The T036A's
| The T049A's
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Please don't use my photos without permission. Just ask :)
This orca encounter was completely unexpected! I had seen the T036A's and T049A's earlier in the day aboard the Odyssey of San Juan Excursions near the North end of the island and thought they had continued away from the island. However, as I was driving past Land Bank on the West side of the island, I could see two whale watching close into shore. Curious, I pulled over to check it out, and I'm so glad I did! At some point, the orcas had turned around and headed back down island because now here they were, just about twenty feet from the Land Bank shoreline. Members from both of families were goofing off and playing in the kelp beds.The two matrilines, with eight animals altogether, are made up of these individuals:
I have only seen transient orcas from shore twice (not including this encounter) and both times they were far offshore, so this was a very special encounter. It was also the closest I had ever seen orcas to the shore at Land Bank. What an amazing encounter!
Please don't use my photos without permission. Just ask :)
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AuthorMelisa Pinnow grew up on San Juan Island in Washington State. She recently graduated from Evergreen State College with a Bachelor of Science in marine biology and ornithology. She is a certified marine naturalist for San Juan Excursions and also works at the Center for Whale Research. It is her hope that sharing her orca encounters will inspire others to love and protect these magnificent creatures for generations to come. Archives
April 2018
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