On the morning of 9/3/13, J, K and most of L pod returned to the inland waters around San Juan Island. Hearing that the orcas were aiming for my house, I went out onto the rocky shoreline and down close to the water. Thinking that all the orcas (around 70 members out of 81 in the entire population) were still a few miles out, I sat my backpack down and starting going through it when I heard a loud exhale and vocalizations close by. Startled, I looked up and was very surprised to see Kelp K42 spy hopping just feet in front of me! He had made some little chirping vocalizations as he had been coming out of the water too! Other orcas then surfaced around him, including his mother Lea K14, older brother Lobo K26, older sister Yoda K36, Shachi J19, her daughter Eclipse J41, Racer L72, her son Fluke L105 and cousin Lulu L53. I was too shocked to get a photo of Kelp spy hopping but did get photos of the others as they passed by.
Lulu L53, born in 1977, with a strand of kelp draped around her dorsal fin.
Left to right: Racer L72, Eclipse J41 and Yoda K36.
Soon after my encounter from shore, it was time to board the "Odyssey" of San Juan Excursions, to
teach guests about the orcas and have another extraordinary encounter! A short time later we were with a socializing group made up of J and L pod members off the South end of San Juan Island at Salmon Bank. We hung out with this super active group the entire time of our encounter but other groups were spread out far and wide. Our group was made up of six matrilines: the J14's, J19's, L26's, L47's, L55's and L72's.
teach guests about the orcas and have another extraordinary encounter! A short time later we were with a socializing group made up of J and L pod members off the South end of San Juan Island at Salmon Bank. We hung out with this super active group the entire time of our encounter but other groups were spread out far and wide. Our group was made up of six matrilines: the J14's, J19's, L26's, L47's, L55's and L72's.
| J14 family: Granny J2, F, est.1911 Samish J14, F, 1974 Hy'shqa J37, F, 2001 Suttles J40, F, 2004 Se-Yi'-Chn J45, M, 2009 Ti'lem I'nges J49, M, 2012 *Onyx L87, M, 1992 *Spieden J8, F, est.1933 *unrelated to the J14's but travel with them. L47 family: Marina L47, F, 1974 Moonlight L83, F, 1990 Muncher L91, F, 1995 Midnight L110, M, 2007 Mystic L115, M, 2010 | J19 family: Shachi J19, F, 1979 Eclipse J41, F, 2005 L55 family: Ophelia L27, F, est.1965 Nugget L55, F, 1977 Kasatka L82, F, 1990 Surprise L86, F, 1991 Lapis L103, F, 2003 Pooka L106, F, 2005 Takoda L109, M, 2007 Finn L116, M, 2010 Jade L118, F, 2011 | L26 family: Ballena L90, F, 1993 Crewser L92, M, 1995 L72 family: Lulu L53, F, 1977 Racer L72, F, 1986 Nigel L95, M, 1996 Fluke L105, M, 2004 |
There were many breaches, backdives, aerial scans, spy hops, cartwheels, tail slaps, inverted tail slaps, pectoral fin slaps, dorsal fin slaps, even a backflip, above water vocals and raspberrys, mostly from the calves and juveniles!
 Cartwheel! |  No different than a person cartwheeling! |
Crewser L92 in front of the Salmon Bank marker.
Granny J2's great great grandson, Ti'lem I'nges J49, breaches!
A juvenile spy hops!
Pooka L106 with Ti'lem I'nges J49 breaching next to him.
 Ti'lem I'nges. . . |  . . .just kept on breaching! |
Ti'lem I'nges breaches again!
Guess who's breaching? Yep, Ti'lem I'nges!
Jade L118 breaches past Opehelia L27.
Jade L118 pec slap!
Pooka L106 and Suttles J40.
Eclipse J41, with a new little scrape above her eye patch.
Shachi J19, Eclipse's mother.
Estimated eighty year old, Spieden J8. Besides her unique saddle patches and dorsal fin shape, she can also be identified by the wheeze she has when she inhales.
Estimated 102 year old, Granny J2.
What a crazy awesome superpod day!! As we were leaving the orcas, they looked like they ready to leave the area during the night. I was pleasantly surprised in the morning though. . . :)
Please do not use these photos without permission. Just ask.
Please do not use these photos without permission. Just ask.
