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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| October 14, 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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Only one short appearance by Residents has been reported in the past week, on October 10 when Js and a few Ks came into Haro Strait for the afternoon and then headed back out sea. We hope they're finding lots of big tasty Chinook out there. Reviews of this year's Chinook runs to date are mixed: Columbia River fall chinook run falls short of prediction, but still offers plenty of salmon to go around.
Transients/Bigg's Killer Whales have been encountered in just the past few days, mostly foraging for harbor seals north of the San Juan Islands.
Humpbacks have been traveling around from north of Orcas Island to south of Whidbey Island lately, especially in upper Puget Sound and Possession Sound, where there have been reports of one or more humpbacks for weeks. There must be some big schools of forage fish around there.
Some news items:
A novel way to study orcas by a hexicopter drone pioneered by NOAA scientists has been employed to assess the health of Northern Resident orcas. In this video John Durban narrates the incredible photos and footage shot from far above the whales, and describes the usefulness of aerial photography for spotting health problems and pregnancies.
The prospect of a warming planet that could reduce salmon runs needed by orcas is being addressed by the Washington Environmental Council, who have created a petition to ask Gov. Inslee and Legislative leaders strengthen their resolve to develop an economy that "gives living-wage jobs to families now and creates a better, clean energy future for our kids at the same time."
Auctioneer extraordinaire Veronica Wolski announced today that Lolita's Gift Holiday Auction is now "Live" and available to place bids on, dedicated to Lolita and her family through education via Orca Network's documentary, Fragile Waters (facebook page).
Howard Garrett and Susan Berta, Orca Network
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Photo of the Day
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October 10
 | After four days, Residents came back. Some Js and Ks off of Eagle Pt., San Juan Island, WA. They came up island late in the evening. Those are the Olympic Mts. behind the 26s, Mike J-26 and Lobo K-26.
Photo by Capt. James Maya
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Southern Residents
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October 10
6:15 pm - K & J? pod calls on Orca Sound. Susan Marie Andersson October 10
Mark spotted J-pod, spread out along San Juan Island, but later on Matt and I IDed a male from K-pod as well! Jennifer Dickson, Prince of Whales October 10
1151am - Calls and squeaks with those clicks! ...Orca Sound hydro.. Vicky Doyle
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Transients/Bigg's Whales
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October 14
The T137A's and T36A's were just south east of Race Rocks, probably the same group reported up Haro Strait in the morning. Then, just when we though it couldn't get any better a humpback surfaces WITH THE TRANSIENTS! Jennifer Dickson, Prince of Whales
October 13
12:15 - Saw 3 from the ferry at Orcas (Island) landing. Pink Daisy October 13
12:11 - Maia of WA State Ferries called with a report of 5 to 7 orcas between Shaw and Orcas Island, heading west. October 13
 | Feeding frenzy off the north side of Lopez!
Photo by Shane Eubank |
October 13
11:13am - Just saw a pod of 4 or 5 orcas from the ferry just east of the Lopez Ferry Terminal. Looked like they were feeding. They made a kill off the point just east of the marina just east of the lopez ferry dock. Watched for 10 mins or so from ferry. Weren't going anywhere. Saw multiple spyhops and full breaches. Charyn Pfeuffer October 12
9:00 am - Pod of orcas heading south past Vashon Island's north end ferry terminal. Spotted while docking at Fauntleroy. Barbara Weber Note: there were so further sightings of orcas in Puget Sound despite extensive efforts, leading to speculation that these may have been porpoises.October 12Today we encountered the T35s and T38A...It can be a rough life out there for a seal. N. Pender Island, BC.
James Mead Maya
October 12
 | Photo by Capt. James Maya
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October 12 | |
The white mark on T38A is reported to be pigmentation, not scarring.
Photo by Capt. James Maya
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October 12 | |
It can be a rough life out there for a seal.
Photo by Capt. James Maya.
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October 12
 | Small pod (about 6, probably transient) off E Point Saturna around 2 pm Oct 12th. Well offshore.
Photo by James McLarnon |
October 6
Brian Cedar, proprietor of the Greenbank Grille and resident of Ledgewood in Coupeville, reported seeing 3 or 4 orcas in Admiralty Inlet, near the north end of Marrowstone Island, south of Port Townsend.
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Humpback whales
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October 14
 | 5:30 - The whale is still here! Just watched him circle from the south end of Whidbey halfway to Mukilteo and now back into Brown's bay.
Photo by Karsten McIntosh |
October 14
4:24 pm - I'm watching the Humpback from Stamm Overlook Park in Edmonds. It's just south east of Possession Point. Seems pointed towards Clinton.
Josh Adams
October 14
8:40 am - I spotted a humpback whale in the distance from the Victoria Clipper. It appeared to be heading North from a few miles south of Possession Point. It sounded after about 4 blows and I never relocated him.
Justine Buckmaster
October 14
We found humpbacks just south of Victoria, no less than six whales! all in the same vicinity to each other. Humpbacks are not social whales, so to see that many in the same area was a treat. Every direction you looked, there was a blow.
Jennifer Dickson, Prince of Whales
October 13
Just saw (about 12 noon) what appeared to be a humpback or gray whale from Mouat Point on Pender Island.
Barb Floyd
October 13
12:05 - Chrissy McLean of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center called to confirm there are two humpbacks, heading north and just now approaching Point Wilson.
October 13
11:48 - Received a call from Mark Millard and Paul Clark, WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, of two possible humpbacks, between the Port Townsend Marine Science Center and Pt. Wilson, heading NW toward Pt. Wilson, close to shore.
October 11
4:09pm - Two humpbacks between Shipwreck (about 4 miles south of Mukilteo) and Possession Pt (south end of Whidbey Island), a couple breaches and tail slaps. At 4pm, direction appears to be northbound inside Whidbey. Yay!!
Rob Miller
October 11
 | Humpback whale. No breaching, boat approaching, caudal-peduncle lobbing, spy hopping, pec fin or chin slapping, lunge feeding or any other spectacular humpie behaviors. Just traveling along and fluking on every deep dive. In a quick scan through the catalog, I didn't see this one.
Photo by James Gresham
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October 10
Three humpbacks up near Orcas Island! We caught up with Split Fluke, Split Fin, and Yogi! They were socializing at the surface, waving their pectoral fins around, slapping them repeatedly and fluking over and over without diving.
Jennifer Dickson, Prince of Whales
October 9
 | Two Humpbacks, Split Fluke BCX1068 and Yogi BCY0409
Just north of Orcas Island in the afternoon.
Photo by Capt. James Maya |
October 9
 | | Photo by Capt. James Maya |
October 9
 | Split Fin - BCX1068
Photo by Capt. James Maya |
October 9
 | Yogi - BCY0409
Photo by Capt. James Maya |
October 9
 | | Photo by Capt. James Maya |
October 8
We caught up with a pair of humpback whales hanging out in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Jennifer Dickson, Prince of Whales
October 8
12:45 - My wife just phoned from the WSF ferry on the Kingston to Edmonds route and said that a humpback breached on the starboard side of the ship. The whale was traveling westbound.
Bill Williams
October 7
My hubby and I were out on the boat and saw 2 humpbacks very briefly. They were a couple of miles south of Point No Point in the shipping lanes. They surfaced, spouted a few times, then dove one at a time, showing us their flukes. Then they disappeared into the fog and we didn't see them again. However, we did see many, many harbor porpoises feeding. One even leaped into the air with a fish in its mouth. A great day on the water!
Cassandra Miller
October 7
Morning reports had a couple of humpback whales just south of Race Rocks Ecological Reserve and eventually we were able to spot one, just southwest of Victoria! Up Haro Strait to Moresby Island we found my two favourite humpbacks, side-by-side! The Splits! Split Fluke and Split Fin, reunited at last! These guys were spotted hanging out together regularly last year, and seem to be in cahoots again! Both born in 2006, and both with fin anomalies that makes them easy to ID, Split Fluke and Split Fin are some of our more commonly seen humpbacks. Today they were travelling slowly south, doing short dives, and fluking beautifully in the late afternoon sunshine. It really was a sight to behold.
Jennifer Dickson, Prince of Whales
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Pacific white-sided dolphins
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October 10
Pacific white-sided dolphin from the Dalco Overlook, Pt. Defiance, (Lat/long was 47.319798, -122.544079). I was scoping for gulls and jaegers and the dolphin appeared swimming around with a harbor seal then started a series of leaps. Gary Shugart  | Pacific White-Sided Dolphin
Video by Gary Shugart
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September 5
 | Commencement Bay heading towards the Pt. Defiance ferry dock. He/She followed my boat while I was fishing for about 30 minutes.
Photo by Dave Calhoun
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Hybrid porpoise
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October 9
 | Hybrid porpoise off of San Juan Island.
Photo by Mark Malleson
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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 info@orcanetwork.org, 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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