A chilly day on the water

A chilly day on the water today, but thankfully no snow. These Steller sea lions are a favorite of mine this time of year. We see them on the southern tip of Speiden Island. They are all males, some getting up to 2000 lbs., that have traveled away from their rockeries. They'll be heading back to the rockeries around mid May when the breeding season begins. Very cool to see them hauled out. As they dry out they become a soft golden color.

Transient Orcas

This is T-14, a transient orca taken by Greg Walker on 5 April. T-14 was traveling by himself about five miles from a group of around 10 other transients. One of the resident pods, J-pod, was also in the area to the south of where we spotted T-14. Thanks Greg for sending along the photos.

J POD TODAY

We were lucky enough to be out with J pod today. They were slowly coming up the westside of San Juan Island very spread out foraging. What a treat this early in our season to be with the whales.

I got word that little J-43, born last November to Samish J-14, was not seen today by the Center for Whale Research. That doesn't mean it didn't survive the winter but it's not a good sign. Usually at that young age the newborns are very close to mom. Hopefully the whales will be around the next few days so I can get a better look at all of them. They were so scattered today that we only saw four or five, including Granny J-2. I did hear J-1 Ruffles, the oldest male in J pod was seen today as well.

Aleutian Islands White Orca

This came from the Orca Network's website (www.orcanetwork.org). Very interesting sighting.

A rare White Orca swims with its pod off Alaska's Aleutian Islands
February 23, 2008
Photos from NOAA Fisheries




Scientists aboard the NOAA research vessel Oscar Dyson in the North Pacific have sighted a creature of great rarity and even myth: a white whale.
NOTE: The following news release was provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. High resolution photos of the white whale are available online here: photo 1; Photo 2; Photo 3.

Scientists aboard the NOAA research vessel Oscar Dyson in the North Pacific have sighted a creature of great rarity and even myth: a white whale. The white killer whale was spotted with its pod about two miles off Kanaga Volcano, part of Alaska's Aleutian Islands, on Feb. 23.

At the time, Kodiak-based Oscar Dyson was on a research expedition for NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center, assessing pollock fish stocks near Steller sea lion haulout sites. The white whale is a fish-eating type of killer whale, as were all the killer whales photographed on the expedition. Fish-eating killer whales are the most frequently seen whales around the Aleutian Islands during the summer. The winter sightings represent important evidence that they may be common year-round.
Holly Fearnbach, a research biologist at NOAA's National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle, was able to photograph the whale's white fin and back. "With hundreds of killer whales documented around the Aleutian Islands, this was equivalent to finding a needle in a haystack," she said.

Few white killer whales have ever been seen, according to Fearnbach, much less scientifically documented.

This whale is likely not a true albino because it still has signs of darker pigmented areas on its body. However, because of its prominent coloring, the white whale serves as an indicator for movements of killer whales in the North Pacific.
Other sightings of a white killer whale have been reported previously in the Aleutian Islands as well as in the Bering Sea and off the Russian coast. Scientists are working to confirm whether or not the individual whale sighted Feb. 23 has been reported earlier.

More Photos 1

More Photos 2

More Photos 3


For full article, click here.

L pod sighted in Monterey Bay

Just got this from Orca network. Looks like a nasty weather day there today. For more info, go to www.orcanetwork.org.

Jan. 27
Hello, We sighted and photographed some of the Southern Residents today in Monterey Bay. There were about 40 whales that were first sighted feeding on unknown fish, with birds diving in area (possible mackerel). Then they began to travel and headed south into 25-30 knots wind and last seen off Cypress Pt, Carmel Bay. Pics were confirmed by Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research.


Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research called with some of the ID's on the photos he has seen so far of the Monterey Bay orcas from Jan. 27th : L67, L72, L78, L88 & L105

Photo by Nancy Black - Monterey Bay Whale Watch

Our boats hunkered down for the winter during an early December snow.

NEWBORN IN J POD SIGHTED

Hello Everyone,

I received good news today! Yesterday, J pod was sighted off Whidbey Island with a new calf in tow. The new mom is reported to be Samish, J-14, born in 1974. Samish has three other surviving offspring, Riptide, J-30, born in 1995, Hy'shqa, J-37, a female born in 2001 and Suttles, J-40, a female born in 2004. The new born is classified as J-43.

Samish comes from a very good gene pool. Her grandmother is Granny, J-2, born approximately 1911, and her great uncle, Ruffles, J-1, born approximately 1951. Granny and Ruffles are the oldest female and male in J pod. Samish's mother, J-12, went missing in 1996.

It is not confirmed yet that Samish is the mother, but on the two occasions that J pod has been sighted since the 7th of November, the newborn has been right next to and traveling with Samish. Sounds to me like Samish is a new mom.

Thanks to the Center for Whale Research for information. You can go to their website www.whaleresearch.com to get more news and see a photo of mom and the newborn.

This newborn brings the total population of the southern residents to 88 orca with 26 in J pod.

A ray of sunshine on a rather gloomy day.