Whale Tales

“The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” 
Jacques Cousteau

J’s, K’s, L’s, San Juan Channel

Egg Yolk Jellyfish

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Southern Resident Killer Whales

I love it when I can write J’s, K’s, L’s, San Juan Channel.  It is nice to see all three pods. I received word first thing this morning that Southern Resident Killer Whales are inbound from Sea Bird.  That was good news.  They have not been around much, and we have mostly been viewing Biggs Killer Whales.

We left the dock and saw some Harbor Seals, an Egg Yolk Jellyfish, and Bald Eagles before heading out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca and seeing J27 Blackberry for our first whale.  He is a magnificent looking male with his tall sail of a dorsal fin.

Egg Yolk Jellyfish

You can easily tell how the Egg Yolk Jellyfish got its name.  Some have called it a fried egg jelly, but I prefer the Egg Yolk moniker. “Jellies” are a part of the subphylum Medusozoa family. For a look at another Jelly here in the Salish Sea check out the Lions Mane Jellyfish.

Hydrophone Chatter

We saw and heard more J’s and K’s on the Hydrophone which was pretty cool to listen too.  In the strait, it was smaller groups of one, two or three whales as they were spread far and wide foraging for salmon.

The water was calm, and the air temp was comfortable making for an enjoyable day on the water.

Our afternoon tour I thought would be pretty much the same but as I left the harbor realized that some J’s and K’s and L87 Onyx were in the channel and coming towards us.

We spent some time with two matrilines of K Pod the K14’s and K’13’s.  The remainder of the time we observed J Pod whales and L87 Onyx.  We saw J26 Mike, J27 Blackberry, J19 Sachi and L87 Onyx who also breached for us a couple of times.

With J’s, K’s, L’s, in San Juan Channel how could it be anything but a glorious day.  These whales are in dire need of more salmon and trying to get our government to listen is not an easy task.

 

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T49As in Rosario Strait

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”31503″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]Today we had the T49As in Rosario Strait. They made milling circles around Pea Pod’s

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T18s/19s in Rosario Strait

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”31476″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]Today, while viewing the T18s/19s in Rosario Strait. This pod of orcas is one of

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T49As with Mom Needing Quiet Time

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”31448″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]We spent our time today with the T49As, with Mom needing quiet time, or “me

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T60s Near Moresby Island Killing a Seal

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”31427″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]Today’s tour was a bit of a search, but eventually, we found ourselves with the

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T99s near Protection Island

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”31391″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]Our tour today was with the T99s near Protection Island. I had a family with

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Minke whales and T75Bs

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”31372″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]On the two tours today, we saw minke whales and orcas, the T75Bs. Our first

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T99s in Hood Canal

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”31363″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]Our Tour today was with the T99s in Hood Canal. We started out seeing Ottis

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T99s in Port Susan

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”31349″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]It was a long trip to arrive with the T99s in Port Susan. It took

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T60 Brothers and T49As plus Divot and her Calf

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”31289″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]Today started out rough but got better with T60 Brothers and T49As plus Divot and

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Nine Orcas Breaching and Porpoising

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”31271″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]Nine Orcas breaching and porpoising. That was how the day was for us. First, we

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T60s and T2B plus Humpbacks Bullet and Ukula

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”31250″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]Today, we were with T60s and T2B plus Humpbacks Bullet and Ukula. The morning tour

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T65As again today with an uneventful kill

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”31212″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]We were with the T65As again today with an uneventful kill of a porpoise. No

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T65Aa Whomping on a harbor seal

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”31173″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””] Today, we witnessed the T65Aa Whomping on a harbor seal.   On the first

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First ever photos of two Horned Puffins together at Smith Island

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”31143″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]Today I was able to take the first ever photos of two Horned Puffins together

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Epic Humpack Encounter

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”30953″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]We had an epic humpback encounter today in the Salish Sea. I have way too

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Zephyr and Calf

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”30933″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]Zephyr and calf, tight to shore on San Juan Island.  “The Sea, once it casts

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Birding in the Fog

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”30903″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]We saw all the birds on my guests’ checklist today, though it was a bit

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Orcas Tormenting a Rhinoceros Auklet

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”30870″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]It was a perfect day with orcas tormenting a rhinoceros auklet, viewing a humpback, and

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