Some Updates On J Pod, The L12's And L22's

In just a few days I will heading back home to San Juan Island for the summer after a great first year at Evergreen State College. During fall quarter, I took a class called Ocean Life and Environmental Policy where I learned much about marine life taxonomy/identification and dramatically increased my lab skills. In winter quarter, I took a continuation of the Ocean Life class called Our Changing Oceans: Bringing Together Science and Policy. We dove deep into climate change, ocean acidification, algal blooms, bacteria, policies, and legislation. For spring quarter, I chose to take Cities, Sustainability and Foreign Policy, and I'm really glad I did. I now have this vast amount of information that makes me look at the world differently, in ways I could never have even imagined before. Next year, I will start off with an ornithology class.

Now, as I'm beginning to pack up all my things for the move back to the island, I wanted to give some updates on the recent sightings of J and L pod. The residents had been pretty scarce until the morning of 5/31/14, when J pod was spotted off the west side of the island. However, it was not all of J pod, two matrilines called the J11's (Blackberry J27, Tsuchi J31, Mako J39) and the J17's (Princess Angeline J17, Polaris J28, Tahlequah J35, Moby J44, Star J46, Notch J47) were unaccounted for. That afternoon, I recorded J pod as they vocalized over the live streaming OrcaSound hydrophone. To listen to this hydrophone recording or any of the ones I mention, visit my SoundCloud page here.

One question that was on everyone's mind was if J pod would stay around or leave as soon as they arrived, which has become quite a common occurrence now. However, it did seem like they were actually finding some salmon out there. Friends of mine got multiple pictures of orcas with salmon in their mouths, and it was reported that they were doing some major foraging! The next morning, I could hear them back on the hydrophones! It sounded to me like they were still hunting and catching salmon.

It was day three and J pod was still around! They continued to do what we call "the west side shuffle", which is when the orcas travel up and down the coast all day long as they hunt for salmon. It felt just like the old times again. Day four (June 3rd) was when things got really interesting! The L12's (Ocean Sun L25, Mega L41, Matia L77, Mystery L85, Calypso L94, Cousteau L113, and Joy L119), the L22's (Spirit L22 and Solstice L89), and the rest of J pod had all arrived during the night. I recorded their rather boisterous reunion over the hydrophones.

However, by the next day, the L12's, L22's, J11's, and J17's had all left again. The J14's (Including Granny J2 and Onyx L87), J16's, J19's, and the J22's all remained in the area just as before, until the morning of 6th, when they were seen exiting the area through the Strait of Juan De Fuca. I wonder when they will be back? Besides the residents, there has also been a lot of marine mammal eating transient orcas scattered around the area recently. Some of the transient families spotted include the T010's, T036A's, T049A's, T065A's, T086A's, T093 and T097, the T100's, T101's, T124A's, and the T137's.  Who knows who I'll see once I get back on the island!

Expect for more blog posts soon and let the summer begin!

Hoping for summer with plenty of salmon and orcas.