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

AUGUST 5, 2009 L pod whales westbound south of Jordan River

Departure time: 0954

Vessel: Five Star Charter's Supercat

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

Time: 1126 - 1157

Start location: 4 miles south of Sheringham Point, Vancouver Island

Behaviour: groups spread and travelling west

End location: middle of Strait of Juan De Fuca, ~4 miles south of Sheringham Point
Pods and individuals identified: L - L94, L54, L100, L86, L106, L109?, L74
Cool killer whale fact: Males usually live into their 40s and females into their 60s.

Links

Center for Whale Research killer whale fact page, photo ID and matrilinesOrca Adoption Program at Friday Harbour Whale Museum

Orcasound online hydrophone network

Orca Sightings Network

American Cetacean Society fact sheet

L94, Calypso, a 14 year old female

L86, Surprise, an 18 year old female

Above 2 photos: L86 and her calf L112 who is approximately 8 months old

L100, Inidigo, an 8 year old male and son of L54, Ino

L108, , 3 year old son of L54, Ino and brother to L100, Indigo

AUGUST 2, 2009 1230 DEPARTURE Humpback whale

Departure time: 1225

Vessel: Five Star Charter's Fastcat

Sightings: Humpback whale (Balaenopter acutorostrata)
Time: 1250 and 1446

Location: In the Strait of Juan De Fuca, south of Victoria, Vancouver Island
Behaviour: probably foraging, no direction

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

Diving...if you can get a good photo of the underside of the tail fluke it can be compared to Photo ID catalogues

Humpback whale blowholes

and going down...

a better shot for photo-ID comparison

Sometimes individuals can be recognized by markings on the dorsal surface

AUGUST 1, 2009 visit with Milo at my grandparents on the way home from the cruise

Okay...so he's not a marine mammal but he is a pretty cool animal! Milo was my cat before I went walk about to go on marine mammal adventures. Fortunately, my grandparents have taken him and now he lives like a king!