NOTES FROM THE FIELD NOTES FROM THE FIELD 2004 & 2006
19 June 2006
This is the latest from the IWC, International Whaling Commission meeting in St Kitts.
Update on IWC Meetings by Paul Spong, Orcalab
IWC St. Kitts Day Three
Back to the Dark Ages
Something akin to pandemonium broke out at the St. Kitts meeting of the International Whaling Commission today, with pro-whaling delegates cheering and applauding even before Japan’s first victory was announced. The late afternoon vote was on the “St. Kitts Declaration”, a document from the host nation originally described to Commissioners as a consensus- building device. It was first produced yesterday (after a long delay) with another slightly revised version coming out this morning. The Declaration is very clearly a proposal to take the IWC back to its 1946 beginnings, i.e. to solely concentrate its efforts on commercial whaling. Though the document was voted on as if it was a Resolution, it was not. Rather, it was a statement of opinion by 30 nations, 26 of which Japan has brought into the IWC under its votes-for-aid scheme. Be that as it may, the 33-32-1 result was truly a breakthrough for Japan’s delegation, which had been defeated on every previous vote in the meeting. One can only imagine their relief, perhaps especially because two members of Japan’s Diet had come to St. Kitts with the delegation.
Denmark cast the crucial stone, voting with Japan to the consternation of other European nations. China, normally a staunch Japanese ally, abstained; and Senegal, in the room at last, predictably voted with Japan.
Brazil protested the result of the vote, maintaining that Iceland is not a legitimate member of the IWC, having acceded to the Convention with an illegal reservation to the Moratorium. New Zealand agreed, disassociating itself from the vote. Numerous other countries followed suit or recorded protests, but the damage to the pro-whale side was done. The St. Kitts Declaration has no weight in law, but Japan for the first time in decades can claim a moral victory. (“Moral” may not be the best word to use here).
Previously in today’s meeting, Japan and its allies had caused Brazil, Argentina and South Africa to withdraw their proposal to establish a South Atlantic Sanctuary. But following that, Japan suffered yet another defeat. This was over its attempt to remove the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary. The Antarctic Sanctuary is one of the crown jewels of the pro-whale camp. It is also a thorn in Japan’s side in that most of Japan’s commerce-disguised-as-science whale killing occurs within it. Removing the Antarctic Sanctuary requires a 3&Mac218;4 majority vote, so it was unlikely that Japan would succeed. As things turned out, Japan fell significantly short of even a simple majority, losing 28-33-4. Unhelpful to Japan were abstentions by St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Tuvalu. Cote d’Ivoire was absent from the room. The next vote was on the St. Kitts Declaration, and this time Japan made sure all of its ducks were in line.
The other main agenda item on Day 3 was Japan’s report on its JARPA II “scientific whaling” programme. Japan made two lengthy PowerPoint presentations that extolled the virtues of killing whales for science. Not be outdone, Australia presented a slide show extolling the virtues of non-lethal whale science. Though there was no vote, the debate was lively. It was noted that Japan has over 5,000 tons of whale meat stored in freezers that it can’t sell.
Slipping into the day’s mix was a presentation by France on a new whale sanctuary it has created in its Caribbean territories. The slide show announcement drew applause from numerous delegations and was roundly panned by several former colonies
We will have to wait to see what fallout there may be from today’s events. Turning point or not, having tasted victory once, Japan may well have go at something else tomorrow. Perhaps it will flex its muscles on meddlesome NGOs
The St. Kitts and Nevis Declaration was presented by:
St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda, Benin, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Grenada, Republic of Guinea, Iceland, Japan, Kiribati, Mali, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, Nauru, Nicaragua, Norway, Republic of Pulau, Russian Federation, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Togo, Tuvalu.
Paul Spong, Orcalab
14 June 2006
With the return of K and L pods, the Center for Whale Research reports the sightings of two new calves in K and L pod. The mom's are reported to be L-54 and K-28. However, it will take a few more sightings of the little guys to really determine the moms.
23 May 2006
Here's an article from the Seattle PI (written by Robert McClure) that I thought you would enjoy reading:
Hound has a nose for south end of a northbound whale
22 May 2006
Subject: L POD IS HOME!!!
Today I got the call that L pod has made their first appearance in the islands this season. They are a little early by a few days from my records of their arrivals the past 18 years. They came in from the sea three years in a row on 25 May with most first sightings in early June.
L pod consists of approximately 43 whales. Hopefully when we get out there today we'll see some old friends as well as new babies born over this last winter.
J pod has been very consistent over the last two weeks. It appears as if the salmon runs have strengthened a bit which is probably why the J's have been around the islands and why the L's have come in to take a look as well.
19 April 2006
Subject: J POD IS BACK
Yes, J POD is Back!!!
J Pod made their first showing of the season today. As far as I could tell all of J Pod were present and accounted for but I didn't see all of the whales.
They are right on time, usually showing up around the third week of April. Let's hope there is enough fish for them to keep them here.
6 April 2006
The following article is an excellent article regarding the lifestyle of our orca whales. It is an interesting piece.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/265582_orca05.html
10 March 2006
 Sad news today.I just got the news that Luna, the wayward four year old orca from L-pod living by himself in Nootka Sound was killed today by a tug boat traversing the area. Few details have been released but it appears to be an accident.
The photo at right is an Associated Press picture from 2004 of local native peoples trying to pet the whale.
As most of you know, Luna left the rest of L pod over three years ago and wound up living in Nootka Sound where a huge controversy developed between the Canadian government and the first nations living on the banks of the sound. The first nation people believed Luna was there because he is the reincarnated spirit of their dead chief. The government had intentions of capturing Luna and trying to assimilate him back into L pod, where as a male orca, he is desperately needed to broaden the gene pool of the southern resident orca, J, K and L pod. After some heated moments on the water between the tribe and the government, the government backed off and respected the first nations wishes to have Luna remain there in Nootka Sound.
Luna was a first. He was the first whale of the southern residents documented leaving his maternal pod.He was the first whale that sustained himself without help from his pod at such a young age. He became an icon of the resident orca in the area and became very much loved by all of us.
There were warning signs however. Luna had been seen lately with injuries on his back from high speed propeller blades. He seemed to enjoy riding boat wakes and following boats. He even approached small boats and would spin the boats around but never in a hostile manner, more of a playful nature.
March 6, 2006
Seattle Times Pacific NW Magazine Salmon story
Action Alert from Darcie Larson, Save our Wild Salmon
This Sunday's (March 5) Seattle Times' Pacific Northwest Magazine has an impressive cover story on the Snake River, and our region's heightening debate over restoring a free-flowing river by removing four costly and out-dated dams. This issue is really heating up, as evidenced by the recent cover story in the Seattle Weekly that highlighted the connection between the listing of the Southern Resident Killer Whales as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and the decline of the once-abundant Columbia/Snake River salmon runs due to four obsolete dams. The more public attention we can bring to this all-important connection between the health of the salmon and the health of J, K and L-pods the better! You can help by sending a letter to the Seattle Times that highlights this connection and supports removing the four outdated lower Snake River dams as the way forward for a healthy ecosystem and a healthy economy for the entire state. Email your letter to pacificnw@seattletimes.com, please include a phone number for verification.
You can view the article online (but the paper version is much better):
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw03052006/
February 12, 2006
Wow!! On our trip yesterday we found 25 plus transient orcas off of Sidney Island traveling very quickly north towards Moresby Island (western Haro Strait).
This was a very rare event, only seen once before, almost a year ago to the day. Transients usually travel in numbers much smaller than what we saw. Their pod structure is different from the residents we see around the islands. To see 25 plus all in one group was amazing.
What a sight, we were able to identify a few commonly seen transient pods in the group but the most interesting sighting was the sighting of a transient called captain hook, an old male with a mangled dorsal fin that hasn't been seen since 1997 in this area! He was traveling among this large group off by himself, as males tend to do. There were quite a few very young whales as well.
Interestingly, we didn't see a harbor seal or porpoise within five miles of the transients. It's unusual to travel through that area and not see any. Maybe the word got out that a transient convention was in town.
Along with the transients we saw over 30 Steller sea lions on our way home near Spieden Island. The bald eagles are back and we did see lots of harbor seals close to Orcas Island. Not a bad trip for mid February.
The guests on board experienced a sighting researchers only dream about. That's the beauty of doing these trips. I never know what to expect.
15 November 2005
Good news from National Marine Fisheries; The southern residents will be listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act:
A group of killer whales that visits Washington state's Puget Sound every summer has been listed as an endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries Service) announced today.
Known officially as Southern Resident killer whales, they were proposed a year ago for "threatened" status under the Endangered Species Act.
"Recent information and further analysis leads our agency to conclude that the Southern Resident killer whale population is at risk of extinction, and should be listed as endangered," said Bob Lohn, regional administrator for NOAA Fisheries Service's Northwest region. "By giving it protection under the ESA, we have a better chance of keeping this population alive for future generations."
A species listed as threatened is at risk of becoming endangered; an endangered species is one at risk of extinction.
The Southern Resident killer whale population experienced a 20 percent decline in the 1990s, raising concerns about its future. Many members of the group were captured during the 1970s for commercial display aquariums.
The group continued to be put at risk from vessel traffic, toxic chemicals and limits on availability of food, especially salmon. It has only a small number of sexually mature males. Because the population historically has been small, it is susceptible to catastrophic risks, such as disease or oil spills.
Southern Resident killer whales already are protected, as are all marine mammals, by a 1972 law, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, under which the whales were officially listed as a depleted stock more than two years ago. A proposed conservation plan required by the depleted designation was published last month laying out the steps needed to restore the population to full health.
The new listing under the Endangered Species Act will require federal agencies to make sure their actions are not likely to harm the whales.
NOAA Fisheries Service said its ongoing efforts to restore salmon stocks in Puget Sound should benefit the whales. Other federal agencies' efforts are likely to focus on toxic chemicals and vessel traffic.
The population peaked at 97 animals in the 1990s and then declined to 79 in 2001. It currently stands at 89 whales, including a solitary male that has taken up residence in a small inlet in British Columbia.
Although researchers have collected more than 30 years' worth of information on the Southern Residents, agency biologists said there are major gaps in knowledge, such as where the animals go when they're not in local waters. Because killer whales may live up to 90 years in the wild, existing data doesn't cover even one full life span for older animals. Research by NOAA Fisheries Service scientists to fill these gaps will continue, the agency said.
More details will soon be posted on the Web at www.nwr.noaa.gov.
NOAA Fisheries Service is dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation's living marine resources and their habitats through scientific research, management and enforcement. NOAA Fisheries Service provides effective stewardship of these resources for the benefit of the nation, supporting coastal communities that depend upon them, and helping to provide safe and healthy seafood to consumers and recreational opportunities for the American public.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners and nearly 60 countries to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes.
On the Web:
NOAA Fisheries Service: www.nmfs.noaa.gov
NOAA: www.noaa.gov
14 September 2005
September has proven once again how nice it is here in the islands. We've had wonderful weather, fantastic afternoon lighting, sunsets and great whale and wildlife watching.
Sightings have been consistent, seeing the residents on almost every trip this month. Plus the addition of two humpback whales in the area and good old Freddy, the grey whale on the east side of Lopez. The Stellar sea lions have returned to Whale Rocks and the summer marine birds are being displaced with migrating and winter resident birds. It's hard to see the summer birds in their winter plumage but it's that time of year.
No real news with J, K or L pod. They seem to be doing their normal early fall routine that I've observed over the years. Lot's of foraging on the southwest side of San Juan Island and some socializing within the pods. L pod has been gone for a few days but returned yesterday so at this point all three pods are here. I suspect we'll see orca whales until the last week in September, maybe into October if the salmon runs are strong, which I am pessimistic about.
Yesterday we caught up with J and K pod out by Hein Bank. They were acting goofy, playing around rolling around eachother and breaching in no particular hurry. It was almost like they were anticipating something. Sure enough, out from the west came L pod. There was a greeting ceremony (which I missed), and I'm sure lots of unbelievable activity. In a few weeks K and L pod will be heading out for the winter making an occasional appearance around here until they come back for the summer season in May or June.
We are operating only from Deer Harbor Marina now and leaving at 2PM except Sundays when we leave at 12 noon.
20 July 2005
J pod has been here everyday but no sign of the new baby that was born last week. In fact, a whale watch boat has photos of what is probably the new baby being pushed around by it's mother and apparently dead.
Today, as predicted we saw our first brown pelican off South Beach. We can expect more of these as they are typically found off the coast this time of year but since the coastal food supply is down they are coming in here to look for food. Lots of rhino auklets and murres in the area as well, most like here from the Vancouver Island nesting sights that have failed.
Not the best of news but that's how it is.
Friday, July 15, 2005
NEW BIRTH WITNESSED
The longer I am out with the whales the more fascinated I become. Yesterday off of Bedwell Harbor we were in the perfect spot to witness a live orca birth in the wild.
It was the capping off of a 16 year career around these animals that I doubt I will ever see again. As we approached a group of five or six whales we noticed a circling activity and short dives. Then a little head popped up in the middle of the group. Another boat next to us actually saw the newborn come out of mom fluke first and take it's first breath assisted by another whale.
The newborn was seen a few hours later in the middle of four females swimming fine and keeping up with the rest of the pod going through Active Pass.
Because the newborn was surrounded by more than one female it is hard to determine who the mom is but the speculation is Slick, J-16, a very successful mom with three surviving male calves, better known as Slick and the Boys.
This makes seven newborns in the last six months to the three resident pods bringing their numbers to 91 whales. The current baby boom is unprecenteded in recent history but the little guys are not out to the woods yet. The salmon runs this year are poor so far, and ocean temperatures are higher than normal. A report I read indicated that because we haven't had any offshore winds this spring and summer, the warmer ocean surface waters are trapped along the coastline from the ever present westerlies. This could be why the sockeye salmon run didn't show up, the murre nesting sight on Tatoosh Island failed and K and L pod have been gone for almost three weeks last seen off Westport.
We also have documented J pod killing harbor porpoises and leaving the dead animals in their wake. Nobody knows why this is happening all of a sudden, never having been documented before by J pod.
Like I said, the longer I am with the whales the more fascinated I become.
June 5, 2005
We had J pod just southeast of Point Roberts yesterday, 5 June, traveling south in their family groups at about 3 knots. Then all of the pod grouped up and slowed to a crawl. All of a sudden at least 15 whales breached, multiple times, at the same time for about five minutes! They were breaching and tail slapping but no spyhops. Then they spread out in a line and started moving south at a quicker pace with an occasional breach. Looked to me that they were organizing to begin foraging. This had to be the best I have ever seen in 15 years. It's always really nice to see J-1 (Ruffles) and J-2 (Granny) put on an aerial display.
I heard K pod was a couple of miles behind the J's but couldn't confirm that.
June 2, 2005
So far on just about every trip we have seen good old J pod. They have been doing their spring routine since early May. Last week L pod came in and left within a couple of days. Very typical behavior for L pod. When we had the opportunity to see L pod, we noticed a very small baby, most likely a new born. Other operators tell me there might have been two new borns sighted. Hopefully the next time L pod is here the Center for Whale Research will confirm the recent births. We think one of the Mom's is L-47.
On today's trip we couldn't find J pod but we came across two full grown humpback whales traveling north in Haro Strait. The whales appeared to be slowly cruising up towards Henry Island but as soon as the tide changed they turned and went south back towards Victoria. As they proceeded south they began a breaching contest that was unbelievable. Watching two 50' whales jump clear of the water with their 15' pectoral fins twisting in the air was amazing. They became very lively and animated, laying horizontally on the surface lifting their pectoral fins straight up in the air and slapping the water with a loud crash. This behavior continued for about fifteen minutes until they began to head south slowly traveling right next to each other in company with eachother. It was flat calm and very quiet with the only sounds being that of the humpbacks as they came up to the surface to breathe or splash around.
Our trip times will now be 2:00 PM from Deer Harbor Marina. Beginning 15 June we will operate daily out of Rosario Resort at 2:00 PM as well. Morning trips at 9:30 AM will also be available.
May 21, 2005
Today I got word that L pod is on their way in from the ocean, moving quickly headed towards the islands.
They are right on time, always making their appearance around the end of May. I'm looking forward to seeing them again and doing a count and looking for any new borns. Kind of a fitting weekend to show up, during the Orcafest.
For the past three weeks J pod has been seen on our trips daily. Their routine has been to travel around San Juan County every 24 hours. Now with L pod here that will most likely change as long as L pod stays in the area.
Hopefully I can also report K pod in the area in the very near future. They might even be mingled in with L pod now.
February 24, 2005
 Fantastic weather has given us the opportunity to be on the water early this year. We have had numerous sightings of Steller sea lions, Dall's porpoises and bald eagles. The winter sea birds are still here and I've been seeing pigeon guillemots already in their summer plumage. Also gray whales are coming north out on the Washington coast (about three weeks early).
Yesterday we went out on a late afternoon trip and found 12 transient orca whales in Haro Strait. I just received a report that L pod has been sighted off San Francisco/Monterey Bay. J and K pod have not been sighted in a few weeks. In the Hood Canal there have been eight to ten transient orca whales for almost a month feeding primarily on harbor seals. Go to www.orcanetwork.org for the latest sightIng reports.
Today I said goodbye to one of my boats, the CETACEA. I've had that boat here at Deer Harbor since 1990, my kids grew up on the boat and I have taken thousands of people out to see the whales and wildlife on her. I will miss being out on the flybridge in the open air. She is on her way to Westport, Washington to be part of the charter fishing/whale watch fleet there. I escorted her out of the islands into the Striat of Juan De Fuca with my new boat PELAGIC this morning under a bright blue sky and very calm seas. The end of an era for me.
Enjoy this early Spring.
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