Orca Network recommends:
The Lost Whale, by Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisolm
An intensely personal story...but this person is a young orca.
To learn more about orcas:
Orcas in Our Midst,
Vol. 3: Residents and Transients, How Did That Happen?
Click here
to order YOUR copy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The bestseller about orcas in captivity.
Death at SeaWorld, by David Kirby
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Click here
to learn about L pod
orca Lolita/Tokitae,
captured in Penn Cove,
Whidbey Island, WA
in 1970, somehow surviving in a small tank at the Miami Seaquarium ever since.
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| September 3, 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.
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Again a wide range of amazing photos grace this report. Southern Residents arrived in big numbers in the Strait of Juan de Fuca Monday and were along the west side of San Juan Island Tuesday. Transients/Bigg's whales, including a rare lone female, have been found in many places around the San Juans and Gulf Islands.
A note about some field research coming up from the Northwest Fisheries Science Center:
On Thursday September 4th the NWFSC and Cascadia Research Collective will begin a 3 week project to deploy suction-cup attached acoustic recording tags (Dtags) on killer whales, primarily southern residents, in order to more accurately measure noise levels received by the whales. This a continuation of the project we started in 2010. We will deploy these tags from our research vessel, Phocoena II, a 22' Zodiac. As has been done in previous years we will use a long pole to deploy the tags. Additional information on our Dtagging project can be found HERE. We thank everyone in advance for providing us with space to work. Additional questions can be sent to [email protected]
Thanks
Brad Hanson
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Photo of the Day
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September 1
 | When I saw this trio pop up together I had to do a double take. It was Granny (J2), Mystery (L85), and Cali (K34).
Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu. |
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Southern Residents
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September 2 | |
This afternoon from 12:15-1:15 I watched members of K-Pod (at least the K13s and K14s) and the L12 sub-group go back and forth in front of Lime Kiln Lighthouse on San Juan Island. In the end, I believe Ks went north and L12s went south, but there were some very far away whales and a rain squall started to obscure the view!
Photo by Monika Wieland, San Juan Island.
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September 2 | |
I have attached two photos of L pod taken on the West Side on yesterday's (9/2) very rainy tour. Both photos were taken aboard the M/V Sea Lion.
Photo by Sarah McCullagh, San Juan Safaris.
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September 2
Yes!!! 2:00 Am and JPod is on the hydrophone!! If this were winter I would be heading out there right now- luckily I'll be able to see them tomorrow hopefully.
Heather MacIntyre
September 2
12:26am - Hearing orcas off of lime kiln hydrophone now ()...not sure who it is.
Emily White
September 2
 | Joy L119 (indeed).
Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu. |
September 2
 | L41 Mega.
Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu. |
September 1
 | I don't remember exactly how long it has been since I last saw resident killer whales, but it had been at least 20 years. Today I made up for lost time; we might have seen every southern resident whale. There were whales all across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, from Vancouver Island to the Olympic Peninsula. We spent quality time with several dozen of them, and no other whale watching boat was in sight.
Photo by Bernardo Alps. |
September 1
 | Southern Resident orcas in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Photo by Florian Graner. |
September 1
 | Southern Resident orcas in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Photo by Florian Graner. |
September 1
 | Southern Resident orcas in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Photo by Florian Graner. |
September 1
 | Southern Resident orcas in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Photo by Florian Graner. |
September 1
 | Southern Resident orcas in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Photo by Florian Graner. |
September 1
 | Southern Resident orcas in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Photo by Florian Graner. |
September 1
 | Southern Resident orcas in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Photo by Florian Graner. |
September 1
 | Southern Resident orcas in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Photo by Florian Graner. |
September 1
Today we caught up with members of all three resident pods off Sooke, BC. In the lead were the J14s along with L22, L94, and L113.
Sara Hysong-Shimazu
September 1
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Mystery (L85) and Cali (K34) were having some fun yesterday near Sooke, BC.
Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu.
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September 1
 | Mystery (L85) and Cali (K34) cruising through the glassy waters off Sooke, BC.
Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu.
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September 1
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The moms were pretty laid back but the kiddos wanted to play!
Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu.
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September 1
 | The moms were resting and the kiddos were playing. Sounds familiar.
Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu. |
September 1
 | Mystery's huge Pec(toral fin).
Photo by Connie Bickerton |
September 1
 | L85 Mystery was an orphan at age 3, and was watched over by his brother L38, 29 years old at the time. He's now 23 years old.
Photo by Connie Bickerton. |
September 1
 | Playing.
Photo by Connie Bickerton. |
September 1
 | Looking around.
Photo by Connie Bickerton. |
September 1
 | J2 Granny!
Photo by Connie Bickerton. |
September 1
 | My adopted whale Scoter K25. He still carries part of his satellite tag in his dorsal. Tagging is definitely controversial, but Scoter's tag lasted so long, he really helped provide a picture of K Pod travels after he was tagged in Dec 29, 2012.
Photo by Connie Bickerton. |
September 1
Almost 40 killer whales at Point no Point in Canada near Sooke today!
Sooke Coastal Explorations
September 1
In the afternoon there were over 40 whales out together including members of J, K and L pod! They were spread out through the Juan de Fuca strait and were acting very playful, seems like they were happy to be reunited. The T's were getting very close to the residents which is rare, in the past the two have given each other a wide birth.
Alanna Brennan, Prince of Whales Whale Watch
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Transients/Bigg's Whales
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September 3
They found the T065A's by Spieden Island and spotted them hunting! They were traveling with another, unidentified group. Our photographer Marie is pretty sure one of the odd one's out was a lone female called T002! Jennifer Dickson, Prince of Whale Whale Watch September 1
Transients were encountered in the Strait of Juan de Fuca near Becher Bay. Individuals were ID'ed as T034, T034A, and some (but not all) members of the T037 matriline. Initially the whales were heading west with five to six respirations followed by a longer dive with a 3-4 minute downtime. Before we left them they had changed directions and were heading southeast towards Port Angeles, WA. The Transient Killer Whale Research ProjectSeptember 1
 | | Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu. |
September 1
We saw two Orcas on the 330p ferry yesterday between Pt Townsend and Coupeville! The ferry riders were thrilled! Teri Butorac Ferren September 1
 | Bigg's Killer Whales.
Video by Traci Walter, Western Prince Whale Watch.
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September 1
 | So we had a very nice group of Bigg's Killer Whales that Ivan Reiff found in the morning known as the T18s. Easiest to spot in this group is a big male named T19B, affectionately known as "Mr. Floppy Fin". Morning trip he made a very quick and efficient kill of a harbor seal, and in the afternoon, made this beautiful spyhop near Bellingham Channel. Great customers and a great day with Ivan. Here's a shot of the spyhop. Enjoy!
Photo by John Boyd. |
September 1
Transient Sighting in Bellingham Channel. We came upon what I believe to be T18, T19, T19B, T19C on the northwest side of Cypress Island. We were cruising along and realized there was a line-up of whale watching vessels looking right where we were! We moved out of the way just in time for them to come through. They seemed to be in travel mode and moved quite swiftly. They traveled north around Cypress and into Bellingham Channel between Guemes and Cypress Islands, heading towards Anacortes, before we parted ways with them. Kamriell Welty September 1
The tranients at Race Rocks were identified as the T34's and T37 B's. The whales were going for both seals and harbor porpoise so there was a ton of action going on! Alanna Brennan, Prince of Whales Whale Watch September 1
9:47 - At Norwegian Point now!Elyse Sollitto September 1
9:46 - They are heading North. We just saw them. I think it's the transient group that were spotted yesterday. Amazing! Tina Marohn September 1
11:30 - We saw them across from Mutiny Sands.Sandy Pollard September 1
11:30 - Looks like maybe they have made a kill - lots of surface activity and splashing and hanging out in one spot. 11:16 - Right by the midchannel marker between Mutiny Bay and Skunk bay They've moved a little south after that cargo ship passed. 11:09 - Actually they're pretty stationary. Breaches, spyhops, tail slaps in one area. 11:05 - Found them. We are at that point on the south end of Mutiny bay. Still heading north. Rachel Haight September 1
11 am - Trending NW toward entrance to Hood Canal, coming up on Foulweather Bluff now. September 1
10:30 am from Whidbey - saw distant blows over on the Kitsap side, still heading north. Sandra Pollard September 1
9:48 - Visual confirmation. I saw blows a mile or so north of Point No Point, trending NNW up Admiralty Inlet. Howard Garrett September 1
9:17 am - Whales are at point no point right now! Do not know direction of travel. Presumably heading north. Coast guard just notified a mariner over marine radio. Dianne Dee Iverson August 31
A person who helped bring a stranded and deceased harbor porpoise to be examined by the Central Puget Sound Marine Mammal Stranding Network mentioned that they had seen a small group of orcas in Penn Cove on Sunday. August 31
Around 2 pm - Port Madison Sighting. 4 orcas entering Port Madison on the North end, traveling. Jon Seibert August 31
 | Just off Kingston. This little orca was providing a great show!
Photo by Michele Auseth.
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August 31 | |
Same little orca!
Photo by Michele Auseth.
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August 31Off Presidents Pt just south of Kingston, at one point a seal was 50' off my stern. The orcas had gone under a hundred yards away off my bow. I looked back at the seal just in time to see a black and white torpedo take it down. Amazing sight!
Scott Orness August 30
2:00 PM - Saw about 4-5 transients in Welcome Pass off the Sunshine Coast, BC, Canada. They were heading north along the coast. There was at least one large male and maybe an adolescent. They were breaching and also doing many tail flops!! Laura Wenn
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Coastal orcas
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August 30
10:30 AM - Orca Sighting off Port of Brookings, OR just off Chetco Point. While out fishing off Port of Brookings an Orca surfaced about 10' off our boat. We were trolling for salmon (salmon derby) and out of nowhere he/she cruised by! Solid shiny dark steel gray/black, fin curved, estimate about 21' in length. Definitely an Orca; came up for breath while I assume was chasing salmon. Which by the way, salmon catch for the derby that day was WAY down this year. He/She swam out in the direction of where at least 50-75 boats were salmon fishing about 2.5 miles off shore Port of Brookings (section 17) and swimming out to sea slightly southward. We were about 2 miles off shore from Port of Brookings and north about .5 miles (Chetco Point)in 112' of water. This is second sighting w/in approx. a week. I phoned in 1st sighting. I assume feeding on Salmon or traveling. It was during the salmon derby and it (or they) swam out towards where all the boats were trolling for salmon. We were heading back in to Port but I saw it (or they) surface several times while swimming out towards the boats. I just don't know if it was the same one that surfaced by the boat or a different one each time. I never saw more than one surface at once though.
Jessica Wiltrout
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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.
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