April 13, 2014: San Juan Sunshine Breach!

365 Project, Day 169

Here is my day 169 submission to my 365Project:

Breach!

I feel so lucky that my 'backup' job while in Victoria consists of me going out for boat rides on the waters of the Salish Sea looking for the amazing wildlife that inhabits the area. We had another wonderful afternoon on Great Pacific Adventures' vessel the King Salmon and today's tour was a special charter for some forestry students from India. I was so happy that we were able to show our international visitors the beauty and amazing wildlife of the area and, lucky for them, we had a rare spring visit by K pod! 

K pod, one of our 'Resident' fish-eating killer whale (Orcinus orca) pods came into the Salish Sea this morning traveling through the Strait of Juan De Fuca, south of Victoria, this morning and by the time we reached them this afternoon they were spread out off the south end of San Juan Island, Washington! 

K26 Lobo, 21 year old male

K26 Lobo, 21 year old male

K22, 27 years old and her son K33, a 13 year old 'sprouting' (maturing) male

K33, a 13 year old 'sprouting' (maturing) male

K12, est. to 42 years old and her 4 year old daughter K43

K14, a 36 year old female 

K14, a 36 year old female

K36, an 11 year old female and her brother K26, a 21 year old male

K37, an 11 year old male

K14, a 36 year old female and her son, K26, a 21 year old male

Belly flop!

Probably K12, a 42 year old female with her daughter, 4 year old K43, doing a tail slap and K26, a 21 year old male

Spyhop!

Cruising down Haro Strait with Mount Baker in the background

Off Cattle Point, south end of San Juan Island

Steller sea lions (Eumatopias jubatus) at Whale Rock

AUGUST 10, 2009 MORNING All three Southern Resident pods resting off the Victoria waterfront...and a humpback near Race Rocks!

Departure time: 0900
Vessel: Five Star Charter's Fastcat

Sighting #1: 'Resident' fish eating killer whales (Orcinus orca)

Time: 0916

Start location: right off Beacon Hill Park, Victoria waterfront

End location: 0.5 miles west of Trial Island/Enterprise Channel
Pods and Individuals identified:

J - J1, J2, J8, J14, J30, J37, J40?, J45, J17, J28, J35?, J44, J16, J42, J33, J36, J26, J34, J19, J41

K - K21, K40, K11, K20, K38?, K25?, K26

L - L12, L85, L22, L92, L90, L87, L89, L26, L7, L53, L25

Cool killer whale fact: Like all cetaceans, killer whales are voluntary breathers and are “half awake” when they are resting. Their brain has the ability to split activities; half will 'sleep' while the other half controls breathing and mobility (Lyamin et al. 2008 paper abstract)

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

J1, Ruffles, a male estimated to have been born in 1951

J14, Riptide, a 14 year old 'sprouting' (maturing) male

J27, Blackberry, an 18 year old male

J1, Ruffles, and J2, Granny, estimated born in 1911...these two are probably the oldest members of the Southern Resident community

L92, Crewser, a 14 year old 'sprouting' (maturing) male

Huge milling Southern Resident group off the Victoria waterfront with the cruise ships at Ogden Point in the background

Southern Residents with the Victoria waterfront in the background

J1 and L26, Baba, a female estimated to be born in 1956

L77, Matia, a 22 year old female (1st from left), L53, Lulu, a 32 year old female (2nd from left)and J14, Samish, a female estimated to be born in 1974 (fourth from left) within a group of the Southern Residents

Above 2 photos: large group of Southern Residents tight and travelling slowly off the Victoria waterfront

Sighting #2: Humpback whale (Balaenopter acutorostrata)

Time: 1044

Location: 1 mile East of Race Rocks in the Strait of Juan De Fuca

Behaviour: probably foraging, no direction

Cool humpback whale fact: The humpback whale is one of the rorquals, a family that also includes the blue whale, fin whale, Bryde's whale, sei whale, and minke whale. Rorquals take their name from the Norwegian word röyrkval, meaning "furrow whale". All members of the family have a series of longitudinal folds of skin running down their throats.

Links

American Cetacean Society humpback whale fact sheet

Center for Whale Research online humpback catalogue of humpbacks seen in the Salish Sea

Department of Fisheries and Oceans humpback catalogue

Above 2 photos: Humpback whale

AUGUST 9, 2009 AFTERNOON J, K and L pod whales in Haro Strait

Departure time: 1355

Vessel: Five Star Charter's Fastcat

Sighting #1: 'Resident' fish eating killer whales (Orcinus orca)
Time: 1450 - 1520 (leave whales to check Hein Bank for minke whales - none), 1550 - 1615
Start location: 2.5 miles south of Beaumont Shoals, Haro Strait

End location: 1 mile west of False Bay

Pods and Individuals identified:
J - J1, J2, J26
K - K21, K12, K22, K37

L - L72, L105, L7, L53, L83, L110, L95, L74

Cool killer whale fact: Orcas are the largest members of the dolphin family, or delphinidae

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

L83, Moonlight, a 19 year old female and her 2 year old son L110, Midnight, travelling with J1, Ruffles a male estimated to have been born in 1951

L72, Racer, a 23 year old female probably being followed by her 5 year old son L105, Fluke

L83 and L53, Lulu, a 32 year old female

L95, Nigel, a 13 year old 'sprouting' (maturing) male killer whale

J26, Mike, an 18 year old male travelling with L74, Saanich a 23 year old male

L74, Saanich

AUGUST 7, 2009 K and L pod whales going into the west end of Active Pass

Departure time: 0950

Vessel: Five Star Charter's Supercat

Sighting #1: Southern 'Resident' fish eating killer whales (Orcinus orca)

Time: 1134 - 1200

Start location: West side of Pender Island, .5 miles south of Active Pass

End location: West side of Active Pass
Pods and individuals identified: K and L - L72, L74, K21, K40

Cool killer whale fact: Males become sexually mature in their early teens, and fully grown in their early 20's

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

K40, Raggedy, a female estimated to be 46 years old

K21, Cappuccino, a 23 year old male believed to be very closely related to K40 because they nearly always travel together

JULY 21, 2009 MORNING K pod and L87 in Haro Strait

Departure time: 0857

Vessel: Five Star Charter's Fastcat

Sighting #1: Southern 'Resident' fish eating killer whales (Orcinus orca)

Time: 1002 - 1053

Start location: Hannah Heights, San Juan Island, Washington

Behaviour: spread out milling and slowly northbound, K37 pecslaps and other surface activities

End location: Hannah Heights (just south of Lime Kiln light), San Juan Island, Washington
Pods and individuals identified: K and L87 - K21, K33, K22, K37
Cool killer whale fact: Orcas have a 16-17 month gestation period!

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

Above 2 photos: K21, Cappuccino, a 23 year old male

K33, Tika , an 8 year old male

Above 2 photos: K22, Sekiu, the 22 year old mother of K33

K37, Rainshadow, the 6 year old brother of K22 (young uncle of K33!)

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!

JULY 20, 2009 AFTERNOON K pod and L87 off San Juan Island, Haro Strait

Departure time: 1356
Vessel: Five Star Charter's Fastcat

Sighting #1: Southern 'Resident' fish eating killer whales (Orcinus orca)
Time: 1439 - 1548
Start location: .5 miles off Andrews Bay, San Juan Island, Washington
Behaviour: travel slow northbound then southbound, feeding (K21 and K40)

End location: Lime Kiln Whale watch park, San Juan Island, Washington

Pods and individuals identified: K and L87 - K21, K40, K12, K37, K26

Cool killer whale fact: Females grow to an average of 24 feet and 7,000 pounds

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

K21, Cappuccino, a 23 year old male

K12, Sequim, a 37 year old female and her 6 year old son K37, Rainshadow

Above 3 photos: K26, Lobo, a 16 year old male travelling with members of K pod

K pod travelling south along the shore of San Juan Island

K21

Above 4 photos: K40, Raggedy, a female estimated to be in her 40s (yes there's a fish in her mouth!) and probably sister of K21

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!