I woke up to reports of a large group of orcas heading North past my house on the West side of San Juan Island. I ran out onto the porch and looked for the orcas but could hear them slapping the water farther North of me. They had already passed my house. So I jumped in my car and headed for Lime Kiln State Park up island of me for a close encounter of the orca kind. When the Southern Resident orcas (J,K,and L pod) pass the shoreline of this park they often come with fifteen feet of shore and this time I would not be disappointed.
The first orca to swim past was Lulu L53, born in 1977 but she was far offshore. Ophelia L27, born around 1965 was right behind her. The next orcas to swim past was Kasatka L82, and her young son Finn L116. With them were adult males Nyssa L84, Wave Walker L88, and Mega L41. They were all within just feet of the rocky shoreline!
The first orca to swim past was Lulu L53, born in 1977 but she was far offshore. Ophelia L27, born around 1965 was right behind her. The next orcas to swim past was Kasatka L82, and her young son Finn L116. With them were adult males Nyssa L84, Wave Walker L88, and Mega L41. They were all within just feet of the rocky shoreline!
Finn L116, born in 2010, follows his mother Kasatka L82, born in 1990.
Kasatka L82 surfaces close to shore.
Nyssa L84, born in 1990, plays with some bull kelp!
Wave Walker L88, born in 1993, has grown into a handsome adult male. He is the only member left in his entire matriline now after loosing his mother, Grace L2, this year and his older brother, Gaia L78, last year. Grace was estimated to be fifty three years old and Gaia was twenty three.
Wave Walker L88 (left), and Mega L41 (right), born in 1977.
The next orcas to swim by were Fluke L105, Surprise L86, and Ino L54, with her daughter Keta L117 and son Coho L108.
Fluke L105, born in 2004, waves his tail flukes around.
Fluke L105.
Surprise L86, born in 1991, scans the shoreline.
Ino L54, born in 1977.
Keta L117, born in 2010, surfaces next to her mother Ino.
Ino's son Coho L108, born in 2006.
Coho L108 tail slaps close to shore.
Crewser L92 and his aunt Ballena L90 were next to swim by shore. These two are the last members of their matriline after Ballena's mother, Baba L26, passed away this year at an estimated age of fifty seven years old.
Crewser L92, born in 1995, is growing into a large male!
Ballena L90, born in 1993.
The last L pod members to come close to shore were Marina L47, with her son Mystic L115, and daughter Muncher L91. Any L pod members not mentioned were far offshore.
 Marina L47, born in 1974. |  Mystic L115, born in 2010. |
Muncher L91, born in 1995.
The orcas continued North past the park and as if my day couldn't get any better, it was time for me to go work on the "Odyssey", a San Juan Excursions boat, to teach guests about the orcas and have another amazing encounter. A short time later I was with L pod again. We first saw Matia L77, born in 1987, with her daughter L119, born in 2012, and then got a surprise visit from an adult male known as Mystery L85.
Mystery L85, born in 1991.
We then headed over to check out a group of orcas seemingly socializing together and generally being active. It was three males; Mega L41, Wave Walker L88, Nigel L95, and Kasatka L82 with her daughter Lapis L103, and son Finn L116.
Sprouter male Nigel L95, born in 1996, with tail slapping Lapis L103 born in 2003.
Males Mega L41, Wave Walker L88, and Nigel L95 get together for some wrestling and a show of sea snakes.
Nigel L95 tail slaps
Then, Finn L116 started to get very active!
 Finn L116 does an inverted tail slap. |  Finn L116 does an inverted tail slap. |
 |  Finn L116 breaches! |  |
Finn L116, born in 2010, breaches again!
 Finn L116 breaches. |  Finn L116 breaches. |
 |  A spinning spy hop by Finn L116!! I had never seen this before. |  |
Finn L116 breaches again.
It seemed like there maybe was enough Chinook salmon here for them to eat for a little while, but in the morning (7/1/13), L pod was leaving for the open ocean again. I wonder when they will come back?
