August 8th, 2014, marked the 44th anniversary of the Penn Cove capture. During this capture in 1970, the entire Southern Resident orca community was chased into Penn Cove at Whidbey Island, WA, with speed boats, M-80 bombs, low flying planes, and purse seiners. Seven calves and juveniles were taken away from their mothers and sold to marine parks around the world. Five orcas drowned as they panicked in the nets.
The orcas sold to marine parks are as followed:
One year old male, Lil’ Nootka, died in 1971 at Sea-Arama, TX.
Two year old male, Ramu 4, died in 1971 at Marineland, AU.
Two year old male, Clovis, died in 1973 at Marineland Antibes, FR.
Two year old female, Chappy, died in 1974 Kamagawa SeaWorld, JA.
Five year old male, Jumbo, died in 1974 at Kamagawa SeaWorld, JA.
Four year old male, Winston, died in 1986 at SeaWorld San Diego, CAL.
Four year old female, Lolita*
*Since 1986, Lolita has been the only Southern Resident orca left alive in captivity out of the more than thirty five individuals that were purchased by aquariums. She remains at Miami Seaquarium in Florida, as has now spent 44 years in the same barren tank, one that holds the title of the being the smallest orca tank in the US.
It just so happened that on this anniversary, I spent time with one the orcas who had been in the capture as a juvenile but luckily for her, she was never been sold to a marine park. Her name is Ophelia L27, and she was born around 1965, so she would have been around five years old at the time of the Penn Cove capture in 1970. Early that morning, I watched J, K, and L pod frolic offshore of my house together. . .porpoising, breaching, spy hopping, cartwheeling, and tail slapping along the way. I could see Ophelia with her presumed sisters, Nugget L55 and Surprise L86, and I wondered if it was just another day for her, or she remembered that the anniversary of her capture was on this day.
The orcas sold to marine parks are as followed:
One year old male, Lil’ Nootka, died in 1971 at Sea-Arama, TX.
Two year old male, Ramu 4, died in 1971 at Marineland, AU.
Two year old male, Clovis, died in 1973 at Marineland Antibes, FR.
Two year old female, Chappy, died in 1974 Kamagawa SeaWorld, JA.
Five year old male, Jumbo, died in 1974 at Kamagawa SeaWorld, JA.
Four year old male, Winston, died in 1986 at SeaWorld San Diego, CAL.
Four year old female, Lolita*
*Since 1986, Lolita has been the only Southern Resident orca left alive in captivity out of the more than thirty five individuals that were purchased by aquariums. She remains at Miami Seaquarium in Florida, as has now spent 44 years in the same barren tank, one that holds the title of the being the smallest orca tank in the US.
It just so happened that on this anniversary, I spent time with one the orcas who had been in the capture as a juvenile but luckily for her, she was never been sold to a marine park. Her name is Ophelia L27, and she was born around 1965, so she would have been around five years old at the time of the Penn Cove capture in 1970. Early that morning, I watched J, K, and L pod frolic offshore of my house together. . .porpoising, breaching, spy hopping, cartwheeling, and tail slapping along the way. I could see Ophelia with her presumed sisters, Nugget L55 and Surprise L86, and I wondered if it was just another day for her, or she remembered that the anniversary of her capture was on this day.
The J14's porpoise past my house, along with the rest of the superpod.
Later that afternoon, aboard the Odyssey of San Juan Excursions, we caught up with the L4's, L26's, L43's, L47's and the three independent K pod members (Opus K16, Cappuccino K21, and Sonata K35) as they headed back for San Juan Island, while the rest of the superpod continued North for the Fraser River to hunt salmon. Everyone but the L12's and L54's appeared to be in. As we approached the orcas, I spotted Ophelia again, and at one point she did a big spy hop!
Ophelia L27 spy hops on the anniversary of her capture.
That night, Ophelia and the rest of L pod left the area. The next day, J and K pod began their journey back down from the Fraser River to San Juan Island. I believe that K pod continued down while J pod eventually turned around and headed back to the river. While J's and K's were doing that, the Odyssey had Transient orcas right outside the harbor! It was the T018's, my favorite Transient orca matriline! The family is made up T018, her probable daughter T019, and T019's two sprouter sons; T019B (AKA Floppy Fin) and T019C. We observed them continually hunting harbor seals and I think they ate least three of them. As the four orcas swam up San Juan Channel, they checked all the reefs where seals haul out. When they hit their second reef, the four worked together to scare the harbor seals into the water and a lot of chasing ensued. Afterwords, I saw T019C carrying part of a seal in his mouth. The next few reefs also seemed to yield more lunch. At the end of our encounter, we left the T018's at Yellow Island, celebrating another kill with spy hops and tail slaps.
T019 at the second reef, harbor seals can be seen hauled out on the end.
T019B (Floppy Fin)and T019C. Floppy Fin is the reason I love this matriline so much.
The next day, August 10th, the L12's returned to San Juan Island, and so did the the rest of L pod (minus the L54's). The L12's foraged for salmon all day around Eagle Point at San Juan Island, while K and L pod went North. J pod remained up at the Fraser River. The next day would be absolutely extraordinary!
Please don't use my photos without permission, just ask :)
Please don't use my photos without permission, just ask :)
