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Orca Network 

Whale Sighting Report  
In This Issue
Southern Residents.
Transients/Bigg's Whales
Humpbacks
Minke
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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March 2, 2015

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.
New L Pod calf! The latest updates on NOAA's research cruise brings news of a third calf, L121, born to the Southern Residents in the past two months. We welcome L121 who was thought to be just a few days-old when first seen by NOAA near Westport off the Washington coast on February 25th swimming with her mom, L94. The birth of L121 brings the total population of wild roaming Southern Residents to 80. Our hope is that these three new members of this fragile distinct population grow up together with plenty of salmon and healthy livable habitat to thrive, have offspring and live long lives. To do so the work to restore salmon habitat and protect critical habit must keep moving forward.

NOAA's latest updates include the latest travels of tagged male L84 Nyssa, part of L pod, all of K pod and  stunning photos and video of L121 and her mother L94 in the Pacific.

Ken Balcomb looks over and responds to the recent finding by NOAA that the data are insufficient to declare offshore waters from Neah Bay to Monterey Bay as Critical Habitat for So. Resident orcas, and finds the 2 year delay before deciding anything to be woefully inadequate and likely to cause the extinction of So. Resident orcas.

A collaboration of salmon restoration groups and orca protection groups helped write this op-ed to point out the essential link between Chinook salmon numbers and orca mortalities and births. As described in Monika Wieland's article Why Now Is The Time To Breach The Snake River Dams , those four Snake River dams are blocking access to, and from, spawning beds in the upriver wilderness, diminishing food available to Southern Resident orcas.

The T124s and T086As were encountered near Salt Spring Island in Swanson Channel.

Humpback visits continue in Puget Sound. Thankfully John Calambokidis of Cascadia Research Collective was able spend time on the water on March 1st to photo ID and collect samples from a juvenile humback near Edmonds.  Reports of another humpback near downtown Seattle and a Minke whale in Hood Canal.

Orca Network 

Photo of the Day
February 25
On the way back out we had just crossed the bar when we ran into the whales in the shipping channel, and in particular L94 and the new calf L121. The research platform for this survey, the NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada, is in the background.
Photo credit: Candice Emmons, NOAA Fisheries
Southern Residents
February 27
New video just in from the NOAA research vessel Bell M. Shimada of the new killer whale calf in L-pod off the Washington Coast.  At the end biologists Brad Hanson and Candice Emmons of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center discuss the new calf and research on the whales' winter habitat on the outer coast.

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February 26

More updates from Brad Hanson, lead researcher on the Southern Resident killer whale survey team and another look at the new calf in L-pod.

26 February Update:

I keep thinking we have probably used all our luck up but things keep falling into place. By yesterday afternoon we were down to one day's fuel supply for the Zodiac. The whales have been all over the coasts of Washington and Oregon in the past two weeks but they managed to conveniently be in the vicinity of the entrance to Grays Harbor this morning allowing us to go in and quickly refuel. On the way back out we had just crossed the bar when we ran into the whales in the shipping channel, and in particular L94 and the new calf. This allowed us to spend more time with them, get a better look, and get a better photo (see photo of the day) than yesterday. In this photo you can see the fetal folds which indicates that the calf is only a few days old and this photo also seems to sum up the calf's vitality. Heading south, whales foraging off the Long Beach Peninsula this afternoon - 5 prey samples today.  

 

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February 25
Satellite track of L84 as of 2/25/15.
Map courtesy of Dr. Brad Hanson from the NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada
New L pod calf!!
Dr. Brad Hanson gives us this latest news from the orca research cruise as well as an update on location of L pod:
25 February update - We were about 15 miles west of Westport this morning when we resighted the whales and observed a new calf - L94 appears to be the mother. To recap since our previous posting, on 23 February we were off Cape Lookout, Oregon following the whales north. Yesterday, we continued following the whales north past the mouth to the Columbia River. Since L84 was tagged a week ago we have been with all of K pod but only part of L pod. On 23 February Jon Scordino with Makah Fisheries sent us photos taken on 20 February of L25 off Cape Flattery, which indicated another part of L pod was in the general area. This morning, shortly after we launched our Zodiac we observed L41, part of the group that includes L25, indicating that another group of L pod had joined up overnight - this is first time we have documented pods reuniting on the outer coast. Fortunately the whales were very grouped up and within a few minutes we observed the new calf - with its unique orange-ish color on the white areas. The calf looked very energetic. We have five more days on the cruise and look forward to additional observations of the calf and collecting additional prey and fecal samples.

February 25
New L pod calf spotted 2/25 about 15 miles w of Westport. L94 appears to be the mother. Photo courtesy of Candice Emmons, NOAA Fisheries

February 25
New L pod calf spotted 2/25 about 15 miles w of Westport. L94 appears to be the mother. Photo courtesy of Candice Emmons, NOAA Fisheries.
Transients/Bigg's Whales
March 1
As we followed the T124s and T086As I recorded their movements. Here is a little information.
We found them around Beaver Point Salt Spring Island in Swanson Channel heading Southeast in a flood tide. They were moving at an average speed of 6.2 knots and covered a distance of 4.2 nm. They came into within 10m of a harbor seal but no interaction was recorded. They did short 15-20 second long dives followed by a 2-3 minute extended dive.
Josh McInnes

March 1
T086A3
Photo by Josh McInnes

March 1
Photo by Josh McInnes

March 1
Photo by Josh McInnes

March 1
Photo by Josh McInnes

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January 7
We just recently received this amazing video of Transients interacting with a sea bird in Case Inlet back in early January.

Bigg's transients orcas interacting with a seabird by Dana Renee Villar
I captured these videos of a pod of whales off treasure island across from Vaughn in the Case Inlet on Jan 7. They were chasing an injured loon. They came in from the south and left in the same direction.
by Dana Renee Villar
Humpbacks
March 1
Humpback near Edmonds today!
Photo by Steve Smith

March 1
Humpback near Edmonds today!
Photo by Steve Smith

March 1
3:05pm-5:00pm -John Calambokidis of Cascadia Research was with the humpback in Possession Sound off of Edmonds and obtained ID photos and a skin sample. He believes it is a 1 - 2 year old juvenile humpback whale that looked to be engaged in feeding. We'll let you know if he is able to match this whale with any in the catalogues.

March 1
2:35pm - We saw it North of Edmonds ferry about 25 minutes ago, mid-channel headed south
Tamara Walker

March 1
2:05pm - Haven't seen it in about an hour. I'm guessing that if it continues on its path, it should be south of Edmonds by now. We just pulled into Richmond beach park and are watching.
Charles Vendley

March 1
12:18pm - It's off picnic point now. Just showed it's tail for a deep dive. Definitely a humpback.
Rachel Haight

March 1
12:15 - Jamie Grundhauser called while watching a humpback from Picnic Point, heading south about halfway between the mainland and Whidbey Island or closer to the mainland.

March 1
11:03am - Jamie and I are up above lighthouse park in Mukilteo and just saw what appears to be a humpback surface and dive, headed south mid channel
Pam Ren

March 1
9:30 AM - Gray whale ( confirmed humpback ) sighted 50 yds off picnic point, headed North along the coast. Feeding. Moving slow and repeatedly diving. Saw tail breach twice.
Adam Nelson

March 1
8:10am - humpback breach and blows. From north Edmonds looking out about a mile with double bluff in background. Heading north towards possession point.
Stu Davidson

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March 1
One frame of many breaches by the Humpback Whale this morning.
Photo by Stu Davidson

February 28
5:50pm -  it's super close to shore (less than 1/4-mile out) and very close to Edmonds.
5:25pm Just saw it viewing south from Picnic Point.
Kristin Kreifels

February 28
4:15pm - That she blows! Couple new blows mile north of Edmonds ferry and about a mile west of north Edmonds. No direction travel yet
Stu Davidson

February 28
1:45pm - Couple blows back up this way. Them must have done a deep dive. Line of sight was between my place and point no point but near our side a lot. Closer in than my initial breaching shots this a.m.
Stu Davidson

February 28
12:15 The Whale Trail reported a juvenile humpback off Coleman Dock (via Ben Evans). I  haven't seen any updates.
Connie Bickerton

February 28
11:45 am-Kite surfers report seeing it where we lost sight of it this morning around 1145...I haven't seen blows from marina beach.
Janine Harles

February 28
11:15 & 11:20am Janine Harles and Paul Franklin saw blows sightline transect Sunset Ave to Eglon/Kitsap east of mid channel.

February 28
10:45 it started breaching sightline transect Sunset Ave and Possession Pt. Then an egregious act of harassment by small fishing boat...grrr. Called in to NOAA. Blows now to the south a ways.
10:20 just saw a blow east of mid channel sightline between Sunset Ave and Double Bluff whidbey. Maybe a mile out from north Edmonds
Alisa Lemire Brooks

February 28
10:18am - It was breaching for over an hour straight!
We were watching it breaching, in between ocean and sunset avenue way over on kitsap side. It suddenly stopped so assuming its diving?
10:06am -  Stu is going in to check his pics...has anyone seen it lately? It went on a dive..
Janine Harles

February 28
9:11am - They moved more south and further out towards Kitsap side. Might be better to see from fishing pier?!!
9:05 am-Might be more than one. Seems like a mom and calf... Alternating breaching.. One looks smaller and gives smaller splash the other Huge splashes!
(I heard back from John Calambokidis at Cascadia Research, and Fred Sharpe with Alaska Whale Foundation - they do not believe it is a calf. One thinks it could possible be the pec fin of the humpback, the other thinks it could possibly be another species or ??? And also that the humpback we are seeing looks pretty small itself and is likely a juvenile too young to have a calf. -SB)
8:15am - Whale Repeated breaching. Looks like a humpback (confirmed).  Mile out from a mile north Edmonds.
Stu Davidson
Minke
March 1
9:00am - Whale sighting in Hood Canal this morning at Ayock Point. Very rare for us. This one had a small curved fin near the rear. Could this be a Finn whale? (Minke?) I think you are right. It was a Minke whale.
Mitch Bogrand
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.