MAY 21, 2009 AFTERNOON J POD TRAVELLING OFF THE WEST SIDE OF SAN JUAN ISLAND

After departing the Victoria Harbour at 1400 Five Star Charter's Fastcat travelled east across the Victoria waterfront toward San Juan Island, Washington State. J pod was reported to be spread out travelling north along the west side of the island.

Lucky for us, en route to San Juan Island we had a not-so-common sighting of a brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) in the strait. Although they are seen here occasionally it is definitely not a daily event (more Pelican info)!

View of Mount Baker through the Oak Bay Chain Islands

Mount Baker with cargo ship

Brown Pelican

When we arrived at San Juan Island we sighted J pod members travelling north along the shoreline. I was able to identify members of many of the matrilines of J pod including the J22s (J22, J34, J38 identified), the J17s, (J17, J28, J35, J44 identified) and the J14s (J14, J30, J45) and the eldest members of the pod (J1, J2 and J8). Check out the Center for Whale Research's whale ID page to learn more about these groups http://www.whaleresearch.com/orca_ID_pods.html

J pod travelling off San Juan Island

J27, Blackberry, travelling with J14, Samish

J14s (J27, Blackberry; J35, Tahlequah; and J14, Samish)

Matrilineal group from J pod (probably J22s) travelling alongside San Juan Island

J34, Doublestuff (11 year old male) travelling with his younger sibling J38, Cookie (6 years old)

J27, Blackberry

J17, Princess Angeline (32 years old) with daughters J28, Polaris (16 years old) and J35, Tahlequah (11 years old)

J28, Polaris (from the J17s) travelling with J22, Oreo and J34, Doublestuff

J28, Polaris, and J27, Blackberry

J28, Polaris, J31, Tsuchi (14 years old) and J35, Tahlequah

J22, Oreo (24 years old) and her son J34, Doublstuff (11 years old)

We left J pod around 1600; they were still northbound in groups spread out just off of Andrews Bay, San Juan Island (where the Center For Whale Research is located!) and started to make our way back to the Victoria Harbour. On the way back to the harbour we stopped in the Chain Islands in Oak Bay too look at the seals and seabirds. We had a nice look at some harbour seals in the water and the double-crested cormorants.

The Oak Bay Chain Islands with the Olympic Mountains in the background

Harbour Seal (phoca vitulina) in the kelp at the Chain Islands

Double Crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) at the Chain Islands

We arrived back at the dock in the Victoria Harbour at 1700...after a lovely day seeing a brown pelican, the matrilineal groups of J pod travelling together, seals and the cormorants!