Today we were lucky enough to see a group of Transient 'mammal eating' killer whales (Orcinus orca) which, although they are in researchers' photo ID catalogue (Department of Fisheries and Oceans Catalogue), are not seen very often.
Female likely to be a member of the T73 group of Transient killer whales
T73B, 18 year old male, travelling with a female who is likely to be a member of the T73s
They were reported earlier this morning near Port Angeles, Washington State, before we left the dock on Five Star Charter's Fastcat at 1000 this morning. Fortunately they were spotted again by another whale watch vessel, the Orca Spirit, who had a 0900 departure. So we travelled south into the Strait of Juan De Fuca and finally caught with the group of ~5 or 6 animals travelling quickly west on the Olympic Peninsula side of the strait near Freshwater Bay.
Above 2 photos: Young, 18 year old, sprouting male T73B
We couldn't identify the group in the field but after collaborating with other whale watchers and researchers (thanks to Mark Malleson of Prince of Whales who spoke to Jared Towers at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans) we figured out that the group which included a sprouting male T73 (his fin has been getting taller as he is nearing the end of his whale puberty stage at the age of 18) and a female T73A and her offspring T73A1 and possibly some other T73 whales. Unfortunately, I was silly enough to leave my camera home today but Ron Bates, with the Marine Mammal Research Group, donated photos he took to post this interesting group of killer whales.
Adult, 22 year old, female T73A
T73B
T73A , T73B and probably T73A1 (T73A's first calf who is 4 years old)
T73B with a distinctive lean to his right side...good identifying feature for field ID
T73A
T73A and T73B travelling together
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