JULY 10, 2009 AFTERNOON L pod at Middle Bank and Happy Birthday Jacklyn!

Departure time: 1400
Vessel: Five Star Charter's Fastcat

Sighting #1: Southern 'Resident' fish eating killer whales (Orcinus orca)
Time: 1454 - 1550
Start location: Middle Bank, Haro Strait, Washington
Behaviour: travelling and milling, logging
End location: Eagle Point, San Juan Island

Individuals identified: L pod - L86, L112, L72, L83, L27, L90, L47

Links

Center for Whale Research killer whale fact page, photo ID and matrilines
Orca Adoption Program at Friday Harbour Whale Museum
Orcasound online hydrophone network
Orca Sightings Network
American Cetacean Society fact sheet

Southern Resident killer whale about to do a dorsal fin slap!

head on photo probably of L89, Solstice, a 16 year old 'sprouting' (maturing) male

L90, Ballena, a 16 year old female

L72, Racer, a 23 year old female

Approaching head on!

L83, Moonlight, a 19 year old female

Logging killer whale (L47, Marina a 33 year old female) with Mount Baker, Washington looming in the background

Sighting #2: Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)
Time: 1606
Location: near Beaumont Shoals, Haro Strait, BC waters

Links
American Cetacean Society harbour porpoise fact sheet

Harbour porpoise surfacing

Taking in the sun on the top deck of Fastcat

Our new co-pilot

The birthday girl in action!

looks like somebody has post-whale watching happiness!

SIMPLE WAYS TO HELP SAVE THE WHALES AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT

To learn some ways how you can help save the whales and the oceans they live in see the Whale Nerds Unite blogpost for June 27, 2009!