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Whale Sighting Report  
In This Issue
Photo of the Day
Southern Residents
Bigg's/Transient orcas
Humpback whales
Gray whales
Pacific White-sided dolphins
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Puget Sound Whales for Sale: The Fight to End Orca Hunting, by
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The Lost Whale, by
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Suzanne Chisolm
  An intensely personal story...but this person is a young orca.  

Lost Whale book...ver scaled

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Orcas in Our Midst,

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August 15, 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.
I was just about to hit publish on this report when SRKW vocals start streaming in over the hydrophone as pass southbound by Lime Kiln Lighthouse. Encounters with Js, Ks, and Ls the past several days have reports coming from many areas through out their usual and not so usual routes in the Salish Sea basin: out west in Juan de Fuca Strait near Sooke and Race Rocks; in Haro Strait on the west side of San Juan Island; in Rosario Strait and around the inner San Juan Islands; and up north through Active Pass.  Two unique and interesting stories with the SRKWs:  after taking refuge during yesterday's thunder and lightening storm, two lucky folks were paid a close visit by a pod who circled their sailboat;  and another story of an amazing encounter between K13 and a dog named Sailor on the 9th.

Another matriline of Bigg's/Transients orcas came into Puget Sound and spent several days around Whidbey Island. The T46's showed up the evening of the 11th (1-2 days after the T65As left) and stayed primarily around Whidbey, last seen heading west around Possession Point in the late afternoon of the 13th. T49A2 (who showed up with the T65As last week) stayed over and was reported several times alone, very close to shore off the east side of Whidbey in Saratoga. He may have left with the T46's on the 13th, as we've had no reports of him or any since.
The Whidbey News Times celebrates a string of orca sightings around the island with intrepid orca watcher Rachel Haight.

Encounters with Split Fin the humpback and more sightings of a lone Pacific White-sided dolphin in Puget Sound

Orca Network 
Photo of the Day
 August 14 
~A stormy day with Southern Residents~
 J2 Granny, L87 Onyx, J14 Samish, and then some. The male surfacing in back is K26 Lobo. Off Burrows Island/Fidalgo Head.
Photo by Bonnie Gretz, August 14, 2015
(IDs by Sara Hysong-Shimazu) 
Southern Residents     
August 15 
9:40am -  Nice loud calls now, mostly S36s, likely Ks but not definitive. See them porpoising south on webcam.
Monika Wieland

August 15  
9:38am - start hearing faint calls, whistles, and echolocation of SRKWs on Lime Kiln hydrophone. Get's loud within minutes.
Ed Brooks

********************* 

August 14 
Was it curiosity or compassion? I believe we witnessed Orca compassion for humans today! My husband and I noticed a sailboat with a tall mast pull into Eagle Cove for safe harbor during unexpected lightening. The two people on board anchored the boat and took their dinghy to shore. The lightening passed and the couple returned to their sailboat. We watched closely, ready to help them if needed. Once they climbed aboard, five adult whales and a baby surfaced right next to the sailboat, first port side, then again starboard and a third time at the front of the sailboat, like "Come on, its okay now, follow us"! The larger majority of the pod was far off shore while this tight group hugged the shoreline and swam north past Eagle Point, the sailboat carefully following their lead. Whether curiosity or compassion, it was amazing to witness their exchange so very close to shore!
Lodie Gilbert Budwill

August 14 
EPIC day with Granny and family just off Burrows Island/Fidalgo Head...so no more than 45 min. from leaving the dock! A rainy (yeah rain!), gray day, but really beautiful, and no other boats with us! Every behavior, tail slaps, multiple breaches and spyhops, family groups, close encounters, even a sea snake from one of the young ones!
Bonnie Gretz
 
August 14 
K26 Lobo
Photo by Bonnie Gretz, August 14, 2015
(ID by Sara Hysong-Shimazu) 

August 14 
Photo by Bonnie Gretz, August 14, 2015

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

August 13 
Beautiful sunset photo of Granny J2
Photo by Melisa Pinnow, August 13, 2015
(Melisa's Blog, San Juan Orcas) 

August 13 
Nigel L95
Photo by Melisa Pinnow, August 13, 2015 

August 13 
5:30-6:30 pm - I went whale watching off west side San Juan Island. We saw J34-Double Stuff, J22-Oreo, K33-Tika, K22-Sekiu and K43-Saturna ...I believe the tall slap is Double Stuff.
Photo by Cathy Miller Scott, August 13, 2015 

August 13 
6:20 pm - Off shore from just south of Eagle Cove. I've only seen J34 so far but he's foraging and pushing offshore. It was a very nice surprise to find some residents off the west side this evening. I thought they had all gone north.
Sara Hysong-Shimazu

August 13 
We found Tika (K33) and a few others foraging near Eagle Point.
Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, August 13, 2015 

August 13 
Tika (K33) goes one way while three rhinoceros auklets fly the other way. Taken tonight off of Eagle Point, San Juan Island.
Photo by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, August 13, 2015 

August 13 
Perfect/peaceful night as we watched members of J, K, and L Pod head north and through Active Pass, BC. Since the orcas were resting (a behavior where they slow, group up, surface often, and alternate different 'sleeping' hemispheres in their brain), we extended our trip an hour so that we would be able to catch them going through the narrow pass...
Heather MacIntyre

August 13 
K14 (mostly submerged) with K42 and K26 (her male offspring); J14 and her daughter J37 who was traveling with her son J49; and J41 with her son, J51 bringing up the back.
Photo by Heather MacIntyre, Augst 13, 2015 

August 13 
L55's (L82 and her son, L116 in front) traveling with L95 who was bringing up the rear.
Photo by Heather MacIntyre, Augst 13, 2015 

August 13 
2:20 pm - It was Js, Ks, and Ls that went north! Group B and others are still south.
Monika Wieland

August 13 
2:14 pm - Just spotted them headed north by LK!
Ann Ventic

August 13 
2:05 pm - hearing whistles
1:30 visual on webcam then light calls
1:07 pm - Loud Calls on Lime Kiln now.
Melissa Bird

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

August 12 
7:07 pm - J group A came up island and went back south.
Monika Wieland

August 12 
My favorite whale in my favorite place - J41 Eclipse breaching off Lime Kiln tonight.
Photo by Monika Wieland, August 12, 2015 

August 12 
J2 Granny this evening passing Lime Kiln Lighthouse.
Photo by Monika Wieland, August 12, 2015  

August 12 
6:28 pm - not talking, singing! And they still are. so beautiful!
5:39 pm - They are talking loud on Lime Kiln right now!
Jean Karlsson

August 12 
We had a fantastic visit with the J16 sub pod late afternoon near Eagle Point. (San Juan Island)  J52 spent most of his time entertaining himself with lots of rolling around, lunging, and multiple spyhops!  During several of his spyhops he would have various seaweeds in his mouth.  J36, and J42 were nearby, but he seemed to be most playful when he was by himself. 
Bart Rulon, naturalist aboard Island Explorer 3

August 12 
J52 with his mouth open during one of those spyhops.
Photo by Bart Rulon, August 12, 2015   

August 12 
Today was hard to describe. We ventured out to the Race Rocks area near Victoria, BC where we encountered J's and some K's. The lighting was so incredible with flat shimmery water with layers of the Olympic mountains in the backdrop. The whales were mostly slow, but incredibly social.

August 12 
One image from today, the J16's with J50 in the front.
Photo by Traci Walter, August 12, 2015
(taken with a 600m lens and cropped) 

August 12 
Spent a good amount of time observing J51. Looking healthy and full of energy today. Spyhops and breaches. We encountered them off East Sooke Park heading East at 8 km/hr. Two resting periods were observed.
Photo by Josh McInnes, August 12, 2015 

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

August 11 
We spent the evening watching the sunset on the west side south of Lime Kiln. With perfect timing in the fading light, a pod of ~15-20 passed over the course of nearly an hour. This was the most magical sunset of my life. (And when I talk about babies on the video it's because I adore orcas and get more excited about them than puppies, not because all the orcas were juveniles. We did see two very young ones alongside others, though. Watch Video HERE
Kathleen Love

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

August 10 
Onboard Natsilane Monday afternoon, many L pod and K pod family groups were swimming down Rosario Strait. The 7' flooding tide was ending, then a 1' ebbing tide made for calm easy waters. I was able to identify the large L55 family, L92 & L90, L95 & L105 & frisky? L72. (The Whale Museum will tell you their names) The orca were very surface active, vocalizing and chatting! We witnessed all behaviors- powerful breathing, fishing, lunging, spyhopping, breaching, tail-fluke lobbing, pectoral fin lobbing, playing, resting, and whale 'flashes' suggesting mating! These whales made an uncommon choice to follow the ferry route west between the islands, taking their time, holding the attention of awed folks from San Francisco, Mexico, and on the ferrys! A memorable day, the many orca families traveling together, hoping they were getting enough salmon, knowing these whales need our help in restoring salmon abundance for their very survival.
Caroline Armon OnBoard Tours Whales

August 10 
Members of K and L pods 
made an uncommon choice to follow the ferry route west between the islands.
Photo by Caroline Armon, August 10, 2015 

August 10 
Photo by Caroline Armon, August 10, 2015  

August 10 
Photo by Caroline Armon, August 10, 2015  

August 10 
What an amazing day, we headed out and find whales less than a half hour from port! LOTS of whales! We were so very fortunate to find many members of all three of our Southern Resident community, J-pod, K-pod and L-pod, right beside Cypress Island in Rosario Strait, with dead-calm conditions. Wow, whales everywhere. Some breaching, spyhopping, tail slaps, foraging with many great looks at these whales "in action". We took a break to find some harbor seals, then the whales caught up to us. We left them heading south between Cypress and Blakely Island. What an exceptional treat for our passengers
Jill Hein, volunteer naturalist

August 10 
2 of the boys
Photo by Jill Hein, August 10, 2015 

August 10 
One of the J-pod babies
Photo by Jill Hein, August 10, 2015  
 
*********************

August 9 
 
Members of J, K, & L pods passed by Lime Kiln for nearly 2 hours on the morning of August 9th, 2015. This is just a short clip from my video camera which was left filming on the rocks as they went past. Make sure to hold out until 2:10 minutes in. It will be worth it.
Video by Sara Hysong-Shimazu, August 9, 2015 

August 9 
A unique encounter between K13 and Sailor the Dog written up by GrindTV:
"Kate and Jaycee Butler on Sunday enjoyed a magical encounter with endangered Southern Resident killer whales, especially an adult female who turned upside down to inspect the boaters, and even flipped water onto them with her fluke. But the real connection appears to have been with the Butlers' dog, a yellow lab named Sailor, who wagged his tail and seemed as intrigued by this strange beast in his midst as the orca seemed by his presence at the bow of the Butlers' 22-foot boat."
 

Bigg's/Transient orcas      
August 13 
4:22 pm - They are in a tight group now heading west around the point (Possession).
Nicole Woltersdorf

August 13 
4:07 pm - Long dive, surfaced more towards Possession Point. Much closer to Whidbey side.
4:00 pm -  They are in serious resting mode. Mid channel a bit spread apart coming up on Possession Point.
3:40 pm - from bluff above Mukilteo Lighthouse Park watched them move down mid channel at steady pace. A couple have veered over heading towards Possession Point. I am going to move further south. 
Alisa, ON

August 13 
3:00 pm - I'm on the ferry Kittitas, we stopped mid crossing because the pod was directly ahead! They did not surface while stopped but I saw them surface astern of westbound Tokitae. Pod southbound mid channel south of Clinton/Mukilteo.
Video by Alisa Lemire Brooks, Orca Network 

August 13 
And we received a call from John Rogstad of WA State Ferries at 3:08 pm, relaying a report of 1 lg. male and several female orcas off Mukilteo southbound.

August 13 
2:30 pm - SW side of Hat Island just before they turned toward the ferry.
Photo by Melanie Proden, August 13, 2015 

August 13 
Last seen at 2:30 at south tip of Hat Island heading toward Everett. 6 or 7 Orcas including 2 little ones.
Megan Lewis Boxman

August 13 
1:58 pm - pod still just north of but closer to Clinton but traveling southeasterly paralleling Hat Island.
1:25 - finally spotted them between Sandy Point and Hat Island. I'm viewing from Clinton Beach north side of ferry dock, they appear to still be traveling south easterly. In two groups latter includes two large males.  Alisa, ON

August 13 
12:35- as I head homeward. pod last seen east of Sandy point heading southeasterly towards Hat Island. Was fun to see this group !!
12:01- about six or seven.. A couple large males! Heading closer to mid passage still a couple miles north east of Langley
11:30am Closer to Whidbey island side heading south slowly.. Still a couple miles north of Langley
Stu Davidson
(Photos of the T46s below taken between northeast of Langley and further south - east of Sandy Point Whidbey Island)

August 13 
Brothers, T46E (L-born 2003) and T46D (R-born 2000)  
Photo by Stu Davidson, August 13, 2015  

August 13 
T46E
Photo by Stu Davidson, August 13, 2015 

August 13 
T122 (b 1982) and T46 (b 1964)
Photo by Stu Davidson, August 13, 2015  

August 13 
Photo by Stu Davidson, August 13, 2015  

August 13  
10:19 am - Large group southbound Saratoga in front of house, between Cama Beach and Camano St park.
Will Murphy

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

August 12 
Chasing transients from shore requires enormous amounts of patience.
Today, I caught up with the T046s. It seemed like they were angled straight for Penn Cove just before 1pm, and it was at that time I lost sight of them. Never did find them again. However, 5.5 hours later of basically nonstop looking, I was able to find T049A2 (the same whale from my close encounter a few days ago) as he entered Penn Cove heading west. After a close pass by shore, I completely lost him AGAIN. I figured I'd ought to check the mussel rafts, and when I arrived, I saw several seals tucked in close to shore who appeared to be watching something. A few minutes later, I heard that telltale blow. I watched this lone whale travel back and forth in between the mussel rafts for 1.5 hours before leaving due to the darkness...
It was also quite the sunset too!
Rachel Haight

August 12 
I figured I'd ought to check the mussel rafts...I watched this lone whale travel back and forth in between the mussel rafts for 1.5 hours before leaving due to the darkness...
Photo by Rachel Haight, August 12, 2015 

August 12 
Photo by Rachel Haight, August 12, 2015  

August 12 
5:47 - Two orca just leaving Penn Cove...dream fulfilled, watching orca standing on my deck! No time to run down to the boat ramp. I just caught a quick look as they were a bit east of the ramp, heading east. It was awesome! The closest I've ever been!!
Bonnie Gretz

August 12 
5:45 pm - This is the orca that was in Penn Cove today. Came up about 10 ft off the beach at Long Point!  Came up close and then headed toward the wharf then circled back around on the oak harbor side heading back south and then we lost it.
Photo by Kari Habeck, August 12, 2015 

August 12 
5:30 PM in Penn Cove. We saw three Transient Orcas.
Steve Hoffmire

August 12 
5:30 am - Solo orca along Whidbey heading north from Race Lagoon.
Sarah Mueller

August 12 
5:18 pm - Single orca right off Snatellum point. (Saratoga Passage, Whidbey Island). Milling, and now heading into Penn Cove.
Erik Anderson

August 12 
4:55 pm - Orca in Saratoga Passage just south of Penn Cove extremely close to the beach on Whidbey Island. Off my parent's deck on Harrington Lagoon Road. Just 1, heading towards Coupeville/Penn Cove now. Not moving quickly, back and forth, looks like he is feeding.
Lauren Johnson

August 12 
1:14 pm - Still here!! Came about 40 yards from shore at one point! Beautiful orca! The lone orca outside of Langley. This was during that wicked awesome thunderstorm we were having. We enjoyed his company! But hope he makes it back to his pod.
Photo by Cara Hefflinger, August 12, 2015 

August 12 
2:41 seeing fins around Penn Cove channel marker.
Krista Paulino

August 12 
12:30 pm- Really loooong down times
11:55 am - 4 or 5 orcas still heading north, about a mile north of Cama Beach on Camano side.
Jill Hein

August 12 
12 noon - got a call from Matt reporting a single orca about 150 yards off the beach around Fox Spit and Bell's Beach, now just north of Fox Spit in Saratoga Passage. This is the same location where one has been seen at least twice in recent days. 


August 12 
11:50 am - Watched them all morning through telescope from Bells Beach... Great way to start the day!
Carole Briggs Lewis

August 12 
12:01 pm - Last sighting around Onomac on Camano side. I've jumped ahead to Madrona beach.
11:37 am - Mid channel moving north/northwest. 5, I think.
10:59 am - I can see fins and blows south of sandy beach, Camano. I think they are slightly north of Monaco beach.
Krista Paulino

August 12 
10:15-11:15 am - Saw one orca swimming near Baby Island, heading toward Langley. Playing, maybe feeding. Stayed near Baby Island for over an hour before slowly making its way toward Langley. I was there from about 10:15 until  11:15 this morning, by the end the whale had moved out of view.
Sheila Weidendorf
Photo

August 12 
9:20 am - T46s were seen by Stephanie Raymond onboard the Victoria Clipper just north of Elger Bay, Camano Island, headed north in Saratoga Passage.

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

August 11 & 12 
Our encounters with the T036A and T075B groups of transient orcas have been off the charts lately! They moved into the Salish Sea together up Haro Strait on the August 11, and stayed for a couple of days. There are two adult females in these groups who are nursing calves...We watched them two nights in a row (Aug 11 and 12) as the orcas hunted the waters around the Cactus Islands and Johns Island. They would go up very close to the rocks and take their fill of harbor seals. Last night I lost count of how many harbor seals they ate! It was inherently sad to see the seals fighting for their lives, but predator/prey dynamics is an important aspect of behavior to document and record. The circle of life must continue! It was great to see the very young calves learning new lessons from their mothers. And, it's been even better to resight the new calf that I had found this spring when it still had fetal folds on it: T036A-3.
Heather MacIntyre

August 11 
Aug 11th encounter traveling north up Haro Strait.
Photo by Heather MacIntyre, Auguts 11, 2015 

August 11 
Transients in Admiralty Inlet this evening were ID'd by Josh McInnes as T046, T046D, T046E, and the T046Cs...Hope they're still around tomorrow!
Renee Beitzell

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

August 9 
Sunday evening (7 p.m - 7:30 p.m.) we watched 4 maybe 5 Orcas feeding and swimming along Marrowstone Island's eastern side. As they headed past East Beach they started moving out toward the shipping channel and we watched as they continued to move toward Whidbey Island. We islanders had a phone chain going and the first call came from folks up near Nodule Point telling us the Orcas were swimming south.
Patti Plevin Ivers 

Humpback whales       
August 13 
6:38 pm - Split Fin is moving up island not right in shore but cartwheels and breaches as he goes. Nearing Eagle right now.
5:48 pm - Split Fin the humpback is at Salmon Bank. Just kind of circling the area. On the outer side right now but pointed at the island.
Sara Hysong-Shimazu

August 13 
I went whale watching and these photos are off west side San Juan Island around 5:30-6:30 p.m...along with humpback BCZ0298 Split Fin.
Photo by Cathy Miller Scott, August 13, 2015 

August 13 
Humpback BCZ0298 Split Fin
Photo by Cathy Miller Scott, August 13, 2015  
Gray whales       
August 12 
6:50 am - Gray whale near Second Beach, Stanley Park, Vancouver BC.
Greg Doughty

Pacific White-sided dolphins      
August 12
We observed this animal this evening off Bainbridge Island. We cant
figure out if it is a dolphin or porpoise. It had some grey markings on the fin. We never saw the underbelly. Today we say a very large seal - larger than we usually see - also off Bainbridge.
Kathleen and Julie, Yeomalt Point, Bainbridge Island
(Notes from Jessie Huggins, Cascadia Research: This is a Pacific white-sided dolphin; it looks very similar to one that Dyanna Lambourn photographed near Steilacoom in late June but from these photos  I am not able to confirm that it is the same individual. It is difficult to compare the still photos to the video taken by the tugboat captain, but given the location I think it is likely to be the same one that he had recently seen.)

August 12
Pacific White-sided dolphin off Bainbridge Island, downtown Seattle in the background.
Photo by Kathleen Paulsen, August 12, 2015

August 12
Pacific White-sided dolphin
Photo by Kathleen Paulsen, August 12, 2015

August 12
Pacific White-sided dolphin
Photo by Kathleen Paulsen, August 12, 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.