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Puget Sound Whales for Sale: The Fight to End Orca Hunting, by
Sandra Pollard
This important volume recounts the people whose determined efforts ultimately succeeded in ending the captures.
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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! _________________ David Kirby The bestseller about orcas in captivity
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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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| July 5, 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.
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Members of all three pods were seen (and heard) traveling northbound in Haro Strait passing Lime Kiln State Park, San Juan Island early this morning. All continued north except the L12s who turned back south. We here in the Pacific Northwest are still in the grips of a heatwave leading to dangerous conditions which has resulted in many wildfires. A few nice breaching images from today, and short but beatuiful video, show just some of the smokey haze that has enveloped much of the northern Salish Sea area from the many wildfires. Record highs and dry conditions are not helping the rivers or the salmon issues around the region, we are hoping for some relief and rain soon!
Chris Dunagan does a nice job of summarizing the current state of the 2015 SRKW Orca Survey in his article titled Orca census shows increase in Southern Resident population. "...two small groups of orcas have not been seen recently - so a final count must wait, according to Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research, which conducts the annual census."
Bigg's/Transient reports have waned considerably over this past week. We've just one brief report from the 30th in Puget Sound which was a surprise as we assumed all had left the area.
Minke reports are becoming more frequent as we move into summer and they move into their accustomed feeding areas around the islands. Some nice humpback reports too.
Orca Network |
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Photo of the Day
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July 5
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| Beautiful breach scene with one of the Southern Residents off the west side of Pender Island this morning on their northbound travels through the smokey haze enveloping BC.
Photo by Cathy Miller Scott, July 5, 2015 |
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Southern Residents
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July 5
This family (including K pod) passed by Mouat Point, Pender Island, at about 12:45 pm today. Lots of tail flaps and some breaching. Link to Facebook video which includes members of K pod.
Barb Floyd
July 5 12:30 pm - two orcas milling off Eagle Point, amongst the leaping salmon.
Tom Reeve
July 5 |
| This was in Canada on the west side of Pender Islands. K Pod (K25, 26, 20, 21, and 33, Cappucino, Spock, Comet, etc.) around 10:30 - 11 a.m.
Photo by Cathy Miller Scott, July 5, 2015 |
July 5 |
| | Photo by Cathy Miller Scott, July 5, 2015 |
July 5 L12s went back south offshore, all others continued north.
Monika Wieland
July 5
8:55 am - hearing calls again on Lime Kiln
7:04 am - start hearing vocals on OrcaSound. Alisa, ON July 5
6:45 am (PDT) vocalizations at Lime Kiln.Cydnie Simons July 5
I was listening to them on the hydrophone & watching them on the Line Kiln webcam this morning from the 6:30am to 7am. Sounded like J Pod. They were VERY active & vocal.Jacqueline Slaughter ********************** July 4
Just checked in on the Lime Kiln hydrophone at approximately 8:43pm. Heard very faint calls that sounded like S1's... Likely J pod. However a vessel of some sort arrived at around 8:50 making it too loud to hear SRKW, and the calls seem to have disappeared since the boat has been gone. Grace Guiney July 4
6:30 pm - Calls on Orcasound hydrophoneStacy Boddy July 4
6:15 pm - Intermittent, faint SRKW vocals still going on Lime Kiln hydrophone.
Alisa, ON
July 4
5:49 pm - Calls on Lime Kiln (behind the boat noise!)
Ali Barratt
July 4
5:30 pm - We saw the tail end of group (j pod?) from the pull outs above Lime Kiln, they were southbound.Nadine Smith Cook July 4
Went out on the afternoon tour on the Chilkat out of Edmonds, Wa. We travelled up North of Lime Kiln and spent some precious time with the J16's in particular. Mike (J26) was present as well as his family, breaches, spyhops, cartwheels and cute behaviors by baby J50!Janine Harles July 4
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| J50 spyhops beside mom J16 in Haro Strait in the late afternoon
Photo by Janine Harles , July 4, 2015
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July 4
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| J50 reaching higher
Photo by Janine Harles , July 4, 2015
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July 4
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| Photo by Janine Harles , July 4, 2015
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July 4
2:30 pm - Saw whales at South Beach on San Juan Island . Anyone see them anymore? We are now at Lime Kiln because they were headed this way.
Megan Taylor
July 4
7:18 am - S4 calls7:13 am - S1 calls7:03 am - Through the whir of the fans, hearing echolocation on Lime Kiln hydrophone. Faint calls shortly after. Southbound via visual on webcam. Alisa, ON ********************** July 3
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| Mako (J39) was doing some serious foraging today but he interrupted his salmon-chasing to do a cartwheel and breach in the wake of a boat that zoomed by completely oblivious to his presence. You tell him, buddy!
Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, July 3, 2015
(Photos taken with a 400mm lens)
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July 3
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| Splashdown! Mako (J39) breaching in the wake of the boat.
Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, July 3, 2015
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July 3 |
| J34 Doublestuf fishing in a strong current. Evening near Eagle Point, San Juan Island.
Photo by James Gresham, July 3, 2015 |
July 3
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| J27 Blackberry cruising in beautiful conditions along San Juan Island's southwestern coast.
Photo by James Gresham, July 3, 2015 |
July 3
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| Lime Kiln, July 3rd, 1:30pm heading north.
Photo by Alex Kremer
See more of Alex's photos HERE |
July 3
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| J35 Tahlequah (pictured here) and her son J47 Notch were full of all kinds of energy as they passed Lime Kiln.
Photo by Monika Wieland, July 3, 2015 |
July 3
11:24 am - J pod were active today off Pender Island! They were heading towards Boundary Pass. We left them approaching Saturna Island at 12:10 pm.
Ali Barratt July 3
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| J pod breach sequence montage.
Photos by Ali Barratt, July 3, 2015
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July 3
8:24 am - Serious jumpers out there off Eagle Point... and a tight shoreline pass by my favorite black n whites! Hope they are enjoying a feast of salmon breakfast!! Erin Corra July 3rd
6:02 am - Beautiful morning...SRKWs on Lime Kiln, including S4 calls and echolocation. Southbound via visual on webcam. Alisa, ON July 3
6:01 am - Calls and echolocation on Lime Kiln hydrophone.Jill Clogston ********************** July 2
Sunset whales... The same whales that have been around for the past week or so (J-pod, Group A and the K14s) were off the west side and heading south in a hurry. On our way out we stopped for a quick but excellent look at a couple of minke whales that were foraging off of Salmon Bank. We continued north but we didn't have to go far before the evening light began illuminating the blows of our orca friends. The first whales we saw were Hy'shqa (J37) and her young son, T'ilem I'nges (J49). This young male was the last baby to be born and survive before we welcomed our four new babies. He'll be three years old this year! He's growing up so quickly. I've noticed it a little recently but tonight especially so that his dorsal is starting to look a lot like his mother's... Sara Hysong-Shimazu July 2
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| Here's Eclipse (J41) surfacing off the west side of San Juan Island. I've been wishing for a sunset spent on the water with whales for a while now and tonight my wish came true. It was also spent with a great group of people who are just as crazy about orcas as I am.
Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, July 2, 2015
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July 2
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| Yoda (K36)
Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, July 2, 2015
More of Sara's photos and full encounter report HERE.
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July 2
5:34 pm (PDT) - Orca's vocal and visual at Lime KilnCydnie Simons July 2
loud vocals 5:30-5:35pm5:08 pm - calls being heard on Lime Kiln hydroBrendon Bissonnette July 2
It's been incredibly hot here in the Salish Sea, but we've had some amazing encounters... J's and K's made their way down to Lopez Island, then turned around and went right back up the west side of San Juan Island.Heather MacIntyre July 2
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| J19 on the outside, little J51 popping up in the middle, with his mom J41 on the inside off of Long Island (south Lope.
Photo by Heather MacIntyre, July 2, 2015
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July 2
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| Distant breach cropped in! Off South Beach, San Juan Island
Photo by Heather MacIntyre, July 2, 2015
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July 2
And at 2:15 they came back the other way (east to west). At least a dozen orcas.From 12:15 to 12:45 today we had a wonderful parade of orcas headed west to east off of Flint Beach on the south end of Lopez Island. Lots of whale boats out and lots of happy sunburned clients. Tom Reeve July 2
8:24 am - start hearing echolocation on Lime Kiln hydrophone, faint couple of calls shortly after. Alisa, ON July 2
8:05 am - hearing a few faint calls behind the ship noise on Orca Sound, echolocation now also.Pam Ren July 2
6:24 am - Pod of orcas. They're heading north, on the west side of Pender Island.Chris Troutner ********************** July 1
Hi, I had whales this evening from 7:30PM to 8:50PM. My rock lookout is between Eagle Point and False Bay. Closer to Eagle Point. 8 whales. No large males. Couple of little dudes. A bit spread out. One group of 3 then a group of two then a group of three. Slowly, leisurely going from False Bay to Eagle Point. Went around Eagle Point by 8:50. Quiet and peaceful, no boats after the first 5 minutes. Jenny Stands Wilson July 1
We caught up to members of J pod foraging and moving south along the west side of San Juan Island. On the way home, we also found two minkes, and in Rosario Strait, two more humpbacks! Rachel Haight July 1 |
| Breaching youngster south of Lime Kiln in the afternoon.
Photo by Rachel Haight, July 1, 2015
Melisa Pinnow, volunteer Center for Whale Research, believes this to be L110
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July 1
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| Photo by Rachel Haight, July 1, 2015
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July 1
4:57 pm - hearing them on Lime KilnGayle Swigart July 1
5:45 pm - loud S4 calls on LK5:15 pm - Southern Residents now on the Lime Kiln hydrophone.4:22pm- sounds like Ks and/or Js on OrcaSound.Alisa, ON
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Bigg's/Transient orcas
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June 30
We saw four orca where we hang out at the beach at Cormorant Pass (between Steilacoom and Ketron Island, Puget Sound). We have been at this spot for 30 years and never have seen them this early in the season. Cindy Prusso
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Humpback whales
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July 1
We caught up to members of J pod foraging and moving south along the west side of San Juan Island. On the way home, we also found two Minkes, and in Rosario strait, two more Humpbacks!Rachel Haight July 1 |
| Southbound Humpback, Rosario Strait
Photo by Rachel Haight, July 1, 2015 |
July 1 |
| | Photo by Rachel Haight, July 1, 2015 |
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Minke whales
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July 4
7:30 am - A minke was hanging about and apparently feeding near shore just east of Flint Beach, south Lopez.Tom Reeve ********************** July 2 ...Sunset whales...The same whales that have been around for the past week or so (J-pod, Group A and the K14s) were off the west side and heading south in a hurry. On our way out we stopped for a quick but excellent look at a couple of minke whales that were foraging off of Salmon Bank.... Sara Hysong-Shimazu
July 2 |
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Minke Whale that was hanging out with the Js & Ks today near Sand Juan Island.
Photo by Janine Harles, July 2, 2015
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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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