Looks like we had a visit form CA166 & CA172 - California Transient / Biggs Killer Whales today around Sooke, B.C. Photo by Paul Pudwell, January 15, 2016

 

...Latest update from Dr. Brad Hanson on the location of K33 and K pod. 12 January update - On the previous update (7 January) K33 (and likely the rest of K pod) had arrived in the northern Strait of Georgia. They headed back south later that day and traveled through the San Juan Islands the night of the 8th. By the evening of the 9th they were at the west entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and spent most of the 10th near Swiftsure Bank before heading south down the Washington coast that evening. They continued south on the 11th and by the morning of the 12th were nearing Cape Disappointment near the mouth of the Columbia River. Map courtesy of Brad Hanson, NOAA-NWFSC NOAA-NWFS 2016 Southern Resident killer whale satellite tagging

 
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K & L pod: ..."1235 3 miles SSW of Sheringham Point after a search zig-zagging westerly out the Strait of Juan de Juca...."
Full encounter report at  Center for Whale Research Encounter #5
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11:59 a.m. -  Ks and Ls (edited) just passed Sooke, B.C. a hour ago heading west.
Paul Pudwell 

T123 and T123A east bound south of Oak Bay on the afternoon of January 14th. Photo by Mark Malleson, CWR, taken under permit #MML-001

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...By 1455, he began an encounter with the T's (Bigg's ecotype killer whales) a mile south southeast of Kelp Reef in gray choppy seas. When Mark first spotted the whales they were travelling north in a group, but they soon commenced long dives (9 minutes) and changed direction each surfacing as if hunting for seals.  That is the situation when Ken began the encounter as Mark left to return to Victoria harbor. Read the full report at Center for Whale Research Encounter #6

Short video in Haro Strait of 8 Transients, the T30s and T124As, although one, T30, didn't make an appearance. It's also a teaching video, on how to make IDs. Video by Ken Balcomb, CWR, January 13, 2016

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T030's and T124A's northbound up Haro on the afternoon of January 13th. I found them around 1400 south of Kelp Reef.    Photo by Mark Malleson

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10:30 a.m. - We were at the beach at Rathtrevor Park, Parksvile BC (20+ miles NW of Nanaimo, in Georgia Strait) and saw a pod of orcas. At least 8 or 10. The leading male looked like a transient, but the females and babies looked resident. We are very interested to know which they are. We understand that J and K pods were seen near Sooke at around the same time, so if residents, were they possibly from L-pod? We were only able to upload one photo below, but we have many more which we'll send via email shortly. When we first saw them far off, one group of them was together splashing around so possibly feeding or playing. Another group headed by the male was traveling. Then the splashing group seems to have joined the traveling group. (T093, T036s and T137s were present- Josh McInnes)
Louise Alvarez

A pod of Bigg's passing Rathtrevor Park, Parksville, BC. Photo by Marco Alvarez, January 9, 2016

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On the afternoon of January 8th I joined Eagle Wing's Serengeti with Dale Mitchell and we came across a group of 10 CA/U's west bound slightly east of Pillar Point.  According to Jared Towers, " I have only seen this particular  group of CA's/U's once before in outside waters several years ago during a Fisheries and Oceans survey off Cape St. James (southern tip of Haida Gwaii).   They have never been photographed in the Salish Sea before."
Mark Malleson

CA137/U103 along with another U (Unknown) west bound in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Photo by Mark Malleson, January 8, 2016

CA's/U's on January 8th west bound out the Juan de Fuca Strait. Photo by Mark Malleson, January 8, 2016

CA's/U's on January 8th west bound out the Juan de Fuca Strait. Photo by Mark Malleson, January 8, 2016 (See ID notes below)

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ID Notes Re: January 8th CA Ts and others. "That group should have included 8 CA transients, from two groups which are have been regularly encountered seasonally off California for over 20 years - mostly in Monterey Bay, but also down in my area (near Los Angeles). They are the CA140s (U105s) - including a juvenile and small calf) - and female CA40 (U104), with males CA137 (U103) and CA163 (U106). Monterey Bay Whale Watch encountered them on 8 December 2015. There are also at least three whales with them that are not part of those CA Ts, that I do not readily recognize: the sprouter with the small nick near the tip of his narrowed dorsal fin (with CA137 in this photo), a (female?) with the narrow dorsal fin that has a tiny nick in the center, and another whale that looks like an adult female (no nicks).... The female in Mallard's image with the large single nick in the center of her dorsal fin is CA140B (U105B). The female with the two large V-shaped notches in the center of her fin (looks like an "M") is CA140 (U105). And the one with the new extensive rakes on the dorsal fin is CA140C (U105C)...I looked at naturalist Cory Mac's photos: the whales that she captured included CA137, CA163 (U106), CA40 (U104), and the CA140s, Emma's (U105's) matriline. "
Very cool sighting!
Alisa Schulman-Janiger
(California Killer Whale Project)

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11:00 a.m. - I saw a couple orcas aboard the Ganges Hawk. This was about 11. One had a large kinked dorsal fin, kinda wavy looking. The other was large as well but more straight. Very tall both. (outside Fulford Harbor, Salt Spring Island, around Russell Island, at the mouth of Fulford Harbor. He said there were two adult males, one with a wavy dorsal fin. They were travelling SW.)
Lindsey Pattinson

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...After seeing a potential blow between Saltspring Island and Prevost Island, Morning Star headed south through Captain Pass. Soon, two male transient killer whales were spotted, heading northwest. These were photographed and identified as T093 and T097....
See full report at Center for Whale Research Encounter # 3  

Last night (December 31st) we sat out by the water in the darkness Roberts Creek BC listening to the Seal Lions on White Islet being very vocal. We started hearing a strange noise coming closer and then we realized it was 3 or 4 whales spouting. They swam by and kept going down towards Gibsons/ Vancouver. We were under the impression that the whales had migrated from this area for the season? Do they usually stick around the southern Georgia Strait in the winter? This is our first winter out here and we were very excited and surprised!
It sounded to me like orcas from what I've experienced before but I can't really say for sure. The breathing was quick and intense and they seemed to be swimming close together. They were always swimming fairly quick it seemed. Unfortunately we couldn't see them at all bit it was still pretty magical.
Brandi Fitzpatrick   

10:05 a.m. - Big humpback blow and high fluke NE of Point No Point.
Howard, Orca Network

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8:40 a.m. - Humpback sighting Alki Pt. Observed one (possibly two) humpback whales - 2016, Constellation Park, just south of Alki Point Lighthouse. 100 meters offshore (very high tide, so very close to bulkhead, among substantial floating driftwood, right about at the low tide line), southbound. Several surfaces and blows, then "deep" dive (fluke, but in very shallow water). No obvious feeding activity, no obvious bait-ball in vicinity but some shore birds floating in general area.
Robert Reeder

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1:25 p.m. - Maia at WA State Ferries relayed a report of a large whale, either a gray whale or a humpback, in the traffic lane between the south end of Bainbridge Island and Elliot Bay.

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2:30 p.m. - Just saw them out in shipping lanes still a mile or so south of Port of Eglon.
Donna Moreland
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12:11 p.m. - Just now about half a mile south of Eglon beach there's 2 Humpbacks. There's a lot of tail and fin slapping going on.
Melissa Peterson

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3:42 p.m. - lots of tall blows and tail flukes high in the air... Humpback south of Eglon as seen from north Edmonds.
Stu Davidson
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11:25 a.m. - three humpbacks a few hundred yards off of Eglon, as viewed from Edmonds.
Sherman Page
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11:00 a.m. - A whole lot of splashing going on out in the water! The Humpback Whales on their apparent daily counter-clockwise rounds off Eglon, Point No Point and South Whidbey Island. Around 11 AM they were still fairly close to the Kitsap side and were moving farther out into the ship channel around noon. The research vessel R/V Thomas G. Thompson in the background, on its way to San Diego. This ship is owned by the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research and is operated by the School of Oceanography at the University of Washington.
Casey Burns

Tail lobbing humpback with research vessel R/V Thomas G. Thompson on the right. Photo by Casey Burns, January 10, 2016

Photo (detail) by Casey Burns, January 10, 2016

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3:55 p.m. - Just saw them (humpbacks) south east of Eglon.
Michelle Rau
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2:47 p.m. - Watching 2 Humpbacks very near Eglon, yet again. The perennial Eglon Humpbacks, milling and cavorting. Photo by Steve Smith, January 9, 2015

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2:31 p.m. - whale blows seen thru the haze/fog Kitsap side south of Eglon. Looks to be a white boat nearby observing at a good distance.
Stu Davidson

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Eglon. We saw them first around 1100 am ish, until we left after 2:30 pm. Good food in area from what we can tell. We were conducting other work on area nearby. Big group of California sea lions as well. Photo by Toby Black, January 8, 2016

Humpback spyhop/breach. Photo by Toby Black, January 8, 2016

Photo by Toby Black, January 8, 2016

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Spent about an hour this morning watching humpbacks (at least 2) off Eglon boat launch.
Amy McElfresh

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12 noon - Saw two humpback off Eglon around noon today. Eglon being just south of Point No Point, maybe halfway to Kingston. Here is an identification photo. Photo by Donna Moreland, January 7, 2016

Photo by Donna Moreland, January 7, 2016

Photo by Donna Moreland, January 7, 2016