December 2, 2014: Cartagena Caracara

Today was my last day on the Sanco Swift, the seismic survey vessel I have been working on off the coast of Colombia for the past 3.5 weeks, (a relatively short survey!) as PAM (passive acoustic monitor). This was my first job working strictly nights conducting acoustic watches from sunset to sunrise. Normally, myself and another PAM operator will split both visual and acoustic watches working either from noon to midnight or midnight to noon but this time we had two marine mammal observers (MMOs) working the daytime hours and then I worked all night hours, which amounted to approximately 11 hours of listening on the hydrophone per night! 

Strictly working nights was quite a change for me as I spent most of my time sitting at the computer with the headphones on; something I found a bit difficult as I am not usually a fan of sitting at the computer for such long stretches at a time! To be sure I didn't start to feel too sluggish by this inactivity during my work hourse, I made a point of waking up early most days (2 pm in the afternoon!) to go to the gym and/or swim in the pool on deck and relax in the sun. Additionally, whenever I could grab a free moment while on watch I made a habit to go to the heli-deck and lie under the stars watching for meteor showers and learning constellations. It was pretty spectacular stargazing and I learned a lot of new constellations! 

Despite my dislike of sitting at the computer so many hours a night, I still learned new things about the PAM equipment and software (every job is different so there's always opportunity to learn something new each time), and I feel this was an opportunity to expand on my skills with a different twist to the work. 

After completing the job we started transiting back to Cartagena arriving today where I disembarked the vessel to start my short 10 day holiday of diving and surfing and birding before I fly home for Christmas. Of course, during these last hours on the vessel I made sure to sit out on deck and keep a keen eye out for any marine wildlife. Due to the nature of my work this time, this was the first job I didn't see a single marine mammal! Although we had no marine mammals on this final journey to port, I did have some observations of Brown boobies (Sula leucogaster) and a couple of yellow-headed caracara (Milvago chimachima) including this one sitting on the rail of the ship. 

yellow-headed caracara (Milvago chimachima)

My favourite spot to spend my afternoons after going to the gym and before starting my watch :)

My home for the past 3.5 weeks

Team PAM/MMO!

Immature brown booby (Sula leucogaster)

Juvenile brown booby (Sula leucogaster)

Yellow-headed caracara (Milvago chimachima) flying past the ship

Looking past the heli-deck to Cartagena coming into view

Cartagena

Cartagena

This yellow-headed caracara (Milvago chimachima) landed on the ship to rest for a while

yellow-headed caracara (Milvago chimachima)

yellow-headed caracara  (Milvago chimachima)

yellow-headed caracara  (Milvago chimachima)

yellow-headed caracara (Milvago chimachima)

Virgin of Carmen statue in Cartagena harbour

Brown pelican (Pelicanus occidentalis)

MAY 23, 2009 AFTERNOON J POD SPREAD OUT OFF SAN JUAN ISLAND

We departed this afternoon on Five Star Charter's Supercat in the very fortunate position of knowing that J pod was within range. This morning the Five Star crew and guests saw J pod as they came out of Rosario Strait and around the south end of Lopez Island, in the San Juan Islands, Washington State. By the time we were heading out on this afternoon's trip the whales had reached San Juan Island and were spread out foraging along the west side of the island.

J16, Slick, foraging off of San Juan Island

We watched the foraging pod of whales for nearly an hour during which time I was able to identify J16, Slick, a 37 year old female with her 4 year old daughter J42. We watched them as they milled around fishing in the deep waters off of Eagle Point. We also saw a nearly mature male J27, Blackberry, an 18 year old male foraging just offshore for a while before we headed back to Victoria. (see more at the Center For Whale Research Id page and the Orca Adoption Program page)

Above 2 photos: J27, Blackberry, an 18 year old male

It was a lovely afternoon on the water watching J pod fishing off the west side of San Juan Island. In addition to watching the Resident killer whales we also saw a Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) floating off Seabird Pt at the south end of Discovery Island. Unfortunately, I didn`t get any photos but this was a nice finish to a great afternoon on the water!

MAY 21, 2009 AFTERNOON J POD TRAVELLING OFF THE WEST SIDE OF SAN JUAN ISLAND

After departing the Victoria Harbour at 1400 Five Star Charter's Fastcat travelled east across the Victoria waterfront toward San Juan Island, Washington State. J pod was reported to be spread out travelling north along the west side of the island.

Lucky for us, en route to San Juan Island we had a not-so-common sighting of a brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) in the strait. Although they are seen here occasionally it is definitely not a daily event (more Pelican info)!

View of Mount Baker through the Oak Bay Chain Islands

Mount Baker with cargo ship

Brown Pelican

When we arrived at San Juan Island we sighted J pod members travelling north along the shoreline. I was able to identify members of many of the matrilines of J pod including the J22s (J22, J34, J38 identified), the J17s, (J17, J28, J35, J44 identified) and the J14s (J14, J30, J45) and the eldest members of the pod (J1, J2 and J8). Check out the Center for Whale Research's whale ID page to learn more about these groups http://www.whaleresearch.com/orca_ID_pods.html

J pod travelling off San Juan Island

J27, Blackberry, travelling with J14, Samish

J14s (J27, Blackberry; J35, Tahlequah; and J14, Samish)

Matrilineal group from J pod (probably J22s) travelling alongside San Juan Island

J34, Doublestuff (11 year old male) travelling with his younger sibling J38, Cookie (6 years old)

J27, Blackberry

J17, Princess Angeline (32 years old) with daughters J28, Polaris (16 years old) and J35, Tahlequah (11 years old)

J28, Polaris (from the J17s) travelling with J22, Oreo and J34, Doublestuff

J28, Polaris, and J27, Blackberry

J28, Polaris, J31, Tsuchi (14 years old) and J35, Tahlequah

J22, Oreo (24 years old) and her son J34, Doublstuff (11 years old)

We left J pod around 1600; they were still northbound in groups spread out just off of Andrews Bay, San Juan Island (where the Center For Whale Research is located!) and started to make our way back to the Victoria Harbour. On the way back to the harbour we stopped in the Chain Islands in Oak Bay too look at the seals and seabirds. We had a nice look at some harbour seals in the water and the double-crested cormorants.

The Oak Bay Chain Islands with the Olympic Mountains in the background

Harbour Seal (phoca vitulina) in the kelp at the Chain Islands

Double Crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) at the Chain Islands

We arrived back at the dock in the Victoria Harbour at 1700...after a lovely day seeing a brown pelican, the matrilineal groups of J pod travelling together, seals and the cormorants!

J POD OFF HEIN BANK MAY 14, 2009!

J pod was reported near Hein Bank in the Strait of Juan De Fuca this afternoon when we left the Victoria Harbour on Five Star Charter's Supercat at 1400. We headed into the Strait of Juan De Fuca and travelled for about an hour to reach them spread out and westbound mid-strait.

The first matrilineal group we spotted were the J17s, Princess Angeline's family. This family includes J17's calf J44 who is one of the newest calves born into the southern resident community sometime in January (see Center For Whale Research encounter) and the calves older sister J28, polaris, who is 16 years old and J35, Tahlequah, who is 11 years old (see the Whale Museums' Orca Adoption page).

J28, Polaris, travelling with her new younger sibling J44

J35 Tahlequah

J17, Princess Angeline, 32 year old female

J28 Polaris, 16 year old female

After a nice sighting of the J17s we saw J34, Doublestuff, an 11 year old male in the J22 matriline travelling on his own. He treated us with three half-breaches in a row...very nice!

J34, Double Stuff, doing a half breach!

J34 Double Stuff travelling in the Strait of Juan De Fuca

Caspian tern with fish in its mouth

After watching J34 for a bit we spotted J1, Ruffles', fin in the distance. He is the oldest male in the community and is estimated to be born in 1951. We got a really nice look at his tall dorsal fin as he travelled through the strait with J2, Granny, who is believed to be his mother travelling close by. These two are the oldest animals in J pod with granny estimated to have been born in 1911!

J1, Ruffles, travelling west in the Strait of Juan De Fuca. He is estimated to have been born in 1951, making him approximately 58 years old!

J1, Ruffles

J1, Ruffles

J1, Ruffles, showing his distinctly ruffled fin

J1, Ruffles, with the Olympic Mountains in the background

J1, Ruffles, with the Olympic Mountains in the background

After watching J pod for about 45 minutes we left to start making our way back to the harbour. Just as we entered the harbour we had a not-so-common sighting of a brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) sitting at the Ogden Point dock in the outer Victoria Harbour. What a lucky bird day because en route to the whales we also spotted a Tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata). This species of bird is seen fairly regularly in this area but definitely not on a daily basis!

Source: http://depts.washington.edu/natmap/photos/birds/tufted_puffin_7872np.jpg

Brown Pelican at Ogden Point