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

MINKE WHALE, SEALS AND PORPOISE MAY 10, 2009!

We departed on Five Star Charter's Supercat just after 0900 this morning. It was very foggy but we decided to head out into the Strait of Juan De Fuca and see what we could find. After a run through the Strait we headed back towards the Oak Bay Chain Islands to check for seals and possibly Transient 'mammal eating' killer whales. We didn't find any Transients but we did spot a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sitting on the double crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) nests at Great Chain Island . Just before we left the Chain Islands I heard the barking of a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). A couple hundred meters away from us we spotted a kayaker being checked out by the sea lion as he was paddling along the rocky shore of the islands!

After checking out the Chain Islands we continued on to Seabird Point off the south end of Discover Island to see if we could spot the minke whale which has been feeding in the area. When we arrived at Seabird Point we could smell the breath of the minke whale...which is so bad minkes have been given the nickname "stinky minke". Due to the fog we could not find it but shortly after 1100 at we finally spotted the minke!

Minke whale we've been seeing feeding around Seabird Point, Discovery Island

Gull in flight

Young harbour seal checking us out

Young harbour seal off Seabird Point

Minke whale feeding in association with gulls

Minke whale feeding in association with gulls

While we were watching the minke whale we also spotted many harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) also feeding in the area. We often spot porpoise between Seabird Point and Beaumont Shoals because the area is very productive due to the upwelling of nutrients from the shallowing waters at Beaumont Shoals and the mixing that occurs from currents passing Seabird Point.

Harbour porpoise off Seabird Point, Discovery Island

Harbour porpoise off Seabird Point, Discovery Island

After watching the Minke whale and harbour porpoise for a while we went to Brinn Rock off of Seabird Point to check out a Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) that another whale watch boat reported to us. When we arrived at Brinn Rock the sea lion was swimming around in the kelp bed. It likely was there to forage for fish species; their diet can consist of Pacific herring, pollock, salmon, cod, and rockfishes and they will also eat octopus and some squid.

Steller sea lion at Brinn Rock off Seabird Point, Discover Island

Dall's porpoise spotted offshore of Lime Kiln Lighthouse, San Juan Island during afternoon trip (~1530)

Dall's/Harbour hybrid porpoise travelling with Dall's porpoise. Harbour porpoise males have probably been breeding with Dalls porpoise and the hybrid offspring are travelling with their Dall's porpoise mothers and learning behaviours, such as bow riding, that are not typical for Harbour porpoise!

T40 CAPTAIN HOOK AND T71S IN HARO STRAIT MAY 7, 2009!

We departed at 1400 on Five Star Charter's Fastcat and headed East out of the Victoria harbour to a report of Transient "mammal eating" killer whales in Haro Strait. Around 1445 we spotted the other whale watch vessels in the middle of Haro Strait west of Lime Kiln Lighthouse, San Juan Island. As we approached we saw T40 or Captain Hook travelling with 4 other killer whales which were later identified as the T71s which include T71 and her offspring T71A, T71B and T71C.

T40, Captain Hook, a male who is at least 48 years old

Probably T71A who is a still unsexed whale born in 1995

T40's cool looking dorsal fin!

Member of the T71s

Member of the T71s

T40, Captain Hook, and T71B in Haro Strait with whale watch boat in background

After watching the whales for a while we headed north up Haro Strait through Hughs Pass and around D'arcy Island to see if there were any Dall's porpoise (Phocoenoides Dalli) or Steller sea lions (Eumatopia jubatus). After a quick look around the islands we went back to watch the whales some more and shortly after we arrived we discovered they were attacking a Steller sea lion! We watched them lunging, taillobbing and cartwheeling for about 20 minutes before we had to start making our way back to the harbour. It was unfortunate to see the sea lion being attacked but we felt fortunate to be seeing such a natural and interesting event!

Members of the T71 group of Transients hunting off Kelp Reefs

T40 and possibly T71A hunting off Kelp Reefs

T40 and members of the T71s hunting off Kelp Reefs

T40 and members of the T71s hunting off Kelp Reefs

T40 from behind...awesome dorsal fin!

Hunting a Steller sea lion at Kelp Reefs

Hunting a Steller sea lion at Kelp Reefs

Hunting a Steller sea lion at Kelp Reefs

Hunting a Steller sea lion at Kelp Reefs

T40 attacking a Steller sea lion at Kelp Reefs

The prey! Steller sea lion being attacked by T40 and T71s

T40 attacking!

T40 attacking!

CARTWHEEL!

May 5 2009 My first J pod sighting since last summer!

Yesterday was the first report of Resident "fish eating" killer whale pods in the Salish Sea in a record of 44 days! Normally J pod spends the spring around the Salish Sea; there had not been any reports of them but, finally, yesterday they returned with K pod. Unfortunately it was a windy day and only a few boats got out to see them. J pod was spotted again today so we travelled to False Bay, on the west side of San Juan Island to follow up on the report.

J30 or Riptide, a 14 year old male and the son of J14, Samish

J2 Granny, likely the oldest female in J pod and the newest addition to J pod J14s new calf J45

When we arrived J pod was in groups spread out just off of False Bay, San Juan Island. We saw members of the J11s (now without their mother J11, Blosssom, because she disappeared i.e. probably died, last year) followed by the J22s. They were inshore of us so we couldn't get a really good look at them but we spotted J1 offshore and made our way to have a nice look at the J14s with J1 Ruffles and J2 Granny. Here were the eldest members of the group travelling with the youngest member! J14, Samish's, new calf J45 was travelling with J2 Granny who is believed to be in her 90s and J1 who is believed to nearing 60! The calf was full of energy and we even had a couple calf breaches!

Probably one of the best known Resident killer whales J1 or Ruffles. He is believed to be around 58 years old!

J1 Ruffles' profile

J1, Ruffles from a distance

Although it appeared the whales had been travelling northwest they remained stationary most of the time we watched them due to the ebbing tide. We left them at False Bay after a nice 45 minute sighting. It was great to see J pod back in the Salish Sea and doing their 'west side shuffle' off the west side of San Juan Island again!