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Orca Network 

Whale Sighting Report  
In This Issue
Upcoming Events
Photo of the Day
Southern Residents
Bigg's/Transient orcas
Humpback whales
UPCOMING EVENTS:
45th Anniversary Tokitae/Lolita
Orca Capture Commemoration

August 8th
Penn Cove, Coupeville
Event details HERE

~~~~~~~~~
COME VISIT
Orca Network's
LANGLEY WHALE CENTER

Corner of 2nd & Anthes, Langley,
Whidbey Island
~~~
Open Thurs - Sun 11 - 5
Displays, videos, gift shop, lending library
~~~

Orca Network recommends:
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.

_______________

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!

_________________

 

  David Kirby  

The bestseller about orcas in captivity

DeathatSeaWorld


Quick Links

 

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.

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

Sign up for our 

Whale Sighting  

or Free Lolita

Email Lists


Click Here to Join
July 30, 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.
Just one sightings report so far today, two humpbacks exiting Admiralty Inlet earlier this morning.
Most of the SRKWs who gathered near the island on the 25th headed west into Juan de Fuca Strait the evening of the 26th, with some Js and Ks returning to inland waters the next day. J pod, K pod and L87 have spent the past couple going north, going south, and shuffling the west side of San Juan and Lopez Islands. J2 Granny continues to leave us humans in awe with her grace and strength (see photos) as she goes about her life guiding the clan in search of Chinook salmon.

A large pod of Bigg's, including the T37As, forayed southward in Admiralty Inlet eventually making their way into north Puget Sound where they spent the day circling east and north around Whidbey Island. The T37As were reported the following day near Lummi.

Several humpbacks reported in various locations, with a mother and calf making their way through beautiful and narrow Active Pass.

It's hard to believe this marks the 45th year of Tokitae/Lolita's capture in Penn Cove on Whidbey Island, but her spirit remains strong and we have not given up on her. Please join us August 8th in Coupeville for free events during the day and a special event in the evening (cost is $25). Flyer with full schedule can be found on our website HERE.
Join our Facebook Penn Cove 45th Anniversary Event.
Reserve your tickets HERE for the evening event now as space is limited!

Orca Network 
Photo of the Day
 July 29 
K20 Spock and her 11 year-old son K38 Comet this morning off the Lime Kiln Lighthouse as the K13 matriline went north.
Photo by Monika Wieland, July 29, 2015  
 
Southern Residents  
July 29
7:35 pm - on the Lime Kiln webcam right now.
7:16 pm - Loud echolocation on the Lime Kiln hydrophone.
Brendon Bissonnette

July 29
6:00 pm - Saw some Orca's breaching well out in the sound while at Jordan Beach, Vancouver Island around 6pm tonight!
Cass Hepburn

July 29
5:18 pm -  hear a few faint J calls and a lot of echolocation.
Alisa LB, ON

July 29
4:40 pm - Orcas on Lime Kiln Hydrophone!
Connie Bickerton

July 29
4:05 pm - Just heard spread Lime Kiln to South Beach northbound.
1:53 pm - Residents are spread from Iceberg to Pile Point now- could have been down there earlier? (regarding 8:45 am lone orca off Lopez) Sounds like the K13s did continue north but others are off San Juan
Monika Wieland

July 29
J17 Princess Angeline left (and possibly J44).
Noon-3:00pm - J and K pods off the south end of Lopez Island. Stayed with
these resident orcas as they swam towards Salmon Bank.
Photo by Sarah Cameron, July 29, 2015
(ID confirmation by Melisa Pinnow, naturalist and Center for Whale Research volunteer)

July 29
K22
Photo by Sarah Cameron, July 29, 2015
(ID confirmation by Melisa Pinnow, naturalist and Center for Whale Research volunteer)

July 29
Noon to 12:30 - approximately a dozen dispersed orcas headed east-to-west past Flint Beach, south Lopez Island. A few breeches and tail slaps, but mainly just traveling.
Tom Reeve

July 29
9:50 am - Echolocation on OrcaSound
Connie Bickerton

July 29
9:15 am - K13s passed LK northbound
Monika Wieland

July 29
8:45am - one lone male spotted heading west-to-east off Flint Beach at the south end of Lopez Island.
Tom Reeve

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

July 28
10:15 pm -Whales on Lime Kiln hydrophone.
Barbara Bender

July 28
Some orcas were here all day, back and forth. I didn't count numbers as I was doing yardwork etc., but every time I looked out some whales were in view. I just saw a couple breaches at 8:38 PM. What a beautiful day!
Jenny Stands Wilson

July 28
7:06 pm - 3 orca (2 female, 1 male)  traveling slowly along the shore south of Lime Kiln off of Edwards Point!
Emma Foose

July 28
Se-Yi-Chn (J45) spyhopping with T'ilem I'nges (J49) and Kelp (K42)
Tonight's trip with members of J and K pod near Hein Bank. It was so beautiful out there even as the swell picked up a bit.
Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, July 28, 2015
(All photos taken with a 400mm lens and cropped)

July 28
J51 popped up right in frame. I would not have gotten this shot if he hadn't seemed to know exactly where to be. One of those lucky, lucky shots.
Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, July 28, 2015
(All photos taken with a 400mm lens and cropped)

July 28
Our evening trip was very peaceful. We spent the majority of it shut down, drifting, and listening to the orcas. We were watching a small bunch of the J17 matriline. I kept joking, saying, "Come on Notch (the five year old orca here), come say hi to me, it's my birthday after all". And he would do another long dive, foraging and pop up somewhere nowhere near where I expected...This went on for about an hour until finally, he did just what I was hoping he'd do. He went out of his way to come up to us and make the connection. He came up on the stern of the boat while we were shut down (where I watched from the roof), and swarm around, rolling on his side to look up at me. I've never had this connection from J47 Notch before. (see photo)
Heather MacIntyre

July 28
Underwater shot of little five year old, J47 Notch.
Photo by Heather MacIntyre, July 28, 2015

July 28
J35 breaching tonight.
Photo by Heather MacIntyre, July 28, 2015

July 28
6:20 pm - People are reporting some clicks and calls on the LK hyrdo too - my neighbor said some got just up to the lighthouse and flipped.
Monika Wieland

July 28
6:15 pm - Whales all headed towards Port Townsend in big groups - J14s J16 K13s K14s J19s.
Barbara Bender

July 28
Wonderful day with members of J and K pods.
Feeding and Socializing through out the day in Haro and into the evening over at Hein Bank.
Photo by Sara McCullagh, July 29, 2015

July 28
Great evening spent on Hein Bank with Js and Ks (L87 too!)  L87 surfacing with Mt. Baker in the background.
Photo by Sara McCullagh, July 28, 2015

July 28
K26 Lobo kelping this evening! I love seeing these big guys playing with the bull kelp.
Photo by Sara McCullagh, July 28, 2015

July 28
Watched orcas pass Land Bank heading south about 1:30 now watching them off Hannah Heights where they seem to be milling and foraging at 2:15 pm. Watched WDFW stop a large yacht that got too close - Soundwatch and the Center for Whale Research are out today too.
Susan B, ON

July 28
12:52 pm - I'm seeing them again on the web cam very close to shore - lucky onlookers!
Shelby Hight Fifield

July 28
Tuesday July 28th trip report - we headed out of town with reports of Southern Resident killer whales heading south along the west side of San Juan Island, and were fortunate to find many members of both J and K pods hugging the shoreline, hopefully finding lots of salmon to eat. We recognized K-25 Scoter and other members of the K13s, and then found J-27 Blackberry slightly offshore - he gave us some wonderful views as he foraged (and caught) salmon. Homeward bound we found harbor seals hauled out (some with new pups), and harbor porpoise. A beautiful day again - what an amazing summer we're having!!
Jill Hein, volunteer naturalist

July 28
K-25 Scoter and K20 Spock.
These whales were at least 1/4 mile from the boat!
Photo by Jill Hein, July 28, 2015 

July 28
10:00 am - We met up with Js and most of Ks (didn't see the K16s or K21) near False Bay on the am trip. Everyone kind of moseyed in from the north and south and all grouped up right before we left. I think I got at least 17 dorsals in one shot which is a new record for me.
Sara Hysong-Shimazu

July 28
The old girl's still got it - a big breach by J2 Granny this morning off Henry Island.
10:00 am - we left Js and Ks northbound Kellet Bluff.
Photo by Monika Wieland, July 28, 2015

July 28
9:25 am - echo on OS and LK too
9:00 am - Loud SRKW calls in very quiet seas on Lime Kiln Hydrophone. Ks and Js.
Alisa, ON

July 28
9:14 am - Amazing vocals!
8:41 am - Whales on LK
Barbara Bender

July 28
8:42 am - Hearing calls on hydrophone and seeing them on the webcam.
Shelby Hight Fifield

July 28
7:00 am -  about 30 whales came slowly around Eagle Point.  Most very spread out and quietly swimming and kelping.  Close to shore.  Group of about 10 still here at 8:30. Some others are just going around Pile Point.  I can hear blows of a few more coming on the other side of Eagle Point.
Jenny Stands Wilson

**********************
July 27
7:50 pm - Orcas milling off Eagle Cove San Juan Island, others somewhere spread out in Haro Strait.
Susan, ON

July 27
3:29 pm - Residents inbound from Race Rocks
Monika Wieland

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

July 26
 J, K, and almost all of L pod exited the area through the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Wow! It's been crazy, but super amazing!!
Melisa Pinnow

July 26
K38 just coming up in the front, K20, K27 just going down and J19, offshore of Lopez Island. That lighting was pretty intense and the whales were so incredible. Tons of socializing on the surface, big mixed groups....worth the three and half hour trip just to get there!
Photo by Gary Sutton, July 26, 2015

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


July 25
6:00-7:00 pm - Lots of happy whales. 6:00pm traveling, fishing, breaching, goofing around.  Moving from False Bay to Eagle Point.  Can count about 15 but rougher water makes it hard to see them all.  Group of about 8 were in close to shore and continued past Eagle Point - at least two large males along with little ones and females.   About 6-10 orcas are out further and are still hanging around at 7:00 PM.  
Jenny Stands Wilson

July 25
5:59 pm - Calls can be heard on the Lime Kiln hydrophone. Most are faint intermittent vocalizations.
Brendon Bissonnette

July 25
5:10 pm - Hello! My daughters and I visited Lime Kiln and a large group orcas passed by. They were moving quickly and were spread out. It was our first experience seeing orcas and it was incredible. We were able to get only one decent picture and was hoping you could confirm the identity. We downloaded the ID survey and believe this is L-82. (confirmed)
Christina Massimino

July 25
Kasatka L82 southbound in Haro Strait passing Lime Kiln State Park.
Photo by Christina Massimino, July 25, 2015
(ID confirmation by Melisa Pinnow, naturalist and Center for Whale Research volunteer)

July 25
On the 25th, J, K, and L pod (minus the L12s and L54s) came back down from the North. Out on the Odyssey of San Juan Excursions, we caught up with the orcas as they headed towards San Juan Island from Stuart Island. They were all very spread out. We saw the K13s first and Skagit K13 caught a salmon right off our bow! She could have called to her adult son, Scoter K25, who was nearby because he then rushed over to her and they both dove. I am inclined to think that they shared the salmon underwater. I think Comet K38 (Skagit K13's grandson) also caught a salmon a few minutes later. He then played with some kelp afterwords. Next, we saw the J19s and the K14s (and may more orcas in the distance) who were inshore of us, and then the K16s, including Cappuccino K21, passed by. We saw the K12s, L4s and L47s last.
Melisa Pinnow

July 25
Skagit K13 with a salmon in her mouth!
Photo by Melisa Pinnow, July 25, 2015

July 25
Cappuccino K21
Photo by Melisa Pinnow, July 25 2015
(Melisa's blog with full encounter reports HERE)

July 25
Another epic day on the water! We've had wonderful encounters with members of J, K, and L pods the past few days. They have been spending much of their time swimming together in massive social groups and today was no different. We had huge groups of whales swimming tightly together in the Strait Georgia spending much of their time socializing. As they neared East Point on Saturna Island, the whales spread out all the way across the strait in such a way that we couldn't have gone back to the dock if we wanted to. They were everywhere in a proverbial whale soup breaching, spyhopping, and cartwheeling in every direction we looked! What a happy problem to have!
Katie Jones

July 25
Js and Ks
Photo by Katie Jones, July 25, 2015

July 25
Members of J Pod headed southwest from the Fraser River Saturday morning. J2 Granny is center front with little J51's eye patch visible just ahead of her dorsal.
Photo by James Gresham, July 25, 2015

July 25
It was wonderful watching members of all 3 pods heading southwest from the Fraser River Saturday morning. They were in large groups and heavily involved in social behaviors, spyhopping and breaching.
Photo by James Gresham, July 25, 2015

July 25
Double Spyhop, Georgia Strait.
Photo by James Gresham, July 25, 2015

July 25
J2 Granny cartwheeling during a visit with a superpod in Georgia Strait.
Photo by Bart Rulon, July 25, 2015

July 25
Double spyhop, from the Island Explorer 3.
Photo by Bart Rulon, July 25, 2015

July 25
Two orcas: one spyhopping and one tail lobbing.
Photo by Bart Rulon, July 25, 2015

***********************
July 23
Js and Ks northbound Haro Strait near north end of San Juan Island.
Photo by Susan Berta, July 23, 2015

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

July 21
8:00 am - 4 orcas, including large male and possibly calf, north of Bush Point, Whidbey heading north in Admiralty Inlet.  (Residents including J2 & L87-see July 25 Sightings Report)
Mike Waitt
Bigg's/Transient orcas   
July 29 
2:00 pm - Six Orcas seen at Doe Bay heading northeast. Probably transients! (As of publishing of this report we've had no IDs for these July 29 sightings, these could be SRKWs-ALB)
Missy Miller Townsend

July 29 
10:00 am - 3 Orcas close to shore traveling north. At one point they were only about 100 meters off of shore; 48.4397; -122.6782. (Fidalgo Island just north of Deception Pass-HG)
Cheryl Buchanan

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

July 27 
This evening near Lummi Island, T37A with two of her kiddos:
T37A2 (behind her) and T37A3 (in front of her).
Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, July 27, 2015

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

July 26
4:32 pm - T037As at the northwest tip of Hat island. Slowly headed north with milling behavior interspersed.
Anna Lieding

July 26
3:46 pm - Just found them, they're north of Clinton ferry.  I saw about 4 fins In between me on Whidbey and Hat island headed north...and they're gone, long down times, pure luck I came into view at that moment.
Rachel Haight

July 26
1:31pm -  pod east side of Scatchet Head northerly paralleling Driftwood Drive.
Stu Davidson

July 26
1:04 pm - we followed them south. They ran through that gauntlet of fishing boats, seemed to make it just fine. They're splitting up now though off Possession Point.
Renee Beitzel

July 26
Bigg's, including T037As, travel in tight family group in Puget Sound.
Photo by Janine Harles, July 26, 2015

July 26
T037A3 and T037A
Photo by Janine Harles, July 26, 2015
(ID by Josh McInnes)

July 26
T037A3 and T037A
Photo by Janine Harles, July 26, 2015
(ID by Josh McInnes)

July 26
12:35 pm - They appear to have split in two groups earlier...the southbound group turned around and started northbound as the other group was coming around southbound. Meetup is northwest of my location at Stamm. They are east side of mid channel, south of Scatchet Head and appear to be heading northeasterly.
12:10 pm -  from Stamm Overlook Park in Edmonds I have eyes on pod, they are mid channel moving steady southbound just getting past the bulk of recreational fishing boats, few miles south of Scatchet Head/Cultus Bay. They are navigating through over a hundred (counted) fishing vessels.
Alisa, ON

July 26
Noon - No idea of numbers but from PNP looks like they are moving south getting close to Edmonds. Too Far East for any details.
Dianne Dee Iverson

July 26
11:15am - Near yellow channel marker south of Point No Point, we are at Maxwelton park (Whidbey). Pod is going south.
Marilyn Armbruster

July 26
10:33am Just confirmed Ts. There's a calf. Several females and one or two males. Really spread out. Close to shore and in traffic lanes.
Renee Beitzel

July 26
7:15 am - My mom saw orcas off of port Townsend ferry this morning.
Kelli Christine

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

July 25
1:05 pm - 2 groups of Ts on each side of Sidney, slowly moving north.
Barbara Bender

July 25
 Bigg's Killer Whales, the T030s, in Haro Strait.
Photo by Jill Hein , July 25, 2015

Humpback whales    
July 30 
9:05 am - Good morning! Two humpbacks spotted heading west past Point Wilson this a.m.
Chrissy McLean, Port Townsend Marine Science Center

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

July 26 
A rare-to-us sighting of humpbacks in Active Pass today, leisurely heading east in the late afternoon. From the shore of Galiano Island.
Photo by Karoline Cullen, July 26, 2015

July 26
Photo by Karoline Cullen, July 26, 2015

July 26
Two encounters today with BCY0160 "Heather" the Humpback whale and her calf! In Active pass between Galiano and Mayne island, BC.
Photo by Traci Walter, July 26, 2015
(Image was taken from a respectful whale watch distance with a 600mm lens and cropped)

July 26
Baby Humpback fluke! (Heather's calf - BCY0160)
Photo by Traci Walter, July 26, 2015
(Image was taken from a respectful whale watch distance with a 600mm lens and cropped)

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

July 25
No ID known yet. We found this humpback in Juan de Fuca Strait feeding. 12 whales in total over a 20km radius. Dives lasted from 2-5 mins on average. Shot from  at 200Ft (60m) height.
Photo by Josh McInnes/Camosun College, July 25, 2015

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.