How interesting the sightings have been lately...this afternoon we received reports of the same large pod of 'Transient' mammal eating killer whales (Orcinus orca) as yesterday in the Strait of Juan De Fuca. The evening prior the large group of whales had travelled towards Puget Sound and then re-appeared way south of the Victoria waterfront off the Olympic peninsula today. We headed out in Five Star Charter's vessel the Fastcat and after travelling about an hour reached the large group of animals mid-strait milling around and hunting. It was the same group sighted yesterday and included the T100s, T101s, T124s, T30s and the T90s...at least 18 animals! (see the DFO Transient killer whale catalogue)
Members of the T124 and T100 'Transient' mammal eating killer whale groups
Above 2 photos: T30, 23 year old male Transient killer whale travelling in the Strait of Juan De Fuca
T30 travelling with a female Transient killer whale in the Strait of Juan De Fuca
After we watched the group circling and milling for about half an hour they suddenly started lunging, porpoising and we even saw one whale do a chin slap! They were obviously hunting a seal or a porpoise because the gulls started flying down to get scraps. We left them around 1620 and they were still in the middle of the Strait of Juan De Fuca milling. they even did some percussive behaviours...taillobbing and one of them even jumped out of the water in a big breach! What an awesome and interesting sighting we had today!
Porpoising i.e. sprinting, female Transient killer whale
T30s fin from behind! note the curve at the top...a good feature to use for identification in the field i.e. it's not seen in the photo-ID photos!
Female Transient killer whale...probably T124 a female who is estimated to have been born at least in 1967
Above two pictures: female Transient killer whales from the T100, T101, T30 and T90 matrilines travelling together
Above 3 photos: T30, a 23 year old male Transient killer whale logging in a resting or social behaviour
T30 group of Transient killer whales including: female T30, female at least 42 years old; T30A her son who is 23 and T30B her other offspring who is 16 years old
Above 2 photos: T30 and T30A logging
Above 2 photos: T30A logging
Time to go! T30 travelling quickly eastbound
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