Day report:
10:40 pm. Both hydros for the past hr. I've heard all 3 pods. Echoing J calls and echolocation on OS now.
James Gresham

9:56 pm - I got off for a while during boat noise and then couldn't get back on, but just re-established connection and calls still going strong and beautiful. Can hear on both Lime Kiln and Orcasound, but Orcasound seems to be a little more frequent.
Debbie Stewart

9:45 pm - Meow on LK and Orcasound hydrophones
Else Jean Jensen

7:25 pm - calls started up again on Lime Kiln, sounded like some Ks and Ls.  Webcam showed northbound orcas. With ship noise on Lime Kiln I tuned into Orca Sound at approx.  8:06 pm and heard distant calls. Calls from what sounded to be members of all pods continued simultaneoulsy on both Lime Kiln and OrcaSound. I've at least 8 recordings and many notes to sift through but definite loud S4 calls at LK around 10:30. A beautiful summer evening filled with SRKWs in stereo throughout Haro Strait. Calls, whistles and echolocation continued late into the night. At 10:50pm I turned off as the communication played on.
Alisa, ON

4:22 pm - Orcas are on Lime Kiln again! Kinda sounds like L pod. They've been chattering away for quite a while.
Amanda Fitzgerald

3:57pm - Hearing calls on lime kiln hydrophone!
Nikki Culbertson

3:54 pm -  start hearing calls again, continues for 25 minutes.
Alisa, ON

11:21 am - Orca's on the Lime Kiln webcam!
Theresa Rivkin

11:07 am -  Calls again on Lime Kiln hydrophone, sounds like K pod. Visual of at least 4 orcas (including bull) on the webcam, southbound.
Alisa, ON

10:16 am - YAY! Calls on Lime Kiln hydros right now, too.
Kim Merriman

10:59 a.m. More calls on Lime Kiln.
10:03 a.m. Faint calls on Lime Kiln.
Jill Clogston

9:15 am - Clicks just started on Lime Kiln!
Monika Wieland


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Surprise! Coming home this evening...The J16s, off of the SJ County Park, going north... Photo by James Maya, July 7, 2015

L89, Solstice. Taken tonight near American Camp National Park. I just love the water stream on the dorsal fin. Photo by Traci Walter, July 7, 2015 (Taken with a 600mm lens and cropped)

5:10pm (PDT) calls and echolocation clicks on Lime Kiln hydrophone
4:35pm (PDT) vocalizations starting to be heard now on Orcasound hydrophone
Cydnie Simons

Lovely day again on the west side of San Juan Island (plus a bit less smokey.) Watched 6-7 whales from both West Side preserve and Lime Kiln. Photo is from Lime Kiln. Photo by Cindy Jackson, July 7, 2015

3:54 pm - Yes S4 calls. They've moved north of the Lighthouse, out of view.
3:30 pm - J 16's (at Lime Kiln)...more on the way!
James Taylor

3:28 pm - nice S4 calls on Lime Kiln hydrophone...J pod.
Alisa, ON

2:59 pm - Hearing some honks and squeaks on Lime Kiln Hydrophone!
Denise Stubbs

2:28pm (PDT) Orcas on Lime Kiln Webcam
Cydnie Simons

With overcast skies and hazy air, we headed to the west side of San Juan Island, hearing that J-pod was in the area. But first checked out all the beautiful harbor seals, some with new pups on Colville Island. Continuing north, we found - not J-pod (who were further north) - but members of K-pod AND L-pod!! We spent time with the K-12s and L-22 and her son L89, what a treat! They traveled north, then south, between Hannah Heights and Cattle Point. So beautiful to see them in the mirror-like conditions of the Salish Sea - what an amazing day for us all, with lots of sea-birds, harbor porpoise, and bald eagles.
Jill Hein

L-22 Spirit and son L-89 Solstice Photo by Jill Hein, July 7, 2015

K-37 Rainshadow Photo by Jill Hein, July 7, 2015

A trio of three male orcas gave us quite a unique and intimate show of behavior on the afternoon of July 7 from the Island Explorer 3.  L89, K33, and K37 followed each other around in circles, rolling around, splashing, lunging, and taillobbing.  The behavior kept going on for quite a while before K37 peeled off and the other two just continued with the play.  We could only take wild guesses at what it meant to all of them, but it sure looked like some big time bonding with the dudes!
Bart Rulon

K33 Tika Photo by Bart Rulon, July 7, 2015

J52 Photo by Bart Rulon, July 7, 2015

J50 in between J16 and J42 Photo by Bart Rulon, July 7, 2015

K44 spyhop. This afternoon off of Point Roberts. Photo by Gary Sutton, July 7, 2015

K13,  Point Roberts. Photo by Gary Sutton, July 7, 2015

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K21 Cappuccino surfacing just north of Henry Island this evening. No filter on this, it's all that hazy, smoky lighting. It was, despite the smokiness, really nice to see this big guy. Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, July 6, 2015

Members of J, K, and L Pods went back and forth off the west side of San Juan Island all day. I heard that the L22s were hanging out off False Bay (while the rest of the L12 sub-group had gone west). The others came down Haro in the morning, went north in the afternoon, and then came south again in the evening. I saw this third pass as they headed south past Lime Kiln around 6:30 PM. Not quite everyone was present - the J16s and perhaps a few more were continuing north, but the rest of J-Pod, most or all of K-Pod, and most or all of the Ls (minus the L22s) were there.
Monika Wieland, San Juan Island

Best way ever to end a long work day - Js, Ks, and Ls heading south past Lime Kiln. Photo by Monika Wieland, July 6, 2015

6:34 pm - intermittent echo clicks and some squeaks on the hydrophones at Lime Kiln right now...sound distant and getting closer...
Wayne McFarland

4:38 pm - I took a whale watching tour out of Friday Harbor on Monday. We saw 35-40 orcas, and the guide said it was one of the best tours she'd ever done as far as the number of whales we saw. We were on the west side of San Juan Island, and went up past the Lime Kiln Lighthouse. This was taken south of the lighthouse. Photo by Barb White, July 6, 2015

4:10 pm -  Orca sighting: two groups of orcas (including 3 males) about 5 minutes apart by County Park (west side San Juan Island)
Ruth Malick

4:00 pm - Beautiful talking, singing, clicking on Lime Kiln Hydrophone Right now
Michelle Booker

I hear " voices" @ 3:56 Lime Kiln.
Lore Borras

July 6
Whale soup at Lime Kiln Lighthouse this afternoon. A whale photographer standing next to us said J, K and L were the groups we saw today. She said the babies in front of us were J50 and J52, J51 had gone by earlier. What a lucky, wonderful day!
Krista Paulino

Breaching in Haro Strait at Lime Kiln State Park. Photo by Krista Paulino, July 6, 2015

Photo by Krista Paulino, July 6, 2015

I took this (photo) from the San Juan Islands on a whale watching tour around 1230 pm . There was another female traveling with Slick . Was told it was J-42 and her calf . I may have pictures of them too as they were traveling close together... noticed that one calf has a distinctive marking just below the dorsal.
Wayne McFarland

J-16 (Slick ) and her calf J50 cruising along south of Lime Kiln. Photo by Wayne McFarland, July 6, 2015

Identified as L-89 Solstice Breached and tail slapped earlier as he chased salmon near Cattle Pass, followed shortly by a female and a young juvenile. Photo by Wayne McFarland, July 6, 2015

We watched from American camp until about 1:30. We thought pod had headed out but some turned and came back to the camp where they appeared to be milling and feeding. Saw some lunge behavior like they were chasing fish. They appeared to be slowly working their way north again maybe back to Lime Kiln. One whale further out in channel breached and lobbed so may times (more than 20), that I stopped counting. Numerous whale boats in area, so imagine pics will start streaming in.
Krista Paulino

SRKWs northbound in Haro Strait Photo by Krista Paulino, July 6, 2015

12:45 pm - Just followed a group of orcas down the west side of the island, past Eagles cove and South Beach.
11:00 - still can hear them.
Cynthia Smith Jackson

12:06 pm - They are milling off American camp now.
11:00-11:28 am - Parade of whales by Lime Kiln...Although we missed front of pod, we estimate about 30 just since we arrived. Appears last one passed by about 11:28.
Krista Paulino

It was a breach-fest this morning. Even Spirit (L22) got in on the action! Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, July 6, 2015

11:56am (PDT) hearing some vocalizations again on Lime Kiln hydrophone
10:58am (PDT) vocalizations now on both Lime Kiln and Orcasound hydrophones
Cydnie Simons

10:25 am - Calls and echolocation on Orca Sound hydrophones!
Pam Ren

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J2 Granny in the back, J22 Oreo in front just after they had exited Active Pass, BC. Photo by Heather MacIntyre, July 5, 2015

Well it was a bumpy ride getting there yesterday but we had a WHOLE LOT OF RESIDENTS! All of J's, All of K's and most of L's in Swanson Channel heading into Active Pass. It's been so long since I've seen so many of them together....incredible day....even with a boat breakdown on my way home.
Gary Sutton

J28 "Polaris" spyhopping Photo by Gary Sutton, July 5, 2015

We had some rather eerie lighting effects (see photo) and cloud cover due to the wildfires as we neared Vancouver Island, B.C., on Sunday's trip (July 5). With reports of L pod whales in the area, we were delighted to see Crewser (L92) and Ballena (L90) as these whales had not been seen in the San Juans this year. Racer (L72) and Fluke (L105) were also spotted and confirmed by the Center for Whale Research, which carries out an annual census of the endangered Southern Resident orcas. The whales were actively hunting for their favorite food, the Omega rich Chinook (King) salmon, with some fast porpoising and tail-slaps.
Sandra Pollard

Hazy conditions and unusual lighting near southern Vancouver Island, B.C. due to the wildfires. Photo by Sandra Pollard, July 5, 2015