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Whale Sighting Report  

In This Issue
Photo of the Day
Southern Residents
Transients/Bigg's killer whales
Coastal Orcas
Gray whales
Humpbacks
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The Lost Whale, by Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisolm  
An intensely personal story...but this person is a young orca.  

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Orcas in Our Midst, volume 3, by Howard Garrett

Orcas in Our Midst,

Vol. 3: Residents and Transients, How Did That Happen?

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The bestseller about orcas in captivity.

Death at SeaWorld, by David Kirby 

   DeathatSeaWorld


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April 23, 2014

We are watching and visiting the whales in their home~

Please observe, love and respect them from a distance.

Having trouble viewing this Sightings Report? Archived Reports can be found HERE.
This is a large report, it's amazing how much can happen in a few days, so it may be one to savor and get back to, to see it all. The "buddies" (they're not really twins) T77A and T49C were all over Puget Sound in the past few days, last seen at sunset Wednesday, heading south past the south end of Maury Island. Meanwhile Transients/Bigg's were up in Boundary Pass and Georgia Strait in large numbers.

Members of  L pod were seen off Newport April 18, and probably off Neah Bay April 19, but went no further into the Salish Sea.

The first humpback of the year was encountered in the Canadian Gulf Islands Tuesday, and Gray whales have been reliably foraging in Possession Sound around Hat/Gedney Islands.

On behalf of the gray whales, we received word from Langley Mayor Fred McCarthy Tuesday afternoon that Washington Dept. of Natural Resources contacted him to say they are suspending the commercial harvest of ghost shrimp in Saratoga Passage beginning May 23, 2014! This comes after exchanges of letters and information to DNR from a committee the Mayor put together, including Orca Network board members who have been working on this issue for many years. The shrimp in the tidelands of Saratoga Passage is the essential prey of the unique group of N. Puget Sound gray whales, here for three months of every year. We have noticed a marked change in the feeding patterns of the whales in the past 5 - 10 years. Recently they have not been feeding in their usual Saratoga Passage areas, but instead are feeding off Hat Island and the Everett area (the Everett area is in one of the most toxic bays in the state). Now the shrimp can replenish their populations along all the shorelines.

Come and celebrate Whales, and the ceasing of the Ghost Shrimp harvest, with Orca Network Sunday 3 - 5 pm on the Mystic Sea!
The Orca Network Benefit Whale Watch departs from the Langley Marina on Mystic Sea Charters, Sunday April 27th, 3 - 5 pm, tickets are $75. Registration is here.

The Orca and Salmon Recovery Workshop is sponsored by the Puget Sound Partnership, Orca Network, the Salish Sea Association of Marine Naturalists and The Whale Museum. The workshop is April 29th from 12:00 to 5:30 at the Seattle Convention Center, the day before the start of the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference in Seattle. Registration begins at 11:30. Lunch is not provided so please eat lunch before you arrive! Seating is limited - to register, sign up here
Photo of the Day
I saw some extra bubbles near the diver flag just about this time. Near the Silver Cloud at Mukilteo Sunday afternoon.
Photo by Greg Heiss
, April 15, 2014.
Southern Residents
April 19
Adrianne Akmajian and Jon Scordino, Makah Fisheries & MMSN, shared a report this afternoon of a sighting of at least 20 killer whales going past Neah Bay, headed east at 9:30 am.

April 18
Talk about a surprise visit! Our Oregon Coast Aquarium scientific dive team was offshore of Newport today doing Sea Star Wasting Syndrome research when a pod of orcas stopped by for a visit! The behavior seen in this photo is called spy hopping.
Oregon Coast Aquarium
Dave Ellifrit: I can ID L84, L47, and L92 in those pics.
Photo courtesy of Oregon Coast Aquarium, April 18, 2014.
Photo courtesy of Oregon Coast Aquarium, April 18, 2014.

Photo courtesy of Oregon Coast Aquarium, April 18, 2014.

Photo courtesy of Oregon Coast Aquarium, April 18, 2014.

April 18
L pod members were encountered off of Newport, Oregon today!! Specifically, at least from the photos I saw, Crewser L92, Nyssa L84, and possibly Nugget L55.
Melisa Pinnow
Transients/Bigg's killer whales
April 23 
Awesome day today along the Galiano shoreline with T87, T124 and the T90's. Almost all the other boats ended up in Boundary Pass with a large group of T's and we had these guys in the Strait of Georgia along Galiano. Very mellow just cruising steadily up the shoreline but so beautiful! It's amazing how you just never get tired of seeing them. Here are a few shots! 
Gary Sutton, Wild Whales Vancouver

T87, T124 and the T90's in Georgia Strait.
Photo by Gary Sutton, April 23, 2014. 
T87 in Georgia Strait.
Photo by Gary Sutton, April 23, 2014.

T87, T124 and the T90's in Georgia Strait.
Photo by Gary Sutton, April 23, 2014. 
 
April 23 
7:15 PM - two orcas heading south in the east channel off of Pt. Piner (south end of Maury Island).
Mark McDonald

April 23 
6:45 pm - Burt Miller saw two adult males heading south along the ease side of Vashon Island, near Gold Beach. He said there were lots of gulls and an eagle over the action.

April 23 
At 8:30am they were reported circling the "hamburger buoy" off Salty's  (on Alki Beach, in Elliott Bay), nervous harbor seals were seeking refuge on it. They've moved on apparently.
Lori Petersen

April 23 
6:56 AM - 2 orcas just north of our house on beach drive sw (about a mile south of Alki Pt. on Alki Beach. 100 yards off shore: two orcas, lat: 47:33:58.59 long: 122:24:32.33, swimming 100 yards out, then coming in close to shore (10 yards). slowly heading north.
Dennis Batchelder

April 23 
6:50am - 2 Orcas off Beach Drive SW in West Seattle. About 25 yards from shore. Have not seen them this close to our shore in the past. Chasing after something. Harbor Seals popped up their heads once the Orcas where gone.
Melinda Simon
2 Orcas in West Seattle about 25 yards from shore.
Photo by Melinda Simon, April 23, 2014. 

April 23 
6:50 am - Video of the 2 orcas off Beach Drive in West Seattle (Facbook link).
Melinda Simon

April 22 
Spotted two Orcas on Fauntleroy/Southworth ferry about 4:35. On north side of ferry about 1/2 way between West Seattle and Blake Island.
Andrew Medina

April 22 
12:15 - They are now heading south.
12:03 - Two orcas just off West Point. Frolicking/feeding with no direction of travel. Appeared to have made a kill of something - saw a splash of red. Very cool!
Jim Devereaux

April 22 
10:35 - We saw them from our office window in downtown Seattle - The Nature Conservancy in Washington.
Robin Stanton

April 22 
Single orca spotted at 10:05 between east bound Bainbridge ferry and magnolia. Lots of spouting and great view of fin and upper markings.
Leslie Jones Hansen

April 22 
9:41 - Twins in Elliott bay right now. Viewable from bainbridge ferry.
Wendy Horger Alsup

April 22 
9:31 - I see him from lower Queen Anne. Seems to be heading east getting close to the Seattle waterfront.
Katie Kirking

April 22 
We also watched for awhile from our office overlooking Myrtle Edwards (Park, in mid-downtown Seattle). I shoot full-frame with a 70-200, and they were WAY too far out to get any good shots.
Mik Nei

April 22 
I saw a single orca in that area around 8:40 a.m. The fin was visible from downtown.
Holly Bowen

April 22 
8:30 - Single orca off West Seattle.
Mark Powell

April 22 
 A passenger on the Fauntleroy ferry reported seeing a single orca headed north this morning on the 7 am ferry to Vashon. She said the ferry captain saw the orca and announced the sighting of two orcas. Relayed to Orca Network by Amy Carey.
One of my friends took this picture about 7 this evening. They were in Elliott Bay.
Photo by Mollie Marie Autumne Taylor, April 21, 2014
.

April 21 
I saw them looking out from the grain terminal (north side of Elliott Bay) at 7:30 pm. 8 years in seattle and these are the first two wild orcas I have ever seen!
Timothy Johnson

April 21 
7:01 pm - Two orcas in middle of Elliott Bay. Can see them from Pier 70.
Jon Scanlon

April 21 
6:49 pm - Just saw a couple of male orcas in Elliott Bay from the deck of the M/V Wenatchee
Brian Schmitz

April 21 
6:30 PM - Just spent at least 20 minutes watching 2 orcas feeding and playing in Elliott Bay not far from Pier 62. We watched for at least 20 minutes, then they headed North out of view.    
Cynthia Dice

April 21 
5:55 PM - Two orcas thought by others to be juvenile males sighted swimming into Elliott Bay from Duwamish Head at 1755. Orcas swam into the bay and around an anchored barge for about 15 minutes then disappeared. Traveling it seemed.
Todd Anderson

April 21 
5:30pm - Witnessed two suspected juvenile males early this evening in Elliot Bay close to West Seattle.
Bethany Anderson

April 21 
1:57 - Two orcas in the ferry lane closer to kingston. Just now.
Jennifer Thorn Scanlon

April 21 
1:37 - T137s off Race Rocks (SW of Victoria).
Josh McInnes

April 21 
11:30 AM - spotted one adult orca off of browns point lighthouse (north end of Commencement Bay), traveling north towards Seattle
Michael Ward

April 21 
9 am - Tim on the Victoria Clipper reports two transient orcas heading south off Double Bluff, Whidbey Island. At least one of them was an adult male.

T049C & T077A in Mukilteo, 30-50 yards from the Port of Everett pier. They pummeled a little Harbor seal but didn't kill her/him. The seal either miraculously got away or they just like to practice pummeling little guys and move on.
Photo by Alisa Lemire Brooks, April 20, 2014
.

T049C & T077A in Mukilteo.
Photo by Alisa Lemire Brooks, April 20, 2014
.

T049C & T077A in Mukilteo.
Photo by Alisa Lemire Brooks, April 20, 2014
.

April 20 
A call came in from April saying she had been watching two orcas from her home at Mukilteo Drive in Mukilteo, from about 3:30 until about 7:15 pm.

April 20 
Ed's video (below) of the "twins" T049C & T077A hunting just yards off the Port of Everett Pier in Mukilteo last night from 6:00pm-6:50pm. The hunt did not end with a kill but a warning for anyone who is sensitive, the Harbor seal is visible throughout most of the video getting beat up by these two big boys. Interesting to see their coordinated and individual skills with their prey.
Alisa Lemire Brooks
Bigg's Killer Whales T049C & T077A Mukilteo April 20, 2014 
Bigg's Killer Whales T049C & T077A Mukilteo
Video by Ed Brooks, April 20, 2014

April 20 
6:40 - Just got a report from someone on the Bainbridge Isl-Seattle ferry, who saw 1 dorsal fin between the two ferries at 5:55 pm, the whale was heading east toward Seattle. Not sure if this is the same as the orcas being reported off Mukilteo earlier or not. (Note: Not the same.)

Out on the Island Explorer 3 with T77A and T49C near Everett. They cornered a harbor seal and then launched it into the air. Incredible.
Photo by Michael P Colahan
, April 20, 2014.

T77A and T49C near Everett.
Photo by Michael P Colahan
, April 20, 2014.

T77A and T49C near Everett.
Photo by Michael P Colahan
, April 20, 2014
.

T77A and T49C near Everett.
Photo by Michael P Colahan
, April 20, 2014.

April 20 
We were at Lighthouse Park, Mukilteo about 5:00ish and saw two Orca Whales in the Puget Sound. We watched them traveling side by side for about 5 minutes as they headed out past the ferry launch.
Jean Bundas

April 20 
5:15 PM - Two orcas sighted in Mukilteo! We observed mating 1/2 mile south of Mukilteo Ferry Dock, 100 yards off shore on East side of Humpy Hollow. We were able to watch their mating ritual for approximately 15 minutes before they continued on. We watched them circling each other on the surface and then roll onto their sides next to one another. Eventually one rolled on top of the other which lasted a minute. Mating
Alexa Lamey

April 20 
Saw them from 5 pm ferry to Clinton. They were south.
Gwendolyn Clemens

April 20 
4:20 PM - 2 orca, swimming in circular patterns. Going under water, and coming up often for air. Mukilteo south of the ferry dock, below Horizon Dr.
Rebecca Baker

April 20 
4:00 PM - 2 Orca whales off of Mukilteo Beach, off the tank farm in Mukilteo heading towards the ferry. Traveling - the ferry stopped for at least 5 min to let them pass. The tide was low and we heard them before we saw them. So cool. This is my first Orca sighting.
Heidi Fretland

April 20 
2:35 - Just spotted 2 dorsal fins on Everett side of Hat Island, heading south. No boats in sight.
Jennifer Mahn

April 20 
Update: #723 Gray whale on North side Hat Island (Gedney). 2 male orca traveling South. South side of Camano head.

T103 east of Race Rocks.
Photo by Mark Malleson, April 20, 2014. 

April 20 
Lone male transient 4 miles South of Victoria. I got the report via BC Whale Tours. Transient T103 according to Ron Bates.
Josh McInnes

Lone transient T103 spotted 4 miles off Victoria BC.
Photo by Deanna Brett, April 20, 2014. 

This guy was off Victoria BC. Taken around noon.
Photo by Deanna Brett, April 20, 2014. 

T137As today in Rosario Straight!
Photo by Heather MacIntyre, April 20, 2014. 

T137As today in Rosario Strait.
Photo by Heather MacIntyre, April 20, 2014.

April 19 
7:45 - Saw two maybe three orcas in Shorewood (near Burien, 5 miles south of West Seattle) traveling North.
Heather Aquino

T36A1 in foreground with T36A on Saturday.
Photo by James Gresham, April 19, 2014
.

Little bunnies and chicks get all the play on Easter. I think baby orca need at least equal billing. T137 and 2 yr old T137D.
Photo by James Gresham, April 19, 2014




April 19 
12:30 PM - Single orca off Titlow Beach in Tacoma. Two orcas off Tacoma yachtclub/ Anthony's restaurant hunting together. 3 total. Titlow Beach and Point Defiance. Titlow beach orca traveling north; Point Defiance pair actively hunting.
Diana Lyster
Orcas today. Oh sublime joy...T137s, Swanson Channel.
Photo by Katie Jones, April 19, 2014.

A little spyhop from yesterday's encounter with the T137s and the T36As.
Photo by Katie Jones, April 19, 2014.
A lucky encounter with the T36As, T100s, and T137s in the Gulf of Georgia.
Photo by Tasli Shaw, April 19, 2014

April 19 
Sprouters T100C and T137A were "buddy buddy", swimming together away from the rest of the group. After observing them doing short, shallow dives for most of the encounter and travelling more-or-less on a steady course, two stellar sea lions were spotted within 100 yards of the killer whales, at which point all 12 whales grouped up tightly and went into "stealth" mode, taking 10 minute dives and being very sporadic. The sea lions went unmolested from what we saw, but who knows what happened when the human observers were gone!
Tasli Shaw

April 19 
Two Transient/Biggs in South Sound. At 0825 we encountered two adult male Killer Whales, assumed to be T49c and T77a, traveling in mid-channel between McNeil Island and the town of Steilacoom. The two were heading south at a steady rate towards Nisqually Reach.
Kwasi Addae

April 18 
4 Orcas, including one juvenile, sighted along west shore of Admiralty Inlet off Nodule Point Friday, 4-18-04 between 4:30 and 5:30pm. They appeared to be feeding (probably on salmon) rather than traveling, making frequent changes of direction and surfacing, then diving. They remained in the area between just south of East Beach Park and Nodule Point for over an hour moving southerly - a large passenger vessel (Safari Quest) shadowed them for an extended period.
Bruce Carlson

April 18 
What a day! Searching all over the Gulf Islands with not a whale to be seen and then, on the way home, we found the T100's, 137's and 36A's in the Strait of Georgia. They were hanging out right in the middle of the gulf moving west at 7 knots. My first Bigg's encounter of the year.....it's always so amazing to see them but especially in such a large group. They seemed to be mostly in travel mode but the two sprouters (T137A and T100C) broke off from the rest of the group and spent some time interacting, here is a shot of the two of them. It's incredible to see the the difference in T100C's fin from the first time I saw him in 2007 until now. His fin is starting to get quite large and looks like it's taking on a "T19B" shape.
Gary Sutton, Wild Whales Vancouver


Two sprouters (T137A and T100C).
Photo by Gary Sutton, Wild Whales Vancouver, April 18, 2014. 

April 18 
4:00 - They're now back at Dana Passage. .
2:17 "TWINS" IN ELD INLET (deep south Puget Sound) - heading south toward Flap Jack Point. I don't know if they can be seen from Frye Cove...but that's how far down they are. It is VERY shallow right now w/ such a low tide. They can't get much further into the inlet
Kim Merriman

T049C & T077A in Eld Inlet.
Photo by Kim Merriman, April 18, 2014. 

April 18 
3:41 pm - update on the Olympic Peninsula orcas from Steve Jeffries - there are 6 total, including a calf and large adult male. At they were 2 miles south of the south end of Marrowstone Island, on that side, so looks like they are trending northward
2:26 pm - Brad Hanson of NOAA relayed a call from Steve Jeffries of WADFW of a half-dozen orcas in Admiralty Inlet, north of Hood Canal on the Olympic Peninsula side near Mats-Mats.

April 17 
2 orcas near Olympia at 8:30am between Boston Harbor and Squaxin Island. At 4:30pm they were off the east shore of Cooper Point traveling south. In both sightings they were moving leisurely and close together, playing, slowly traveling. Always a thrill for us South Sounders!
Larry and Donna Brooke

April 17 
Orcas in Budd Inlet, Olympia. I saw 2 with large dorsal fins, one with a knick and a grey marking, about 15 times. After about every third time I saw them, about 3 times I saw what looked like a huge white and black belly surfacing then sinking back down plus some splashing. Could this have been a whale in distress or one giving birth? Or some backtracking maneuver of the twins? This was at 7:45 am as they were heading north in Budd inlet passing 62nd St on Cooper Point approaching Burfoot Park / Cooper Point, travelling north.
Wendy Eklund 
Coastal Orcas
April 4
I didn't see the whale, but
Tradewinds Charters in Depoe Bay Oregon did. They had the whale on their Whale Watch Report on April 4th. You might have already seen this, but I thought I'd send it anyway.
Here's the report: Date: Friday, April 4, 2014 at 07:11
Current Report: Sometimes you get lucky on Gray whale cruises and see the Orca's at the same time. They are spectacular and thanks to one of our passengers who shared some of the pictures he took on the cruise.  Male orca with a notch in the trailing edge of dorsal fin.
Julie Massa
Male orca with a notch in the trailing edge of dorsal fin.
Photo by Julie Massa, April 4, 2014.

Gray whales
April 22
9:41 - Still under the bridge - just saw it come up again again for the 3rd time.
9:32 - Just spotted a whale under the narrows bridge (in Tacoma) heading north. Not orca - didn't see find. Saw spouting. Definitely not porpoises - much bigger. Best I can tell is it's skin is bumpy & not black. Did not see any fins and looked bigger than orca although admittedly I haven't seen any this close. Direction of travel is not definite - I initially saw it a little south of the bridge, then 2 times under the bridge then just a bit south again. It was more on the gig harbor side of the the bridge. Waiting for it to come up again but haven't seen anything for a bit now.
Heidi Powers Armstrong

April 21
Sandra Pollard aboard Mystic Sea reports seeing 2 gray whales, including #53, just east of Gedney Island at 1:15 this afternoon.

I just returned to Shilshole on my boat after sailing with a gray whale mid channel due west of Shilshole south bound. Shots taken at about 5pm.
Photo by Gary Peterson, April 20, 2014.

A gray whale west of Shilshole south bound.
Photo by Gary Peterson, April 20, 2014.

A gray whale west of Shilshole.
Photo by Gary Peterson, April 20, 2014.

April 20
12:17 - #723 Gray whale on North side Hat Island (Gedney). 2 male orca traveling South. South side of Camano head.

April 18
2 or 3 gray whales south of hat island, heading north. I'll tell them to keep heading north for tomorrow's party. They will be VIP guests.
Danielle Doll
Humpback
April 22
We were able to catch up with a humpback traveling north along the shoreline of Saturna Island in Boundary Pass. Thanks to the crew of the Island Roamer who spotted it while hiking up Monarch Head and reporting it to us.  It was the same animal as the one seen the day before  off of Victoria.
Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales
Humpback off Monarch Head , Saturna Island.
Photo by Mark Malleson, April 22, 2014

April 22
First Humpback Whale of the season! The Western Prince II is viewing a Humpback Whale up in the Canadian Gulf Islands right now. Thanks to Mark Malleson for finding it!

We saw our first humpback of the season on April 21st north east bound east of Race Rocks in the afternoon. Thanks to Bill on Fast Tide for the find!
Photo by Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales, April 21, 2014.

ABOUT ORCA NETWORK  
Orca Network is a 501 c3 nonprofit organization, dedicated to raising awareness about the whales of the Pacific Northwest, and the importance of providing them healthy and safe habitats.

Orca Network's Whale Sighting Network involves citizens in helping researchers track the movement of whales, and encourages people to observe whales from their homes, businesses, ferries, and beaches.
Whale reports are sent in to our Sighting Network and emailed out to researchers, agencies, and citizens on our network, and posted on our website (MAP of sightings also on website). Whale reports and observations are sent in by a variety of sources, and Orca Network does not guarantee the accuracy of any report or whale identification.

 

TO REPORT WHALES, CALL: 1-866-ORCANET (1-866-672-2638), email [email protected], or post sightings on our Orca Network Facebook page.

 

*BE WHALE WISE! BOATERS - NEW FEDERAL REGULATIONS IN EFFECT AS OF MAY 16, 2011:

 "The new rules prohibit vessels from approaching any killer whale closer than 200 yards and forbid vessels from intercepting a whale or positioning the vessel in its path. This doubles the current approach distance of 100 yards. The rules go into effect May 16 and apply to all types of boats, including motor boats, sail boats and kayaks, in Washington"

 

For more information on the new Federal Regulations, visit the NOAA Fisheries website

 

 
To report harassment of whales in US waters
, call NOAA Enforcement: 1-800-853-1964;

In Canadian waters, call DFO's Observe Record and Report (ORR) Violations Hotline: 1-800- 465-4336

Report the boat name &/or a description of the boat, & get photos if at all possible.