Sighting #1: 'Resident' fish eating killer whales (Orcinus orca)
Time: 1505
Start location: North of Hein Bank, Strait of Juan De Fuca
End location: North of Hein Bank, Strait of Juan De Fuca
Behaviour: tight groups travelling slowly north
End location: North of Hein Bank, Strait of Juan De Fuca
Behaviour: tight groups travelling slowly north
Pods and Individuals identified: L - L22, L79, L89, L72, L105, L95, L86, L112, L2, L78, L88
Cool killer whale fact: Orcas can swim up to 30 mph and can travel 75-100 miles or more per day.
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
Breach!
L92, Crewser, a 15 year old 'sprouting'or maturing male
Above 2 photos: Probably L105 doing pectoral fin slaps
Photographs like this one can be used to sex young killer whales...We can tell L105 is a male by zooming into the photo and looking for the mammary slits (absent on males) and the longer white middle part of the white 'trident' marking near the whales tail (check out the Center for Whale Research Q and A page to see what to look for...scroll down to the section "Can you tell male calves from females?")
...and some inverted tail lobs...
...and another tail lob!
Very surface active! More inverted tail lobs!
No comments:
Post a Comment