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Orca Network 

Whale Sighting Report  

In This Issue
Southern Residents.
Transients/Bigg's Killer Whales
Coastal orcas.
Article Headline
Orca Network recommends:
The Lost Whale, by Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisolm  
An intensely personal story...but this person is a young orca.  

Lost Whale book...ver scaled  

 To learn more about orcas: 

Orcas in Our Midst, volume 3, by Howard Garrett

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 

   DeathatSeaWorld


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orca Lolita/Tokitae,

captured in Penn Cove,

Whidbey Island, WA

in 1970, somehow surviving in a small tank at the Miami Seaquarium ever since.

Tokitae looking up at us from her tank in Miami, FL in the late 1990s 

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January 12, 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.
J pod was way up in Georgia Strait for a week until January 8, when they were heard on the San Juan Island hydrophones for several hours after dark. At the same time K and L pods were coming in from the Pacific. Apparently K and L pods went north as J pod went south into Puget Sound on Jan. 9, where they were found off Seattle heading north the morning of Jan. 10, and passing Victoria on their way toward the Pacific on Jan. 11. As the sat tag map below shows, J27 and presumably the rest of J pod were off the west coast of Vancouver Island this morning.

For an astounding 50+ days now T137s, and at least sometimes theT36Bs, (Transients/Bigg's Whales) have been cruising all over south Puget Sound
, mostly around Anderson Island and deep into the recesses of the lower Sound (and briefly in Saratoga Passage). Please continue to send in reports, photos, and videos of these often active and sometimes gregarious Bigg's whales.

Many of you know that 44 years ago a brutal roundup of orcas to supplyThe Miracle March for Lolita will unfold Saturday morning, followed by an all day lineup of music, dramatizations and presentations across the causeway in Virginia Key park is set to take place in front of the Seaquarium in Miami on January 17. Momentum is building fast for this silent walk past the main gate of the theme park holding the captive L pod female orca, first named Tokitae, now called Lolita. Three days of Free Lolita events are set to rock the foundations of the captive orca entertainment industry. In solidarity, more Miracle Marches are popping up worldwide, including a gathering and march set for Alki Beach in West Seattle from 1 pm to 3 pm.

The stage is also set for Ways of Whales 2015 January 24th at the Coupeville Middle School Performing Arts Center, 501 South Main Street Coupeville WA 98239 (same place as last year). Registration for Ways of Whales 2015 is now available HERE.

Howard Garrett and Susan Berta, Orca Network 

Photo of the Day
January 11
J50 along with J16 and J36 south west of Race Rocks.
Photo by Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales

Southern Residents
January 12
12 January - On the previous update (Thursday, January 8), J27 (and the rest of J pod) were heading south in the northern Strait of Georgia. They made a beeline for Puget Sound arriving in there late Friday afternoon. Using the satellite tag location information we were able to anticipate their location on Saturday morning and readily locate them off Elliot Bay as they moved north. This allowed us to observe J50, who was with J16. We were also able to check the tag attachment on J27, which is holding as designed. In addition, we were able to collect several predation samples and fecal samples from the whales. By Sunday, the whales were off Victoria and as of this morning they had reached the western entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Further updates will be posted as soon as they become available from our scientists.

January 11
I came across the entire Southern Resident killer whale community in the afternoon south west of Race Rocks. I left the lead animals  at 1440 south of Sooke traveling out the Strait with the ebb current.
Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales

January 11
J26 and L41 south west of Race Rocks, west bound.
Photo by Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales

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January 10
4:28 - They are past Point No Point, still heading north.
3:57 - See them from Point No Point! Way out mid channel in heavy fog. The weather may not have been ideal, but I am grateful to have had the pleasure of meeting and waiting it out for members of J pod with two lovely people who were seeing orcas in the wild for the first time, and witnessing and sharing in their sheer elation. What a happy day! - at Point-NO-Point beach.
Gayle Swigart

January 10
A J pod orca spyhops off Point No Point.
Photo by Gayle Swigart

January 10
I LOVED that I FINALLY got to see them with my eyes and that's what was AWSOME!
Becky Newell Woodworth

January 10
3:10 - Eglon, saw 3 very spread out, northbound trending west side of Whidbey. Very hazy visibility disappearing.
Rebecca French Gerke

January 10
2:57 - I'm at Edmonds ferry terminal. The NOAA boat is about 2 miles NW of here. Just barely visible with naked eye. Over the last 45 minutes they have slowly been moving north from Kingston on west side of channel.
Ron Sorrell

January 10
2:15 pm - just south of Edmonds ferry terminal...mid channel...could see baby in binos! (per friend who is there!) traveling north.
Jacki Phoenixmaui

January 10
1:15 - The group I saw were all north of Fay Bainbridge park, heading towards Kingston Ferry lanes.
Jessica Pagan

January 10
1:08 - watched several from Richmond Beach in between Fay Bainbridge and President Point heading north mid channel.
Sara Troyer

January 10
1:38 - seeing them off President Pt south of Kingston, milling about.
1:00 - saw two off President Pt going north.
Joanne Graves

January 10
1:00 - Just saw them heading north above Golden Gardens.
Alyssa Casassa

January 10
1:00 - Laurie just left Golden Gardens and saw whales there. Unclear direction of travel.
Whitney Neugebauer

January 10
Not 100 percent but think we may have seen J50 off edmonds oil docks this afternoon...(look closely just before dorsal you will see small orca beside)....pic of a pic, sorry for blurrines!
Photo by Toby Black

January 10
3:03 - we leave watching NOAA turn northwesterly as if with couple of trailers towards Admiralty. No definitive on that as visibility cruddy. We hope Point No Point peeps get to see them. Beautiful misty foggy day with that little girl and her family.
2:05 - whole bunch of us at Edmonds Marina Beach watching J50 pass northbound! The whales are very spread out across the Sound from well east and west of mid channel still traveling northbound.
1:20 - 2-3 individuals well east of mid channel northbound with NOAA. Saw couple more mid channel. Nearing Richmond Beach which is good spot for now then Kayu Kayu which is on map.
12:55 - finally seeing one on this crappy weather. With NOAA east of mid channel due west of Carkeek.
Alisa Lemire Brooks

January 10
J50 & J Pod in Puget Sound-January 10, 2015 (HD)
J50 & J Pod in Puget Sound (HD)
Video by Alisa Lemire Brooks

So very sweet to meet the weeks-old baby J50 traveling with her J Pod family for probably her first time into Puget Sound. J pod came in through Admiralty Inlet yesterday and at dawn were seen around the Seattle area of Puget Sound traveling northbound. I waited for them a bit north and filmed them from Richmond Beach and Edmonds, Washington.
Alisa Lemire Brooks

January 10
J50 at Kayu Kayu park. J Pod passed by Kayu Kayu Park and Edmonds Marina Beach, with J16 and J50 staying on the East side of the channel, showing off the new baby!
Photo by Janine Harles

January 10
From Kayu Kayu park.
Photo by Jamie Grundhauser

January 10
From Kayu Kayu park.
Photo by Jamie Grundhauser

January 10
From Kayu Kayu park.
Photo by Jamie Grundhauser

January 10
My family finally caught sight of them from the Edmonds Ferry Dock Public Fishing Pier around 2PM. They were closer to the Kingston side of the channel but were visible at times with the naked eye. I counted three and possibly four Orcas at once, one Harbor Seal, and one Bald Eagle. This was our first attempt to see Southern Residents and are so thrilled with the results. Very awesome (grainy) shots of new baby and presumably momma? Thanks to many for their help today.
Rae Rome

January 10
Zoom in to see the little dorsal fin tucked on the other side of mighty dorsal fin... Seen from Edmonds Ferry Dock Public Fishing Pier.
Photo by Rae Rome

January 10
2:05 - Two large males traveling together, and several groups of females. All still slightly south of Edmonds/ Kingston ferry lanes, heading north.
Kate Stovel

January 10
2:04 - Watching from Edmonds, there are two just south of the Kingston ferry, on the Kitsap side.
Michelle Rau

January 10
2:04 - Looking from Edmonds ferry terminal and can see them surfacing over by Kingston!
Sharalee Stephens

January 10
12:52 - Now they are between Carkeek and Richmond beach I think. Way close to the Seattle side! Look for the NOAA boat- it's small like a zodiac. Two groups are there.  Hard to see from BI though.
Heather Polverino

January 10
12:50 - from Sunset Hill I can see some at outside of bay by Carkeek park.
Susan Vennerholm

January 10
1:36 - HUUUGE male in the vicinity of the mid-channel buoy off President Point, approx 5 miles North of meadow Point. If you're on the Eastbound Kingston-Edmonds ferry right now, look south!
12:45 - I see them! Heading north mid-channel between Meadow Point and downtown Suquamish. Maybe a little closer to Suq. Side.
Ben Blankenship

January 10
12:43 - I see them again due east of Fay Bainbridge. Quite a ways out but hard to say which side they are closer to with so much fog.
12:30 - I see them from Fay Bainbridge! They are just south of here and closer to this side. Research boat w/them.
Gayle Swigart

January 10
11:10 - seeing orcas in Elliot Bay, mid channel. Haven't got a count yet, but it looks like NOAA is with them. Headed north.
Heather Polverino

January 10
My friend saw them mid-channel from the Bremerton ferry at 10:30.
Alex-jon Earl

***********************************

January 9
Watching SRKWs from Point No Point.
Photo by Connie Bickerton

January 9
Not the best shot, but we had a show on the beach at Point No Point.
Photo by DeeDee Miller Goodwin

January 9
12:44pm - Watching the Orcas right now. I think I saw the new baby. So exciting. They are out in front of our house on Bush Point a little north of Bush Point dock. What a sight.
Bev Wenthin

January 9
J50 to visit Seattle. After touring Georgia Strait for the past week, J pod is now headed toward Seattle to show off its new baby, J50, to the city that was built on the shores of Puget Sound in 1852, and named in honor of the First Nations Chief Si'ahl (Seathl) who famously spoke of this beloved environment now tattered and occupied by more than 5 million people. The whales are really the First Nations to use this environment, long before the arrival of any humans, and we should respect that they are the ultimate icon of the Salish Sea web of life. Give thanks that they are still able to come visit us, and live life in such a way that future generations of both whales and humans can visit one another as they have done for thousands of years. Respect them,... they are still our iconic totem species, and the world will not forgive us if we do not care for them.
Photo by The Center for Whale Research

********************************

January 8
11:19 pm - J pod!
11:06 pm - Lots of echolocation clicks on the Orca Sound hydrophones....oooh, and my first vocal....can't tell who it is....yet...
John Boyd

January 8
6:43 pm - Distant calls. LK hydro.
James Gresham

January 8
6:35pm - I am hearing faint but distinct calls on Lime Kiln.
Kippi Waters

January 8
6:18 p.m. - Starting to hear faint calls on LK.
Selena Rhodes Scofield

January 8
K's and L's came in from the west today. Mark found them a little south of Race this afternoon. J's came south through Dodd's Narrows (just south of Nanaimo) late this afternoon. If J's keep coming we might have a super pod tomorrow.
Simon Pidcock

January 8
K20 south east bound north of Port Angeles.
I came across what looked like most of K pod and members of Lpod spread out across the Juan de Fuca south east bound.  The were spread from 2 miles  east of Race Rocks to within 2 miles north of Ediz Hook, Port Angeles.
Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales

January 8
It's a girl! Orca gender identified; her mother remains a mystery
As of this afternoon, J pod, including the J16 clan, was near Nanaimo, B.C., and headed south toward the Washington border, according to Tom Cogan, who was in the vicinity.
Chris Dunagan

January 8
On the previous update (January 5), J27 and the rest of J pod were off the northwest corner of Texada Island. They continued northwest to near Campbell River, BC, and then looped around Tuesday and yesterday in the northern Strait of Georgia before heading on a more southerly course this morning. The near real-time locations from the satellite tag allowed staff from DFO Canada to readily locate the whales yesterday and confirm that the new calf, J50, was still alive.
Satellite tag map by Northwest Fisheries Science Center
VIEW previous maps HERE
Transients/Bigg's Killer Whales 
January 12
I spotted 3 orcas at 5:20 pm today just west (up the beach) from Puget Marina, 4181 Walnut Rd. Olympia, 98516. They were traveling southeast towards the Nisqually Reach/ River basin.
Lat - N 47 degrees 6' 44.7501"
Long - W 122 degrees 47' 41.6913"
They were traveling fast, 2 out in the channel and one cut in towards Salish sea inlet - then all three converged not 100' away from me and played for a couple minutes (awesome) then headed on towards the mouth of the Nisqually River. About 20 minutes after they left me I heard seals barking from the Nisqually Reach area - never heard that before!
One was definitely bigger than the other two. And the fins were small and fairly sharply pointed. Definite large white eye patches. I'm assuming they're transients?
Saw 2 (I think, could have been three but definitely 2) orcas in the same strait headed the opposite direction Dec. 25th around 3:30 pm. But too far out in the channel to see any particular markings.
Would love to know more about who's who and where!
Cate Montana

January 12 
10:30 AM - Sighting in Hammersly Inlet. We saw a group of four to six travel out of the inlet this morning - missed them coming in. At times there appeared to be as many as six whales, including calves.
Photo by Jana Walters

January 12
11:11 am - Oakland bay in Shelton WA.
Linda Ellwanger

January 12
John Gor called with a report of orcas in Hammersly Inlet (west end of south Puget Sound), headed west at about 5 knots toward Shelton, at about 8:45 am.

January 12
Around 8:20 am we saw 2 whales in the Sooke area just off East Sooke point. I missed them coming in really close but managed to get these 2 not very good shots. Friend said it looked like one large and one small whale, maybe Mom and young.
Photo by Cedona Holly

January 12
Just off East Sooke point.
Photo by Cedona Holly

*****************************

January 11
Orcas hugging the southern tip of Anderson Island shortly after 2 p.m., seen from Sequalitchew Beach in DuPont.
Cara Brown Mitchell

January 11
Spotted 5 orcas off Anderson Island today at 1:45pm.. Breaching and playing. We got video of one taking out a duck. Pretty incredible!
Cori Laukala

January 11
9:00 AM - We saw a young orca (by itself??) playing in northern Case Inlet. Last week, we saw 2 adults between Allyn and Grapeview.     
Eileen Kronquist

*******************************

January 10
11:00 AM - Today we saw seven orcas at the north end of Pickering Passage, Case Inlet. Feeding, Playing. tail slap, rolling over.
Photo by Scott Presnell

January 10
Play time at the north end of Pickering Passage.
Photo by Scott Presnell

January 10
10:30 AM - 5-6 Orcas in Pickering Passage near Jarrells Cove State Park. Watching the past hour. Feeding, playing and traveling, 3 were young/small.
Stephanie Bloomfield

************************************

January 9
4:30 pm - Three orcas, an adult and two juveniles, were heading north in Case Inlet, seen from Harstine Island as they traveled near Heron Island.
David Berliner

January 9
4:00 PM - 2 juveniles 100 yards off east shore of Case Inlet. 1 mile south of Herron Island, heading North.
Doug Olson

January 9
10:15 am - We had group of 4 Orcas in front of Solo Point (east of Anderson Ialand). This was our first time seeing them in the wild.
Chris Froman

*****************************

January 8
5:20 pm. - Orcas of the Southern tip of Fox Islands. They've been there a while.
Cindie Lang

January 8
2:15pm - There were 3 or 4 orcas in Chambers Bay today. They were last seen at 2:40 PM mid-channel between Fox Island and University Place heading north pretty quickly.
Carrie Gelegonya

January 8
2:05 - three orcas by Chambers Golf Course heading north towards Titlow Beach.
Kathy Kerber

*****************************

January 7
1:00 PM - We sighted a pod of 5 to 7 Orcas in Case Inlet, east of Stretch Island. They had traveled to the north earlier in the day. When they returned to the south, they paused in this area to feed and play. They were very active in this area (including breaching a few times) for about a half hour, then continued toward Pickering Passage to the west of Harstine Island.
Photo by Jim Biermann

January 7
This morning I saw a large circle of disturbed water and bubbles. I knew something was up. I continued to watch and remembering the day before seeing a large whalelike mammal come out of the water and splash sideways twice. About 10 minutes went by...the water was calm again....and a seal appeared in the same area. It was swimming forward looking around and suddenly a large splash and back of what I think was a whale...it obviously got the seal...and all was calm again. This was in the Sinclair Inlet. We live on Perry Ave. Port Orchard, Wa.
Although I did not see white on the whale...it must have been an Orca....To me it seemed to have more of a squared off nose almost like a humpback look. But reading about whales eating seals...Must have been an Orca.
Melissa Oberlander.

January 7
1:51 - About five orcas are by Herron Island right now, traveling south.
Nick Wenzel

January 7
About six Orcas spotted in Case Inlet in North Bay around 11:00 AM this morning! Looked like two or three females, a few juveniles, no males. Stayed in the area for about half an hour! Very close to the shore. So cool!
Kristi Rieker

January 7
9:00 AM - 3 Orcas in Case Inlet. At approx. 9AM we spotted at least three (3) Orcas moving slowly north about one mile south of Vaughn Bay. They surfaced briefly twice and haven't been visible to us since.
Michael Moore

*********************************

January 6
Around noon - I saw a single dorsal fin of an Orca from the Purdy Spit bridge today . Someone told me they saw porpoise in the area, but what I saw was a huge dorsal fin in the air for several seconds. Lot's of fog, and I was in a moving car so that was all I saw!
Midge Patten

******************************

January 5
8:56 am - a single Orca just buzzed the kelp bed off Salmon Beach heading north towards Pt. Defiance. Moving at a very rapid pace.
Asher Beckett

*******************************

January 4
Erica at the Pt. Townsend Marine Science Center called to report 2 orcas in windy Admiralty Inlet off the PTMSC at 4 pm foraging, maybe headed south.

January 4
3:30 PM - I spotted three orca whales out in the water of Case Inlet in Allyn. There were many seals out at play today on the water and once we spotted the orcas, the seals had disappeared. I had never seen orcas out on the water here before; it was so awesome to see! The three whales surfaced for air, blew up some water and were gone. The seals were out playing and after we had spotted the orcas the seals disappeared.
Nona Nelson

January 4
Orcas Case Inlet. We saw a pod of 5-7 orcas at the north end of Case inlet (Allyn). We watched them go up to the end of the bay then turn around and go back. There was a much larger one with the rest being noticeably smaller. They were traveling with some activity that looked like they were feeding or trying to "corral " something, but seemed unsuccessful.
Susie Ingham

January 4
1:30 - Steve McCoy called with a fresh report of about five orcas deep in Case Inlet, between Vaughn and Stretch (Treasure) islands. At one point the orcas were within 15' of the beach, at other times breaching out in deeper water.

January 4
12:30 PM - Orcas entering Discovery Bay. Saw four orcas heading into Discovery Bay, one large male, two females and one juvenile. Not long after saw harbor porpoises leaving the bay.
Rich Kiepke
It's not known if these were Transients/Bigg's whales or Resident orcas.

January 4
5 orcas... 4 adults and 1 juvenile... Sighted at 9:45am from the ferry between Lopez Island and Anacortes! They were heading west toward the Lopez ferry terminal.
Jenny Jirsa
It's not known if these were Transients/Bigg's whales or Resident orcas.

January 4
8:45 AM -  2 Orcas in sight at Boston Harbor, 100 yds south of lighthouse, 100 ft offshore, traveling.
Stephanie Smith

***************************

January 3
Had a short but amazing encounter with transient orcas just before sunset! It was the T060's and T002B in Harney Channel (between Shaw and Orcas islands) and they ended up making a kill right off the stern! Good amount of blood in the water and some remains (looked like lungs) sank beside the boat. I could even see bits of meat in the mouths of the orcas as they swam past! Pics and GoPro footage will be posted soon!
Melisa Pinnow

January 3
Transient Killer Whales off Sooke Today! 10 in total...This picture is just after a kill with "intestines" still dragging on fin...
Photo by Sooke Coastal Explorations

January 3
Orca in Henderson Bay
Orca in Henderson Bay.
Video by Christie Fierro
Several hours edited into a few minutes. There are breaches at 2:05, 2:40, 3:17, and 4:11 There is tail slapping at :23, 1:14, and 2:18 There were Dall's porpoises in the bay also. I am not sure if they were playing together or maybe the orca were hunting the porpoise. After studying the fins closer, I suspect this is a transient orca pod (the meat eaters). But, I am not sure.
Christie Fierro

January 3
T068C with seal entrails draped over dorsal fin on January 3rd off of Sooke.
Paul Pugwell of Sooke Explorations and I came across the T068C's in Sooke Basin west bound on January 3rd. The T077's along with T075B and T075C were a couple of miles to the south of them also traveling west.   
Photo by Mark Malleson, taken under permit #MML-001

January 3
Orcas in Thacher pass
One really small one with the male and female orcas last saturday in Thacher Pass.
Video by Dean Vandament

January 3
3:30 pm - We saw 6 orcas today in between Shaw and Orcas island.
Shari Kramer

January 3
Near McNeil Island.
Photo by Travis Harris

January 3
2:30 pm - Just saw this pod south of Jones Island and through Pole Pass, from Spring Point, Orcas Island.
Photo by Robert Dash

January 3
On ferry Sealth, left Friday Harbor at noon going to Anacortes, saw about 4 orca coming out of Upright Channel before it runs into Harney channel about 12:30.
Sherrie Stahl

January 3
12:30pm - Spotted two dorsal fins in distance from Anacortes bound ferry between Shaw and Lopez Islands.
Debbie Hopkins

January 3
12 Noon - We spotted a pod of orcas, north of Lopez Island, traveling north. Looked like at least 6 maybe more. Saw at least one very tall dorsal. We could not tell if they continued up east side of Orcas Isl. or between Shaw and Orcas Island.
Veronica von Allworden

January 3
11:56 AM - We saw 3 orcas off Orcas Island, traveling.
Photo by Kristen Wright

January 1
KING 5 - Our Facebook friend Elliot and his dad captured this amazing video of a group of orcas in the South Sound on New Year's day. Elliot tells us he was a bit worried the animals might flip the boat, but they seemed very friendly.

Orcas in the South Sound.
Photo by Elliot

December 23
In Harney Channel between Orcas and Shaw, I was on the ferry home and we saw orcas. I thought the ferries probably reported these sightings.  It was dusk when they announced there were orcas up ahead. I saw a female and a little one, port side, as we pulled into Shaw. Others saw what they thought were 2 females and a baby. It was a little after 5 and I could barely see. Thought maybe there was a young transient I hadn't heard of.
Susan Oseth

******************************

December 19
11:50AM - 12:20PM - 6-7 Orca just north of West Bay Marina in Budd Inlet. One very large, one very small, the rest of varying medium size. One very large dorsal fin.
When first sighted and for the next several minutes they seem to be frolicking/playing. I didn't notice any feeding activity even though they were close to log booms holding harbor seals.
Photos posted here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/clamalot/OrcaPlay
Mike Woodall
Coastal orcas
January 6
Approx. 1430 - Orcas sighted north of Florence. My wife and I watched a huge pod of Orcas feeding north of Florence today. At we counted as many as twelve with several little ones. Feeding, coming completely out of the water. This was an unbelievable sight through my 20x80's
Gary Songer

*************************

January 4
My wife and I saw a pod of mammalian creatures on Sunday, Jan. 4th, approx. 4:30 PST about 1 mile north of Sea Ranch Lodge (straight out from Navigators Reach, 50 miles north of San Francisco), roughly 0.5 mile off shore. The pod was slowly swirling in an amorphous group further out to sea and southward. I would suggest our identification of these creatures as orcas is not terribly reliable-perhaps 20-30% likelihood at best. My wife and I have seen orcas in captivity (and in film ;-) and dolphins many times in the wild and captivity. We never saw a nose or side of these animals which would have provided more information (e.g., bottle nose of a dolphin or white patch of an orca). The primary reason we considered orcas is that the animals and their dorsal fins seemed too large for dolphins. The only coloration we observed was grey, however. The dorsal fins were on the large size but had a nicely defined curve to them common to dolphins and uncharacteristic (as we know it) for orcas. To us, "bottlenose" seems to be the most likely explanation, if it's plausible that so many of the individuals would be on the large size. We can not provide an accurate total count because the animals were in constant movement and never surfaced all at once. Thrice a group of 3-4 surfaced together (in close proximity to each other) and 2 or 3 surfaced over the next few seconds but in more dispersed locations. The total population was at least 6, perhaps about 8, but could even have been more.
Warren Gish
Humpbacks
January 10
10:10 am - Mark at WA Fish and Wildlife called in a report of a humpback, breaching and playing off Bangor in Hood Canal.

January 3
12 Humpback Whales.
Sooke Coastal Explorations

January 2
BCZ0180 "Heather"  tail lobbing in the Juan de Fuca.
I have seen over 10 different humpback whales in the Juan de Fuca Strait  since December 28th.
Photo by Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales
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.