When are the whales near the San Juan Islands?

The Southern Resident Killer Whales are here in the San Juan Islands mid April to about first part of October. They tend to favor the waters right off the west side of San Juan Island. This is due to the runs of salmon that swim there. There is a ledge or overhang on the west side of San Juan Island. Fish naturally swim along these ledges, providing an excellent foraging area for the whales. During the remainder of the year it is uncertain where K and L pods go. Out to open ocean is the general thought. J pod can occasionally be seen off Seattle, Whidbey Island and very occasionally San Juan Island.

We still have large knowledge gaps to contend with in our understanding of the complex lives of the different types of orca that reside in the waters off the San Juan Islands in the Salish Sea.

Orca babies

Orcas give birth about every 2 – 5 years after reaching sexual maturity. The gestation period is 16 – 17 months. Babies are generally 7 – 8 feet long and weight about 300 – 400 pounds. When giving birth, other female orcas surround the birthing mother and assist in the birth. Once the baby is born, they push it toward the mother’s teat, where the white markings become imbedded in the baby’s mind - imprinting it to that most important spot. The mother’s milk is the consistency of condensed sweetened canned milk – extremely thick. Babies nurse for at least one year.