing with the body all by herself. She would surface with it draped across her rostrum, push it around, toss it, and at one point, she even spy hopped with it in her mouth. The body was negatively buoyant so when Joy L119 would drop it, she would dive deep to retrieve it. This was my second time ever seeing southern residents play with a porpoise. It is an occasional behavior that has been seen for years. The residents do not eat the porpoise like transients do, but instead play with the porpoise until the ‘batteries run out’ and then eventually leave it.

On the 16th, the L12s were still at the island and were joined by J pod. As I stood at the cliffs near my house that morning, I watched as the J11s, J17s, and J22s socialized with the L12s very close to shore. There were many breaches, cartwheels, tail slaps, dorsal fin slaps, pectoral fin slaps, and lots of tactile behavior. Tahlequah J35, Moby J44, Notch J47, and Cousteau L113 were the main breachers and all did it multiple times. Doublestuf J34, Cookie J38, and Mystery L85 were also having some bro time offshore. Later in the day aboard the Odyssey, we caught up with the J16s and then Calypso L94, Cousteau L113, and Windsong L121. Then we got news of more orcas in San Juan Channel and these turned out to be the T37As and T65As. We got on scene with them for a few minutes after they had just passed Turn Island and were pointed down the channel. They were in travel mode and first but then may have gone into resting mode.

On the 17th, J pod was up north, the L12s were still at San Juan Island, and some other Ls were inbound. Aboard the Odyssey, we got to see Cousteau L113, Joy L119, and Windsong L121 goofing off while mothers Matia L77 and Calypso L94 were off foraging. Then, towards the end of the trip, Calypso L94 joined the three young ones and the four of them likely chased a salmon before they gathered together into a tight cuddle puddle. That evening, I watched the L12s again from shore. Solstice L89 foraged close to shore and his mother, Spirit L22, was also nearby. Matia L77, Mystery L85, and Joy L119 were offshore.

On the 18th, J pod was back at the island in the morning and had joined up with the Ls that were inbound the day before and headed north towards the Fraser. The L12s remained at the island and foraged back and forth for Chinook salmon. I hope that all the residents are finding enough salmon wherever they are.

Please do not use my photos without my permission. Just ask.
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T125A, T128, And The Return Of A Few Js

7/8/2016

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Aboard the Odyssey of San Juan Excursions on July 3rd, I got to see T125A and T128 for the first time ever!! Before May 2015, these two brothers, as well as the rest of the family (T125 and T127), had not been sighted in the area since June of 1992! Since then, the family has been in and out of the area but so far this season, it has just been T125A and T128. T125A and T127 are likely off somewhere else doing their own thing.

We caught up with the two brothers off of Moresby Island as they slowly headed up Swanson Channel in Canada. The difference in dorsal fin height between the two brothers is very interesting. You would expect the older brother, T128, to have the taller fin since he was born in 1988. It’s actually the opposite! Younger brother T125A, born in 1998, has the taller fin! The two didn’t travel too far while we were with them and they may have gone into resting mode for much of the encounter. We left them still slowly headed up Swanson.
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T128 and T125A.
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T125A and T128.
On the 4th of July, we were able to see a few Js and Onyx L87 as they headed down Boundary Pass from a trip up to the Fraser River to look for Chinook salmon. They had come in from the open ocean the day before. It was a bitter sweet moment for me. I was happy to see these southern resident members I have come to know so well over the years and it was like seeing old friends again after a long time apart. But, I also worried that they were not finding enough Chinook where they had come from and that it wouldn't be any better where they were going.

It was just the J14 and J19 matrilines, a fraction of J pod. Adoptee Onyx L87 was with Granny J2 as usual and all together there were ten individuals. With less salmon around, we see J, K, and L pod splitting up more and this a good example of that. Seeing southern resident pods in their entirety is not as common as it once was.

We arrived on scene with the orcas spread out off Saturna Island near Java Rocks in Canada. Once they reached South Pender Island, they crossed over to Stuart Island in the US. Almost everyone then joined up and started porpoising for Turn Point. Trailing the porpoising group was Ti’lem I’nges J49 who was trying to catch up, and then even further back was Granny J2 and Onyx L87 who were taking their time. Samish J14 and Se-Yi’-Chn J45 tail slapped a few times and Suttles J40 cartwheeled twice as they rocketed toward Turn Point. Once off of Turn Point, everyone slowed down and began to mill about. This allowed Ti’lem I’nges J49, Granny J2, and Onyx L87 to catch up and that is where we left them.

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Nova J51, Eclipse J41, Suttles J40, Samish J14, and Se-Yi'-Chn J45 porpoising towards Turn Point.
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Suttles J40 cartwheeling.
That evening the Js and Onyx L87 headed down the west side of San Juan Island and I thought they would head back out to the open ocean. However, they were back up at the Fraser River the next day and were sighted there again on the 6th. Their continued presence there likely indicates they were finding some Chinook. This does not mean they are even close to being out of the woods yet of course.
 
On July 7th, the Odyssey was able to see the Js and Onyx L87 again. They had come back down from the Fraser River via Rosario Strait and were coming back up the west side of San Juan Island. We arrived on scene with them as they neared Lime Kiln State Park. The ten of them were very spread out but we ended up seeing Granny J2, Hy’shqa J37, Ti’lem I’nges J49, and Onyx L87. Onyx L87 stayed offshore while the other three were inshore. Granny J2 was in the lead and when we reached Open Bay, she surfaced with a piece of salmon in her mouth. We left them at Open Bay as they continued on their journey, perhaps back to the Fraser River.

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Granny J2 (estimated to have been born in 1911) with a piece of salmon in her mouth.
Please do not use my photos without my permission. Just ask.
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Multiple Transient Orca Encounters

6/30/2016

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Though the salmon eating southern residents have been away due to the insufficient amount of Fraser River Chinook/King salmon, marine mammal eating transient orcas have been in the area nearly every day of June. I had encounters with them on June 24th, 25th, 26th, and the 28th. However, before we get into those encounters, let’s talk about why the residents are not here some more.

This summer in particular has been very hard for the southern residents. Much like the summer of 2013, Fraser River Chinook numbers are so far very low and that means that J, K, and L pod have spent a dramatically less amount of time in the inland waters than they normally would. Hopefully they are finding enough Chinook to support them for a bit wherever they are. Since January of 2016 and as of yesterday (June 29th), there have only been 76 Chinook counted up at the Fraser River. That is not enough to support the 83+- residents, who each 18-25 Chinook a day to survive. While we all miss the residents very much, the best thing for their health is to stay away from here until there is enough Chinook or else they would waste away here. You can find the daily Fraser River Chinook test fishery numbers here.

The biggest threat to the southern residents is lack of Chinook salmon. The population will not be able to grow while their food is limited. Anything that helps improve Chinook runs in the inland waters as well as off the outer coast will in turn help save J, K, and L pod. Here are some websites with more information and how to help:

http://www.whaleresearch.com/#!about-salmon/cjla
https://www.salmonsafe.org/livewell/help-wild-salmon
https://srkwcsi.org/
http://damsense.org/
http://www.wildorca.org/?page_id=3047
http://www.orcasalmonalliance.org/about.html
http://www.seafoodwatch.org/seafood-recommendations


Ok, now back to the transients. Aboard a Pelagic of Deer Harbor Charters that was chartered by Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching on June 24th, we left Friday Harbor and headed a short distance down to lower San Juan Channel where we came upon lone male T124C and juvenile T73A2 heading up the channel together. Trailing behind them were the rest of the T73As (T73A, T73A1, and T73A3). As the Ts neared Turn Island, T72A2 dropped back to his family and T124C aimed for Shaw Island and disappeared.

The T73As then continued up San Juan Channel. They even traveled between Brown and San Juan Island and were right in front of the ferry dock in Friday Harbor. People standing on the docks, in town, and on the departing seaplane were able to see the family of four as they passed through. It is very rare for Ts to go inside of Brown Island and all the way into Friday Harbor so this was a very exciting moment! The Ts continued on, hugging the shoreline of the Friday Harbor labs. They stayed in resting/travel mode for most of their way up San Juan Channel, except for when T73A2 caught a harbor seal. We left them as they neared Spieden Island.

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T124C in San Juan Channel.
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Sprouter male T73A1 near Turn Island.
Aboard the Odyssey of San Juan Excursions on June 25th, I got my first ever real good looks at the T123s. The T123s (T123, T123A, and T123C) are common in the Salish Sea but for some reason I had only seen them back in 2011 from very far away near Orcas Island. During this encounter, we were in Boundary Pass near Waldron Island. They were in a slow travel mode with T123 and her daughter T123C off on their own and son T123A paralleling them a few hundred yards away. T123 and T123C may have made a kill at one point as T123 spy hopped and both were rolling around at the surface. Once they were past Sandy Point, the three met up and turned toward Pender Island. On their next surfacing they were pointed back up Boundary Pass and that is where we left them.
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T123A in Boundary Pass.
On June 26th, the Odyssey was back with the T123s in Boundary Pass but two matrilines called the T36As and T75Bs had joined them. We got on scene with them off Monarch Head as nine of them headed up the Saturna Island shoreline. No obvious kills were made while we were with them. As they neared East Point, tidal action increased and the orcas picked up the pace and pushed against the currents. We left them a little past East Point as they slowed back down and seemed to be deciding where to go next.
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T36A1, T75B2, T123, T36A3, and T36A.
On June 28th, Dave Ellifrit and I went out under permit to see a huge group of transients in party mode and that encounter is now up on the Center for Whale Research blog.

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

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    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.

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