Transient Orca Photo from Saturday April 10, 2010

Sent in by our guest William Clift and taken on this past Saturday's tour, here are two photos of the Transient Orca Whales after a kill of a seal.
Note all the sea birds around jostling for their share of the left over tid bits.

This is off the east side of Lopez Island. It was an unusual location. And it was an unusual sight to catch transient orcas in the act of "the kill".

These photos will be entered in the 2010 photo contest.

Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

Transient Orca Whale Today

Our boat Sea Lion spent about 1/2 an hour with 5 transient orca whales today off Lopez Island.
Captain Craig told me they even made a kill while guests were watching. He said the water was clear and calm. Today it is about 50 degrees with a slight wind may be 10 - 15 knots.

Due to demand, we have added a tour Sunday, April 18 at 12:30 PM.
Get your reservations in now. 800 450 6858.

Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

Friday Harbor San Juan Island

San Juan Island today is experiencing beautiful weather - in the 60's after two damp and cool days.

3 gray whales were seen off Langley, Whidbey Island and Transient Orca Whales were seen off Victoria yesterday

Here is a website you will want to take a look at. Classes on all types of wildlife.
Adopt A Stream Foundation
Slugs and Snails (it looks interesting - really!) Native Plants, Raptors, Amphibians, Stream and Wetland Basic Training and more.


Dont Forget Saturday April 3 is opening day for San Juan Safaris. Tour departs at NOON.
The Washington state ferry departs Anacortes at 9:30 AM and arrives one hour later.

Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

Two Trumpeter Swans & Transient Orca Whales

One my way into town today there were two adult Trumpeter Swans in the pond by Trumpter B & B. Lovely to watch.

Transients from February 4th reportedly killed (and ate at least in part) a Minke whale.
More Transients yesterday near Race Rocks.

Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

News on the T-100 transient orca whales

NOAA
Yesterday were successful in deploying satellite tags on T100B & T100C, and will be posting maps of their movements on the Cascadia Research website in the next few days.

These are the transient orca whales we usually associate with Canada.


Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

Transient Orca Super Pod

The "T 100's" have a new baby. Yesterday, Wednesday Feb 3, 2010,
There was aparently a good deal of vocalization going on - unusual for transients.
Late in the day 20 to 25 animals were reported in Oak Bay, Victoria.

Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

Transient Orca Whales December 23

Transient Orca Whales were seen yesterday south of Victoria BC near Race Rocks.
Today We have a sunny, 39 degree day for Christmas Eve. There are a few boats scooting about in Friday Harbor.

Have a Wonder-Filled Holiday!

Colleen and Bill


Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

Whale Watching on April 11, 2009

Transient orca whales have been seen yesterday, the day before yesterday and most likely will be seen again today. Someone snapped a photo of them chasing and eating a dolphin.

In addition to our whale watching tour April 11, 2009 at 1:00, Friday Harbor has lots of fun planned too.
Like:Gourmet bake sale here at the Theatre—and this year, it gets some new ingredients: The Baker Boys and a Peep Hunt for the little ones. 10 AM to 1:00 PM. The 9:30 AM ferry arrive at 10:40 so head right up Spring Street, turn right on 1st st and about 2 blocks you'll be at the theatre.



Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

January 4, 2009 orca report

Someone from Canada report a group of 5 - 8 transient orca coming through Active pass moving south with the tide.

Transient Orca Whales Near San Juan Island

Transient orcas were sighted in Haro Strait on the 31st, and a report of orca calls heard on the Lime Kiln hydrophone Dec. 24th confirm the 2nd hand sighting of orcas reported off west San Juan Island earlier in the week.

Whale sightings Wednesday Oct 15, 2008

2 humpbacks 2.5 miles were observed today doing circles all day.

Also Transient Orcas were observed off Victoria staying withing the same 3 mile square all day.

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Fall has Arrived

Today was a brisk fall day on the island and the crisp air was perfect for seeing transients.

We began the trip with no confirmed sightings and went north in search of rumored Ts. However, we abandoned this search in order to make it to Hein Bank for the Ts who were reported to be hanging out there and moving in our direction. Once on scene, we were quick to realize we had T20 and T21 (T20's dorsal fin is difficult to mistake). T21 was a perfect example of a transient fin and gave our guest a clear demonstration of that triangular fin, which was in contrast to our ID photos of the residents' curved and rounded fins. The animals were swimming apart (about four hundred yards), which is not far for orcas who can communicate to one another over much farther distances. They were diving for about 6-7 minutes between 4-6 respirations. There were Dall's Porpoises in the area and the Ts didn't seem to be in a hungry mood given their lack of interest.

On our way back to Friday Harbor, after circumnavigating San Juan Island, we saw a group of 14 Steller Sea Lions hauled out of the rocks with at least three in the water! They were all sunning themselves majestically on the rocks. It was nice to see such a big group of males together and it seems they are coming back from their summer hiatus to the Aleutian Islands.

Today was another top notch trip and we look forward to hitting the "high seas" again tomorrow at 1pm. We still have a few spots left so reserve your trip ASAP!

Megan Young, Naturalist

All Things in Time

Today was one of those days where we left the harbor with no reports of orcas in our area. We decided to head north up San Juan Channel and look for other wildlife, while keeping a watchful eye on the water for transient orcas.

We saw several Pacific Harbor Seals hauled out and swimming in the water... but no sign of the ever sneaky Ts. However, this didn't last long. While admiring the seals, we got a report of Ts hanging out at Hein Bank. We booked it across the north side of Speiden and then down the Haro Strait to meet up with them.

We encountered the T30s (T30, T30A, T30B, and T30C) moseying along in a tight group. They weren't going anywhere fast, didn't appear to be hunting, and weren't vocalizing at all. Apparently T30A was tagged a few days ago and his family group was returning to our area after spending a few days off the west coast of Vancouver Island. (It's amazing how far these guys can travel in just a few days!) We got some great looks at all the animals, but T30A seemed to be the favorite of the day (perhaps because his tall dorsal is easier to take pictures of).

We ended up circumnavigating San Juan Island and caught a glimpse of three Steller Sea Lions frolicking in the kelp just off Whale Rocks in Cattle Pass. The Stellers are a sure sign that fall is just around the corner...

Megan Young, Naturalist

Tag Talk

Photo: T14 "Pender" taken by Adam U aboard the Sea Lion this June.

We had an interesting encounter today with the T18s, not only because of their behavior, but because we could catch a glimpse of a research vessel in action as well.

We saw the T18s in Rosario just outside of Thatcher Pass. The research vessel Phocoena was on scene and had just put a tag on T19B. From chatter on the radio, it seemed the animal was darted in the middle of his fin and the device will stay on a few days and record his pattern of travel over time. It would be interesting to see what the Ts' travel patterns are. Although in the short term, they seem to be erratic, they may have a "pattern" over time. (Like T14 who seems to circumnavigate Vancouver Island.)

The animals moved from Thatcher Pass up Rosario and then back through Peavine Pass and we left them in Upright Channel. It was difficult to predict their movements today because they were making long dives and swimming in no particular direction. They would dive going one way and surface somewhere completely different! Typical Transients! The data the research vessel collects should make an interesting picture... probably like a two year old's nonsensical scribbling.

Despite their inconvenient dives, we had a spectacular trip and really got to see the typical movement of Transients.

Megan Young, Naturalist

Close Encounters of the Cultural Kind

Photo Below: Male orca taken by Christophe Paulbert from the Sea Lion this summer.

Today was probably one of the best opportunities for our guests to see the difference between Residents and Transients and what happens when they're in close quarters.

We left today out of Friday Harbor heading up San Juan Channel toward members of J, K, and L pods. However, we turned around when word surfaced that some L Pod members were near Fisherman's Bay on Lopez Island. We decided to head to them and encountered the L4s along with who we believe were members of the L21s. The animals were tightly grouped and backlit, which made a positive ID difficult. They appeared to be milling around and socializing until they decided to move up San Juan Channel and possibly toward the northern group we heard about earlier. However, we got word shortly after this behavior change that Transients were in Griffin Bay, just a few miles south of us! Upon further investigation, we found it was the T18s. They also made their way up San Juan Channel in the same direction as the Residents!

We were really able to observe the differences between the two cultures. We saw how they travel differently in different sized groups and in different patterns all together. We could see the physical differences in dorsal fins and saddle patches as well as different hunting techniques. Throughout most of our encounter the Residents and the Transients were roughly 1/4 mile apart!!! However, they were never in physical contact that we could see. In fact, they appeared to mostly ignore each other. We stayed with the Ts for the second half of the trip and ended our encounter with a nice Harbor Seal kill near Yellow Island... again Transients showing us just how different they are.

The weather was great and the whales were spectacular! We still have spots available for tomorrow's trip. Call for a reservation!

Megan Young, Naturalist

T Party

This summer has been amazing for transient orca encounters. We've gone over two weeks seeing orcas EVERY day... that's pretty incredible for this time of the year.

Today we met up with the T18s as they headed east in Boundary Pass near Saturna Island in Canada. There are four animals in this family group: T18, T19, and T19's two offspring T19B and T19C. T19B is a big boy for his age, thirteen, and we got some really great looks at him as he and his family made close passes to the shoreline. Most of their behavior appeared to be simply traveling because there were multiple seals in the area and they even buzzed past Boiling Reef on their was into the Strait of Georgia without any known or obvious kills.

We had a great time paralleling Saturna Island with them and then we stopped to check our Harbor Seals and Bald Eagles before heading back to Friday Harbor in time for the 5:00 Ferry.

***Lately we have been seeing the Transients. There are three commonly identified distinctive groups of orca cultures: Resident, Transient , and Off-shore. The main factors which set each species apart are - social behavior, physical appearance, preferred food, and vocal dialects. We most commonly see Southern Resident Orcas and Transient Orcas in the San Juan Islands, however some Offshore sightings have occured in the past but are incredibly rare.***

Megan Young, Naturalist

A Long Way Gone

We made it! We got to the orcas after 26 nautical miles ONE WAY nearly to Port Angeles, WA. We encountered the T46s and T30A just outside Port Angeles and boy was it an adventure! Not only did we travel far to get to them, but when we arrived on scene we witnessed a kill.

As said in previous blogs, the Transients are a different culture of orcas and eat marine mammals as opposed to fish, like our Residents. We believe the animal they pursued and ate together was a porpoise. Chatter on the radio was that there was a rib cage and lungs floating in the area and the research vessel on site was scooping them up for analysis. It would be interesting to learn the toxin levels in the animal they consumed because the Transients have some of the highest toxin levels exhibited in examined marine mammals. Learning about what affects lower animals on the food chain will give us better insight into how to help our declining orca population.

After the porpoise kill, the Ts took their time playing, spy hopping, and rolling around each other. They definently seemed content with their meal. Again, this was another long trip, but the orcas were well worth it. Today was a true exhibit of the circle of life: the death of a porpoise and a relatively new orca calf in T46B2.

Megan Young, Naturalist

T14 the lone male!

photo by guest Christophe Paubert in August 2008. T14 with Mt. Baker in the background.

Crossed into Canadian waters today, over towards Discovery Island where we had a great encounter with T14, the lone male. T14 is a transient orca, who's travel companion, his mom T13 is no longer alive. He is often seen cruising alone or with other transient pods. Today we had great views...he did shallow surface dives, followed by a longer dive. He would stay down for several minutes and we were never quite sure where he would pop up! As he got in towards the shore, just off the Discovery Island lighthouse T14 was playing in the kelp, going back and forth draping it on his tail. Very nice views!

On our way back in we were fortunate enough to see 3 Stellar Sea Lions hauled out on Whale Rocks. One of them was just enormous!! They really do remind me of bears with their thick necks and rusty colored fur! The Harbor Seals on the opposite side of Whale Rocks were dwarfed in comparison to the Stellars.

Just a beautiful September day on the water. Our guests were thrilled with the outcome of the afternoon!

-Jaclyn Van Bourgondien, naturalist

T Time

Below: T20 and T21 taken by our guest Christophe Paulbert aboard the Sea Lion. Notice the female's triangular, pointy dorsal fin? That's typical for transients. Also take a look at those big solid saddle patches behind the dorsal, another common trait in "Ts."

August and September are usually spotty months for orca sightings, however, this year we've seen orcas nearly EVERY time on the water. If the residents are out of range, we seem to be finding groups of transients in our area.

Today, we had another encounter with the T30s, four orcas which include the mother T30 and her offspring: T30A (a male born in 1986), T30 B (born in 1993), and T30C (born in 2005). The family was cruising around near Dungeness Spit. For those of you not from the area, that's about a forty mile round trip from Friday Harbor aka it's far! We travelled a long way, but it was well worth it to spend some quality time with the T30s. The trusty Sea Lion did us well on this long voyage, her speed really came into play because we were one of the few boats that made it to them.

They were swimming in a tight group and being typical transients, silently traveling in an erratic pattern making long dives paired with multiple respiration's between. We got a really great look at the group as they popped up ahead of us at one point and allowed all our guests them clearly through the fog. They were all happy to have made it to this group and couldn't stop chatting about how wonderful they are.

On our way back in to Friday Harbor, we stopped at Whale Rocks to look at FIVE male Steller Sea Lions swimming through the kelp. These guys look like bears gliding through the water, especially when seen near the Harbour Seals.

All in all the trip was spectacular and the orcas proved worth the journey... as they always are. We still have spots available for tomorrow. Call now to reserve.

Megan Young, Naturalist

Transient kill

Last night we were treated with a great show of transient orcas right between Patos and Sucia islands. About twelve transient orca whales were gathered together hunting right along a tide rip just north of these two islands. This is an area where the water shears either towards Rosario Strait or to Boundary pass as it empties towards the Strait of Juan De Fuca into the Pacific Ocean.

During our observation we noticed the sound of rain however it was not falling from the sky. The sound was actually thousands of bait fish at the surface of the water swishing around loudly. This seemed like the perfect place for other creatures to be feeding on them, and in the presence of the orca as well. A perfect scenario to see a possible kill. As more clouds rolled in I noticed a porpoising female orca swimming away from us at about twenty miles an hour. Soon after, the rest of the group surrounded her and they paraded towards us to show off their hunting skills. We could not really make out what she had captured(my guess is a porpoise) but it did not take long before dinner was over. The group dove and were under the water for about eight minutes before resurfacing with no sign of the kill. It seemed as though dinner was served and they seemed happy. It was a great show and a wonderful learning experience as well. Till next time.

Captain Mike Krammer, naturalist