JUNE 2, 2009 AFTERNOON L12s picked up near Race Rocks where huge group of Ts were travelling this morning!

We headed out of the Victoria Harbour at 1400 on Five Star Charter's Fastcat to see the same large group of 'Transient' mammal eating killer whale (Orcinus orca) we had seen travelling south of the Victoria waterfront this morning. The reports indicated they were 3 miles SW of the Race Rocks Marine Protected Area so we headed south towards Race Rocks.

L94, Calypso, a 14 year old Southern Resident 'fish eating' killer whale female

After travelling about half an hour one of the passengers told me that they'd seen something in the distance...I glanced in the direction he indicated and sure enough there was a killer whale fin in the distance! At first I figured that it was a straggling group of Transients but when we got a better look at the animals I saw L94, a member of the L12 sub-pod of Southern Resident fish eating killer whales! These whales were seen off the north end of Vancouver Island three days ago and had somehow snuck past all the Gulf and San Juan Islands ending up south of the Victoria waterfront...where we had seen the group of Transient killer whales this morning! Transient and Resident killer whales do not socialize or interact at all and, in fact are genetically distinct from each other, so it was interesting to see this ecotype of whales travelling so near and in a location where the other ecotype had been seen only a couple of hours previously (scientific journal article discussing evolution of the two ecotypes)!

L94's older sister, L77, who is 22 years old

L12, Alexis, an elder female in L pod who is estimated to be born in 1933

L12 with Race Rocks Marine Protected Area in the background

L85, Mystery, an 18 year old nearly mature male

We watched the L12 sub-pod for about an hour; they were very spread out travelling west towards and then through Race Rocks. The members of the pod I identified included L94, L77, L41 (in the distance!), L12, L85, L89, L22 and L79 (see the Center For Whale Research matrilineal catalogue and the Whale Museum's Orca Adoption program for details on their names and group strutcture!).

L79, Skana, 20 year old male killer whale

L79's mother L22, Spirit, a female who is believed to be about 38 years old

After a great sighting of the L12s we took a quick look in Race Rocks where we saw 2 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) and 3 Elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris)... a great way to finish a wonderful day!

Northern Elephant Seals (Mirounga angustirostris) at Race Rocks

Califronia sea lion (Zalophus californianus) hauled out at Race Rocks