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Ls Return On 6/18/16

6/20/2016

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On the morning June 18th, almost all of L pod was reported inbound in Juan De Fuca Strait and headed for San Juan Island. J, K, and L pod had all been absent in the inland waters since June 11th when they would normally be around for quite a bit of June. With the Fraser River unable to support them with an adequate amount of Chinook salmon at this time, their visit would be a quick one. While I miss the southern resident orcas very much while they are away during times like this, I know that them not being here is the best thing for them. They are likely to find some food off the outer coast that can help sustain them while the Fraser River hopefully improves.

By late afternoon, Ls had made it to the west side of San Juan Island. They headed up island a little before they turned around north of Lime Kiln State Park and slowly headed down island, pushing against the incoming tide. From the park’s shoreline, I could see members of the L4, L26, L43, and L47 matrilines, and knew that the L54s were also around somewhere, likely doing their own thing. Some of the orcas were inshore, while others were offshore. Interestingly, many of them were in a breachy mood, with Kasatka L82 breaching the most out of everyone. Marina L47, Racer L72, and Finn L116 were also breaching.

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Kasatka L82 breaches close to shore off Lime Kiln State Park.
A little later in the afternoon, I caught back up with the Ls from a beach near my house as they slowly continued down island with some occasional milling. Kasatka L82, Finn L116, and others were still breaching and doing other above water behaviors. Many of the orcas were far offshore now, but most of the L47s, Kasatka L82, and Finn L116 were closer to shore. I watched as they disappeared into the distance and listened as their blows became inaudible. The next day, the Ls were all outbound for the open ocean in Juan De Fuca Strait. They had poked their heads in, checked out the salmon situation, and then headed back out.
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L122 with his mother Muncher L91.
While the southern residents have been away, marine mammal eating transient orcas have been roaming the inland waters quite a bit, as well as an amazing amount of humpback whales. Though the inland waters have been graced by the southern residents less than usual this summer so far, these waters are not empty.

Please do not use my photos without my permission. Just ask.
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T46s And T73As On 6/17/16

6/18/2016

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Aboard the Odyssey of San Juan Excursions on June 17th, we left Friday Harbor, motored down San Juan Channel, out Cattle Pass, and into Haro Strait. Shortly after, we met up with two marine mammal eating transient orca matrilines known as the T46s and T73As. They were off of Pile Point and headed up island. T46, T122, T46D, T46F, T73A, T73A2, and T73A3 made up one group, while T46E and T73A1 trailed behind or paralleled the others for some male bonding time. T73A1's dorsal fin has grown taller so he is definitely a sprouter male now! Is sixteen year old T46D a male though? We might need to wait just a few more years to answer that question. Everyone was in travel mode and did not make any obvious kills while we were with them.
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Matriarchs T46 and T73A.
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Sprouter males T46E and T73A1.
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Matriarch T46.
We left the nine transient orcas as they passed Andrews Bay. It’s interesting that the T46s were around this time last year too, but a little earlier, on June 9th. The T73As were also around this time last year, but a little later, on June 22nd. Good timing guys!

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

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First Orca Encounters Of Summer 2016

6/17/2016

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I arrived back home on the island for summer break on the morning of June 9th, and just a few hours later, I was standing on the shoreline watching salmon eating southern resident orcas head down island from Lime Kiln State Park. It was some of J pod and the K16s. Opus K16 came closest to shore, while Cappuccino K21 was the furthest individual from shore. Princess Angeline J17 was in the lead with her daughter J53 and son Moby J44. In order of my photos, next in the procession were Shachi J19, Slick J16, Scarlet J50, Echo J42, Eclipse J41, Nova J51, Mike J26, Tahlequah J35, Cappuccino K21, Alki J36, Sonic J52, Opus K16, Sonata K35, Doublestuf J34, Oreo J22, Tsuchi J31, Polaris J28, J54, and Star J46. Somewhere out there was Blackberry J27, Cookie J38, and Mako J39 too I bet, perhaps even further offshore then Cappuccino K21.
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Opus K16 surfaces close to shore at Lime Kiln State Park.
Later that evening, the J14s, K12s, K14s, and Onyx L87 came in from Juan De Fuca Strait, met up with the other Js and Ks and they all headed north to check on the salmon situation at the Fraser River. On the 10th, J pod, the K12s, K14s, and K16s made their way back down from the Fraser and were outbound in the Strait of Juan De Fuca on the 11th. Some Ls were also in the strait at that time and they met up with Js and Ks and then everyone continued for the open ocean.

Since the 11th, the southern residents have been absent from the inland waters when they would normally be in for quite a bit of the time. While I do miss them very much, I know that the best thing for J, K, and L pod right now is for them to be out in the open ocean and not in the inland waters. The Fraser River cannot support them right now but perhaps salmon runs off the outer coast can.

On the evening of June 16th, I looked out my front window near False Bay to see the T101s approaching. They had been working their way towards San Juan Island all day after first being spotted near Sooke in Juan De Fuca Strait. Once they were off the mouth of False Bay, the family of four marine mammal eating transient orcas turned and headed up island. I watched from a beach near my house as they all popped up very close to shore in a tight group.
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T101 and her son T102.
From there, I drove up island to Land Bank and saw them for a few surfacings. T101 and T102 were further offshore now while T101A and T101B were still close to shore. I then drove to Lime Kiln State Park further up island again to see them one more time as they passed by. T101 and T102 had moved even further offshore while T101A and T101B still remained closer to shore.
There have been a lot of transients around this summer so far. While it is always great to see them, one has to wonder if the southern residents are OK, wherever they are.

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

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J Pod Encounter On 3/20/16

3/28/2016

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Very early on the drizzly morning on 3/20/16, orcas were heard breathing in President Channel, which runs between Waldron and Orcas Island. Luckily, I was back home on San Juan Island for spring break and a few hours later, some friends and I headed out on the water to see if we could find them. We left Snug Harbor and aimed for the Henry Island bluffs. Our plan was to search the area where the orcas had been heard and then head further north. Immediately after leaving the harbor, I spotted two orcas ahead of us! After some milling, long dives, and low surfacings, I recognized them as Samish J14 and her son Se-Yi’-Chn J45! They were foraging along the bluffs for salmon, most likely Chinook/King salmon. Unlike Transient orcas who eat marine mammals like seals, sea lions, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, the Southern Resident orcas (J, K, and L pod) are salmon specialists. Samish J14 and her son moved on and slowly traveled south down Haro Strait.

Offshore of us, we noticed a few more blows near the Kelp Reefs marker so we motored over and spotted Shachi J19, her daughter Eclipse J41, and grandson Nova J51. The three of them were rolling around together and also slowly traveling south. We could also see males Mike J26, Onyx L87, and Mako J39 spread out and southbound offshore of us. When headed over to Mike J26, he was traveling with Granny J2. An interesting pair! Granny’s usual travel companion, Onyx L87, was nearby.

We soon spotted Shachi J19, Eclipse J41, and Nova J51 again but Alki J36 and her son Sonic J52 had joined them. We found Mako J39 again and then headed down Haro Strait a bit and saw Granny J2, Mike J26, and Onyx L87 change direction and turn toward Discovery Island. Onyx L87 then switched places with Mike J26 and joined Granny J2. Off in the distance, we spotted more fins and they turned out to be Slick J16 and her two daughters Echo J42 and Scarlet L50. The three of them were in pursuit of a salmon and once they were finished, they also pointed towards Discovery Island.
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Granny J2, estimated to have been born around 1911.
We then headed back up Haro Strait and found Alki J36, Suttles J40, and Sonic J52 milling around. Doublestuf J34 then popped up nearby, pectoral fin slapped, and aimed for a resting line that contained the J17s (Princess Angeline J17, Polaris J28, Tahlequah J35, Moby J44, Star J46, Notch J47, J53, and J54), Blackberry J27, and Tsuchi J31. Doublestuf J34 joined his mother, Oreo J22, near the resting line. Cookie J38 and Se-Yi’-Chn J45 were also near the resting line. The two young males were wrestling around and showing off their sea snakes.

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Doublestuf J34 pectoral fin slaps.
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Princess Angeline J17 and her newest calf J53.
Then a group made up of Slick J16, Shachi J19, Mike J26, Alki J36, Hy’shqa J37, Mako J39, Suttles J40, Echo J42, Eclipse J41, Ti’lem I’nges J49, Scarlet J50, Nova J51, and Sonic J52 appeared and joined the resting line group. Nearly all of J pod was now all together in a big group, with lots of milling and social behavior. Mako J39 joined Cookie J38 and Se-Yi’-Chn J45 in wrestling and there were tail slaps all around. J54 even practiced a few tail slaps. Granny J2 and Onyx L87 were the only ones that did not join in the party. The two were way ahead of the others, with Granny J2 seemingly insisting with tail slaps that everybody else should hurry up and continue heading to Discovery Island. After a while, the big group started heading slowly towards Discovery Island.
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Nova J51 incoming.
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Mako J39 and Se-Yi'-Chn J45 messing around.
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Js passing Discovery Island.
Once J pod passed Seabird Point, we turned around and headed back to the dock. Soon after, J pod also turned around and swam right back up Haro Strait! The next day, they were up in the Gulf Islands and continued north through Dodd Narrows. Where would they pop up next? To see two other orca encounters I had over spring break, click here.

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

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A Quick Encounter With The T10s On 12/28/15

1/4/2016

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On 12/28/15, some friends and I headed out on the water to have a quick encounter with marine mammal eating transient orcas that had been reported near Victoria, Canada. We departed Snug Harbor (San Juan Island), headed across Haro Strait into Canada, went through Baynes Channel, and slowed up off of Trial Island upon seeing blows. A matriline of three, known as the T10s, were working the Trial Island coastline for harbor seals to eat. Many of the seals were hauled out on rocks but there was probably at least one in the water too as T10 and her two large sons, T10B and T10C, seemed to be on the chase for a few moments as there was some splashing and large wakes behind them. This behavior did not continue though, so it could have been an unsuccessful attempt to catch a seal.
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T10C dives as seals look on nervously in the background.
The three orcas then moved on from Trial Island and soon began to mill about off the Victoria golf course. They appeared to be working together and in pursuit of prey, likely a seal. Then, with a low lunge and splash by one of the sons, it was all over. As T10, T10B, and T10C continued to mill about and feed, seagulls arrived for scraps.
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T10B and his mother T10.
Once the three orcas were finished, they continued on toward the Chain Islets and Baynes Channel and that is where we left them. I had wanted to see the T10s for years now and was super excited to finally have an encounter with them! I hope I get to see them again one day.

Please do not use my photos without my permission. Just ask.
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J Pod On 12/20/15

12/28/2015

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On the morning of 12/20/15, a few days into my Christmas break back home on San Juan Island, some friends and I headed out on the water to see if we could find orcas that had been reported near Friday Harbor. We left Snug Harbor, headed down Spieden Channel, and entered San Juan Channel. Off in the distance to the South, a humpback surfaced a few times before fluking. Focused on finding the orcas, we searched around the bottom of Presidents Channel, and checked around Jones Island, Reef Island, and Yellow Island, before continuing on down San Juan Channel.

As we approached Cattle Pass, we spotted orca blows up against Goose Island. As we got closer, it became clear that it was a pretty big group. We had been on the fence on whether the orcas we were looking for were marine mammal eating transients or salmon eating southern residents but as I counted the blows it seemed we had residents. We gradually motored over to them as the water in Cattle Pass became fairly rough. I then spotted Doublestuf J34 and his younger brother Cookie J38 and we had our answer. It was J pod and Onyx L87, part of the southern resident population!  
     
The orcas were in a very active mood as they surfed through Cattle Pass. A few played with kelp, including Onyx L87. Granny J2, Blackberry J27, Tsuchi J31, Moby J44, Onyx L87, and a few others tail slapped. Granny J2 and somebody else breached. A few individuals inverted tail slapped, including Mike J26. A few pectoral fin slapped, and Granny J2 cartwheeled at least four times. Between the swells, I caught glimpses of the new calves J53 and J54 beside their mothers.

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J54 surfaces next to its mother, Polaris J28, in Cattle Pass. The calf was first seen on December 1st, 2015.
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Granny J2 breaches in Cattle Pass. She was born around 1911.
Once out the other side of Cattle Pass, J pod spread out in several groups and slowly headed for the Strait of Juan De fuca. The sea condition also improved a little. As the orcas swam over Salmon Bank, some of them got within a few feet of the bank marker. We moved between groups and some of the orcas were still in an active mood. Shachi J19 and Princess Angeline J17 inverted tail and pectoral fin slapped a few times. Granny J2, Samish J14, Princess Angeline J17, Shachi J19, Mike J26, Tsuchi J31, Hy’shqa J37, Eclipse J41, and Onyx L87 all tail slapped at one point. Hy’shqa J37, Eclipse J41, and Moby J44 spy hopped, and Blackberry J27 breached.
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J53 surfaces with San Juan Island in the background. The calf was born in October 2015.
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Eclipse J41 spy hops with Dave Ellifrit on Orca in the background.
Dave Ellifrit (fellow Center for Whale Research staff) arrived on scene little later aboard Orca and his J pod encounter summary can be seen here. After awhile, we both left J pod a few miles North of the Hein Bank Marker as the sea conditions deteriorated again. It was so great to see J pod again and meet the two new calves for the first time! What an awesome encounter!

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

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Ks And Ls On 11/22/15 And T077A On 11/23/15

11/30/2015

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On the morning November 22nd, during my Thanksgiving break back home on San Juan Island, some friends and I headed out on the water to try to find orcas. We knew that some K and L pod members (part of the salmon eating southern resident orca population) were making their way out of Puget Sound in Admiralty Inlet the day prior so we left Snug Harbor and aimed for the Strait of Juan De Fuca in hopes of locating them as they exited the area. We had just departed the harbor when we spotted a pair of humpbacks North of the Kelp Reef marker as they headed South together. One of them was Split Fluke or BCX1068, while the other was one we could not find in the ID guide.

After getting a few ID shots, we continued on but it wasn't long before we spotted another pair of humpbacks Northbound near the Beaumont Shoal marker. These two were not in the ID guide either, but we had seen them together the day prior (November 21st) near Sidney Island. During that trip, we think we saw 11 different humpbacks, a majority of them being around the Sidney/Gooch/Henry Island area and two out near Race Rocks. Two of these humpbacks were MMX0006 and MMY0024 but the rest that we got good enough photos of were not in the ID guide. Almost all the humpbacks we saw were in pairs.

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One of the humpbacks we saw on both the 21st and the 22nd.
Alright, back to the November 22nd encounter! As we were leaving the pair of humpbacks near the Beaumont Shoal marker, we spotted another humpback off in the distance towards Baynes Channel. Intent on finding the orcas, we continued on and headed West in the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Off of Victoria, we got word the orcas had been seen off of Otter Point! We headed West as fast as we could and the water conditions went from flat calm to lumpy 3-4 foot waves off of Sooke. We kept pushing forward and eventually caught up with Ks and Ls West of Sheringham Point and ended our encounter West of Jordan River. Once we were with the orcas, the waves calmed down a bit and we were able to have quite a nice encounter with members from the K12, K14, K16, L4, L26, L43, L47, and L54 matrilines. They were all spread out and surfing the waves as they traveled quickly West. Ino L54 tail slapped at one point and there were a few breaches and splashes off in the distance. It was so great to see the resident orcas again, especially the rare L54s, and to see my boyfriend's face as he saw orcas for the first time in his life. With limited light, it was time to wish them safe travels and to head back home.
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Adult male Nyssa L84 Westbound off of Jordan River.
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Adult female Sequim K12.
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Adult male Wave Walker L88. One of my favorite orcas!
The next day, we had another orca encounter, but this time it was with a marine mammal eating transient orca! A lone male had been spotted and I immediately wondered if it was T077A. T077A is often a loner and had been seen in early November possibly entangled in some line and a float, though he could have also just been playing with them. Everyone was eager for a re-sighting of T077A to see if he was ok and it was just our luck that he popped up! We left Snug Harbor and joined a whale watching boat called the Peregrine who was with T077A off of Mandarte Island but we were soon the only boat with him. T077A didn't seem to be dragging anything with him as he gracefully swam along, breathing 3-4 times before taking a deep dive for a few minutes before resurfacing. He aimed for Gooch Island but soon found a harbor seal to eat. At one point, we saw him pushing the still living harbor seal around at the surface. T077A then milled about and fed on the seal while seagulls arrived to feed on scraps.
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T077A looking good!
Once he was finished, he continued toward Gooch Island and decided to swim right under the stern at one point. Once near Cooper Reef, he began milling about again and seemed to have found another seal. T077A then got quite surface active for a moment. Maybe it was because he had killed the seal and was in a celebratory mood. Maybe he was trying to scare the seal out from under the boat. Maybe he was communicating with other transient orcas in the area that we didn't see. Maybe he was interacting with us or showing us he was free from entanglement. Whatever his reason for his behavior, we saw every part of his body and are confident that he is clear of any lines or float because he lightly tail slapped, dorsal fin slapped with a loud smack, and then breached (rather gently because the impact was not loud and the splash wasn't too big) right next to the boat!
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T077A dorsal fin slaps!
He then continued to slowly mill about for the next few hours and stayed right around Cooper Reef. Seagulls were feeding on scraps on more then one occasion during this time so it is likely he killed at least one more seal if not more. Later on, he did a few inverted tail and pectoral fin slaps, as well as another breach off in the distance. He then came back over toward to us and found a patch of kelp to play with for a while. He lifted kelp into the air with his left pectoral fin, dragged into around with his dorsal fin, and then logged at the surface for a quick little nap. He then gently slipped his rostrum through the kelp and lifted it into the air so that it lay over his head, draped the kelp over the length of his back, did a few spy peeps, and then let the kelp slide along his peduncle. Nearby, a pair of humpbacks with unknown identities surfaced and eventually passed us, headed South.
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T077A gently lifts kelp onto his head.
T077A was obviously in no hurry but he eventually started slowly making his way toward Moresby Island. Thankful for such an amazing encounter with T077A, as well as the encounter with Ks and Ls the day prior and the many humpbacks we had seen, we headed home full of smiles. What a great Thanksgiving break!

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

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Last Days With The Orcas: 9/17/15 To 9/25/15

10/6/2015

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On September 26th, I left home on San Juan Island to head back at Evergreen State College to start my junior year! However, the days that led up to the 26th were full of orcas! On the 17th, I went out on the water aboard the Western Prince to see the L54s, who had been all alone at San Juan Island all morning. As we made our way down San Juan Channel and out into Haro Strait, the rest of the Southern Residents were found out in the Strait of Juan De Fuca! Soon, J, K, and the rest of L pod entered Haro Strait and made their way over to San Juan Island. We saw adult male Crewser L92 first, then Sequim K12 and her sprouter son, Rainshadow K37.

Next was a social group made up Opus K16, Sekiu K22, Tika K33, Sonata K35, Saturna K43, Racer L72, and Fluke L105. Tika K33 tail slapped and did a headstand while his mother Sekiu K22 dorsal fin slapped as they aimed for False Bay and Eagle Point. Trailing behind them was another social group that contained Ino L54, Nugget L55, Kasatka L82, Ballena L90, Lapis L103, Coho L108, Takoda L109, Finn L116, Keta L117, and Jade L118. This group was active with tail slaps (Nugget L55 and Lapis L103), inverted tail slaps (Nugget L55 and others), pec slaps (Nugget L55 and Takoda L109), dorsal fin slaps (Coho L108), spy hops (Takoda L109 and Finn L116), breaches (Nugget L55 and Takoda L109), and back dives (Takoda L109).

Youngsters Finn L116 and Keta L117 then began wrestling around together and as they passed by the boat, Keta L117 rolled over onto his belly and confirmed that he was indeed a male! Young males Coho L108 and Takoda L109 were also goofing off together. Near South Beach, there was another more loosely spread social group and it was made up of Samish J14, Hy'shqa J37, Se-Yi'-Chn J45, Ti'lem I'nges J49, Nyssa L84, Surprise L86, Onyx L87, and Pooka L106. Nyssa did an inverted tail and pec slap while goofing off with other males Se-Yi'-Chn J45, Onyx L87 and Pooka L106 before heading over to flirt with Samish J14. Onyx L87 also did multiple dorsal fin slaps and a pec slap. Offshore of us were many more orcas that make up the rest of the Southern Resident community. Many of the orcas were heading South when we left them.

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Keta L117, born in 2010, is a male!
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Takoda L109, born in 2007, spy hops beside his older sister, Lapis L103, who was born in 2003.
On the 18th, aboard the Odyssey of San Juan Excursions, we joined all of the Southern Residents again as they came back in towards San Juan Island from Discovery Island. They were very spread out and we saw Blackberry J27 and Tsuchi J31 with a few others first before heading over to Shachi J19, Eclipse J41, Nova J51, Tika K33, and Saturna K43 who were all rolling around together. Saturna K43 spy hopped and tail slapped multiple times. Muncher L91 then randomly popped up and passed our bow with her new calf, L122! L122 was born during the first few days of September 2015. Moonlight L83 was also nearby. Shachi J19 then breached twice back behind us, followed by a back dive from Nova J51. We then went over to visit Opus K16 and her sprouter son Sonata K35. Marina L47 and Crewser L92 were also close by. Suttles J40 and Pooka L106 then passed by us as they flirted together. Opus K16 and Sonata K35 soon joined Shachi J19, Eclipse J41, and Nova J51 and Opus K16 belly flopped and dorsal fin slapped, while Shachi J19 cartwheeled. As we were leaving, we saw Mako J39 cartwheel and tail slap repeatedly.
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Saturna K43's unique saddle patch. She was born in 2010.
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Muncher L91 with her new calf, L122.
On 9/19/15, all of J, K, and L pod exited the area through the Strait of Juan De Fuca. However, everybody (not sure if that included the L12s or L54s), were on their way back in the next day. Aboard the Odyssey, we caught up with the K13 matriline a little West of Discovery Island as they headed toward San Juan Island. The family of seven was traveling tight together and were in an active mood as Deadhead K27 did inverted tail slaps and a spy hop, Ripple K44 spy hopped, and Skagit K13 spy hopped. Sprouter male Cali K34 then took off and porpoised towards San Juan by himself. It seemed that he was eager to get to the island and his family was just moving too slow for him! Eventually, the rest of the family caught back up with him at San Juan.
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Comet K38 and his mother, Spock K20.
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Ripple K44 spy hops. He was born in 2011
On 9/21/15, J,K, and L pod (were the L12s and L54s in?), exited the area through the Strait of Juan De Fuca. On the 22nd, Dave, Erin, Kathy, and I headed out on the Center for Whale Research vessel called "Orca" to have an encounter J, K, and almost all of L pod. J and K pod headed up Haro Strait and into Swanson Channel towards the Fraser River, while the Ls stayed at San Juan Island. We started our encounter with J and K pod and ended it with the Ls and we ended up seeing members from each matriline of all three pods (except for the L12s or L54s). Some of the orcas formed social groups and were in an active mood. We saw breaches from Suttles J40 multiple times, dorsal fin slaps from Notch J47 and Saturna K43, tail slaps from Tsuchi J31, Mako J39, Cappuccino K21, Rainshadow K37, and Nugget L55, pec slaps from Suttles J40 and Notch J47, cartwheels from Nigel L95, a spy hop from Kasatka L82, and Mike J26 played with some kelp.
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Suttles J40 breaches. She was born in 2004. Photo taken under NMFS Permit 15569/ DFO SARA 272. Do not use without permission.
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Mike J26 lifts kelp into the air with his flukes. He was born in 1991. Photo taken under NMFS Permit 15569/ DFO SARA 272. Do not use without permission.
On 9/23/15, L pod (still minus the L12s and L54s) were around San Juan Island, while J and K pod were still up North in Canada. The next day, the Ls were gone, but J and K pod came back down to San Juan Island and then headed West into the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Later that day, some friends and I headed out on the water for my final encounter with the Southern Residents until my next college break hopefully! The orcas were very spread out but we ended up seeing pretty much everyone in J and K pod! We saw breaches from Mako J39, Suttles J40, and Notch J47, dorsal fin slaps from Sonata K35, tail slaps from Tahlequah J35, Suttles J40, Notch J47, Ti'lem I'nges J49, Yoda K36, and Onyx L87, pec slaps from Tika K33, cartwheels from Sonata K35, spy hops from Samish J14, Notch J47, Tika K33, and others, and Tika K33 played with some kelp. We spent the end of our encounter with a beautiful resting line that was made up of the J11, J17, and J22 matrilines. We then said our goodbyes and headed home.
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From left to right: Tsuchi J31, Polaris J28, Blackberry J27, Princess Angeline J17, Moby J44, Doublestuf J34, and Cookie J38.
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From left to right: Tsuchi J31, Princess Angeline J17, Polaris J28, Star J46, and Blackberry J27.
On 9/25/15, aboard the Odyssey, we caught up with a Transient orca matriline known as the T049As as they made their way through Spieden Channel and into San Juan Channel. The matriline is made up of T049A and her four offspring: T049A1, T049A2, T049A3, and T049A4. T049A2 often travels away from the rest of the family and was not present. T049A, T049A1, T049A3, and T049A4 made at least one kill on a marine mammal while we were with them in Spieden Channel. During their kill, T049A1 and his younger sibling, T049A4, double spy hopped in unison in celebration. After another possible kill between Spieden Island and Jones Island, the four orcas moved slowly down San Juan Channel and T049A1 and T049A3 goofed off together a little.
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Sprouter male T049A1, born in 2001.
Now that I'm at college, orca encounters will likely slow down until next summer, but when I'm back up on the island during breaks, I'll hopefully catch up with some Southern Resident or Transient orcas again. You never know, so keep checking for posts here and I will continue updating the San Juan Orcas Twitter page on cetacean news and the "Remembering The Southern Resident Killer Whales Who Have Passed On" Facebook page throughout my time at college. Thanks so much for following my posts here, see you and the orcas next summer!

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

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A Crazy Morning With The J17s On 9/12/15

9/16/2015

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On September 11th, the J17s came down Boundary Pass and made it San Juan Island in the evening. The L54s were also in Boundary Pass, but possibly went down Presidents Channel. The rest of J pod, all of K pod, and the rest of L pod spent their day exiting the area through the Strait of Juan De Fuca towards the open ocean. The next morning, I spotted Northbound orcas in front of my house at False Bay and headed to some nearby cliffs to see who they were. It was the J17 matriline all by themselves and they were in a very active mood for a short time!

Princess Angeline J17 and her son, Moby J44, were a little offshore while the rest of the family, Polaris J28, Tahlequah J35 (daughters to J17), Star 46, and Notch J47 (grandchildren to J17) were inshore. Polaris J28 cartwheeled and pectoral fin slapped, Tahleqauh J35 breached twice, Star J46 tail slapped, cartwheeled, pectoral fin slapped, and inverted tail slapped, and Notch J47 tail slapped, breached, and played with kelp. This flurry of activity happened very fast and was brief. The family then milled about a little to the North of me and seemed to be foraging for salmon.

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Tahlequah J35 breaches. She was born in 1998.
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Star J46 cartwheels. She was born in 2009.
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Star J46 does an inverted tail slap.
Later that day, the L54s met up with the J17s and they socialized together around the same area. The next day (the 13th), J and K pod came in from Hein Bank to San Juan Island with the L54s. On the 14th, J and K pod as well as the L54s were still at the island. On the 15th, J and K pod (were the L54s still with them?) headed offshore of San Juan Island and out toward the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Were they going to leave the area? They indeed were as the next day (the 16th), Js and Ks were seen outbound in the Strait of Juan De Fuca. I wonder when they will be back?

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

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A Day Full Of Cetaceans On 9/9/15

9/16/2015

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Early on the morning of September 9th, some friends and I headed out on the water to try to see a fin whale that has recently been hanging out in the area, which is super rare. It was a beautiful sunny morning and the water was calm. But as we headed South down the shoreline of San Juan Island, we entered a thick wall of fog off of Hannah Heights. Visibility was very limited and knowing there were probably orcas around, we stopped the boat off Pile Point and took a listen. There were blows all around us in the fog, some close and some off in the distance. We would later find out that it was probably a superpod, with everybody from J, K, and L pod in the area. All three pods had been inbound in the Strait of Juan De Fuca the day prior.

After awhile of listening to the orcas and getting a feel for their direction of travel (North), we continued very slowly South through the fog towards McArthur Bank. The bank is located off of Iceberg Point on Lopez Island and it was where the fin whale had been seen most recently. As we passed over Salmon Bank off the South end of San Juan Island, we saw a few Dall's porpoise! These black and white porpoise, which will often play and interact with boats, are not as common as they used to be in the area, so spotting them is very special.

Once we got to McArthur, we stopped the boat and listened for the fin whale's blow. Within seconds, I heard a large exhale behind us in the fog. I believe this was the fin whale! It breathed a few more times and then went on a deep dive. A few minutes later, we heard another blow off in the distance and we thought it was the fin whale again. So, we started slowly tracking the whale by its blows, without ever getting a visual on the whale through the dense fog. I then began suspecting that these blows we were following were from a minke whale and that the fin was now back behind us. The blows eventually led us to Hein Bank, where I then heard two different blows, one sounding like an orca. Soon, fog lifted and we spotted Ocean Sun L25 foraging by herself. My bet is that there were other members of the L12s around but they were just very spread out. A few minutes later we also spotted a minke whale, an
d this was likely the whale we tracked by sound from McArthur Bank.
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Ocean Sun L25, born around 1928.
With the fog pretty much gone, we headed back to McArthur Bank to see if we could find the fin whale again. We scanned for a bit and spotted a few harbor porpoise, as well as another minke whale. Suddenly off in the direction of Smith Island, we all heard a large blow and there off in the distance was the fin whale! The towering mist from it's exhale lingered in the air as its long back parted the water. The whale aimed towards Swirl Rock off of Lopez, traveled up the island's coast past Iceberg Point, and continued on towards Salmon bank. Once at Salmon Bank, it began feeding on huge bait balls that had formed. The seagulls, common murres, and rhinoceros aukelts would startle at times when the whale surfaced to breathe close to them. My estimate is that this fin whale was around 40-50 feet long, but these whales can grow to lengths of 80 feet!
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The fin whale surfaces to breathe and scares all the birds.
We left the fin whale still near Salmon Bank and headed out to Hein Bank again to see if we could see any more Southern Resident orcas. While we didn't find orcas, we did spot a few more Dall's porpoise, as well as humpback whale that was headed West! We then aimed back for San Juan Island and found a few whale watching boats with almost all the L12s as they headed slowly North at Edwards Point towards Lime Kiln State Park. Of course, the L12s seem to have this rule that they rarely go further North than Lime Kiln State Park so they stopped, milled about off of Edwards Point, and then turned back South. As they milled, Matia L77 spy hopped and males Mega L41, Mystery L85, and Solstice L89 draped kelp over their tall dorsal fins. Once they had committed to going back South, the orcas got very active with tail slaps (at least Mega L41 and Solstice L89), inverted tail slaps (Solstice L89), cartwheels (Mystery L85), breaches (at least Solstice L89, maybe Mega L41 too), and more spy hops. Ocean Sun L25 slowly brought up the rear of the group and logged on and off between tail slaps and pectoral fin slaps.
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Solstice L89 breaches. He was born in 1993.
Behind the L12s were the J17s, who had turned around too, but off of Lime Kiln. The rest of J, K, and L pod had headed North in the morning during the fog. The J17s were also active as they headed back South, mainly with breaches, cartwheels, and tail slaps. Interestingly, Calypso L94 and her two offspring, Cousteau L113, and Wingsong L121, were with the J17s and Cousteau L113 was the breacher. The J17s and L12s then began to fan out off of Hannah Heights and Pile Point. Some of the J17s foraged offshore, while Mega L41, Matia L77, Mystery L85, and Joy L119 formed their own resting line.
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Cousteau L113 breaches right off Land Bank, a little South of Lime Kiln. She was born in 2009.
It was starting to get late so we began our journey back to the dock. It wasn't over yet though! We soon spotted a male orca off of Smugglers Cove! It was Wave Walker L88 foraging for Chinook/King salmon! Thinking that the L54s, the matriline Wave Walker L88 travels with, were with a boat back behind us off of Bellevue Point, we turned around and went to check. It turned out the boat was with another humpback whale! We stayed with the humpback for a few minutes before heading back to Wave Walker L88, who now had Keta L117 (from the L54 matriline) with him.
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Humpback whale #2!
After a few minutes with Wave Walker L88 and Keta L117, we said our goodbyes and motored home. The next day, the J17s and L54s headed North past Stuart Island, while the rest of J pod, all of K pod, and the L4s, L26s, L43s, and L47s came South down Rosario. The L12s were also still around and hung out at San Juan Island. What an amazing day full of multiple types of cetaceans!! A fin whale, two minkes, two humpbacks, Southern Resident orcas, Dall's porpoise and harbor porpoise!!

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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