Reports came in of Transient orcas near Kelp Reefs across from San Juan Island in Haro Strait, on the afternoon of 5/24/13. There was also a humpback at Moresby Island, near Stuart Island. Legacy Charters kindly invited me along on one of their trips and just a few minutes later we were with the orcas. It was T020, T021, and the T086As with T124A1 tagging along.
 Teenager T086A1 (foreground) born in 2001 and female T124A1 (background) born in 1996. |  T086A1 (left) and adult male T020 (right) born around 1963. |
T086A (front foreground) born in 1988 with her calf T086A3, born in 2011. T124A1 dives on the other side of the calf.
The Transients continued from Kelp Reefs to Andrews Bay on West side of San Juan Island where they headed North to Open Bay. They then started milling around the bay and I wondered if they had found a marine mammal to eat. After a few minutes though, it looked like they had given up and had started heading North again so we decided to go check out the humpback.
About half way to the humpback I spotted some Dall's porpoise who are known to bow ride on occasion, unlike the shy harbor porpoise. Suddenly the porpoises were zooming over to the bow, creating explosive rooster tails each time they surfaced.
About half way to the humpback I spotted some Dall's porpoise who are known to bow ride on occasion, unlike the shy harbor porpoise. Suddenly the porpoises were zooming over to the bow, creating explosive rooster tails each time they surfaced.
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The porpoises rode the bow for about five minutes before disappearing under the surface again. Soon after, we were with the humpback. Historically there were many of these whales around the islands but whaling caused them to become commercially extinct here. In recent years though, humpbacks are beginning to return to the area. Since 5/25/13 and as of 5/28/13, there has been one to five humpbacks in the area every day. This particular humpback was the biggest one I had ever seen here.
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After spending time with the humpback as he/she milled around Moresby Island, we headed back to see the Transients again. They had moved from Andrews Bay to Spieden Island.
T020 at Spieden Island.
Adult female T021, born around 1968.
T124A1 and T086A.
We left the Transients as they angled toward Flattop Island. As we drove back to the dock on San Juan Island, I thought about how great it was to see T020 and T021 again. I saw them for the first time on June 11th, 2012 and since then T020 has been one of my favorite Transient orcas. Later, I found out that right after we left the orcas in Andrews Bay to see the humpback, they made a kill and to celebrate, T021 spy hopped, T020 tail slapped and someone breached. Until next time T020 and friends!
