During the wind and rain early this morning, J,K, and L pod returned into the inland waters and headed up the West side of San Juan Island. By time the "Odyssey" of San Juan Excursions left Friday Harbor, the weather was calm and sunny, but all three Southern Resident orca pods had made it out of our range as they headed for the Fraser River. Not to fear though, Transient orcas were close by! We headed on over to Mandarte Island in Haro Strait to check them out and they turned out to be T020 and T021, a probable mother and son pair. Unlike the Chinook salmon eating Southern Residents, Transient orcas like these two prey on marine mammals, and that is what they were searching for.
T020, the oldest known male Transient orca. He was born around 1963.
T021, T020's probable mother, surfaces on the other side of him.
T021's cool saddle patch. Usually the saddle (grey/white pigmentation) extends to the spine but not on her!
As we were heading back to Friday Harbor, we got word that two matrilines from L pod called the L12's and L22's had turned around and were making their way down President Channel and into San Juan Channel, were Friday Harbor is. By sunset, as I sat on the rocky shoreline near the harbor, the orcas swam past as they slowly milled and traveled South right past the Friday Harbor.
In the lead was Mystery L85, followed by Ocean Sun L25 and Mega L41. Then came Matia L77, with her one year old daughter L119, and Calypso L94, with her daughter Cousteau L113. L119 was active with some spy hops, tail slaps, and then porpoised along to catch up with her mother who had just kept on swimming. Bringing up the rear was Spirit L22 and then Solstice L89, who came the closest to shore (about 100 feet or so), but my camera struggled to take pictures of him as the sun was setting.
In the lead was Mystery L85, followed by Ocean Sun L25 and Mega L41. Then came Matia L77, with her one year old daughter L119, and Calypso L94, with her daughter Cousteau L113. L119 was active with some spy hops, tail slaps, and then porpoised along to catch up with her mother who had just kept on swimming. Bringing up the rear was Spirit L22 and then Solstice L89, who came the closest to shore (about 100 feet or so), but my camera struggled to take pictures of him as the sun was setting.
Solstice L89, born in 1993. He is from the L22 matriline, made up of his mother Spirit L22, and his older brother Skana L79.
As the orcas began to disappear from view, Ocean Sun, estimated to have been born in 1928, breached two times in a row, the slap of her body impacting the surface of the water resembled the sound of a canon going off. Ocean Sun is also belived to be captive orca Lolita's mother or close relative.
All the members from the two matrilines were accounted for except for one from the L22 family, Skana. He was seen with his family when they were last here on 7/16/13. We will all continue to keep an eye out for him over the next few days if the orcas find enough Chinook salmon and stick around.
