T is for Transient

The T-10s ....Transients on the prowl!

 Today's trips are graced by sunshine and warm temperatures!  With no sightings as we start the morning we spend lots of time searching the shorelines and all the rocky habitat where seals and sea lions hang out.  Where you find the food...you just might find the Orca whales!  There are plenty of Harbor seals, and lots of Steller sea lions, many birds indicating bait fish, but no Orca.  We find a Minke whale diving by the shore and get many good looks.

The news for the afternoon is different.  There are three Transient Orcas heading our way, although at the moment a bit far away.  Determined to give it a shot, we head out across Haro Strait toward Victoria, B.C.  The water is flat!  Yay!  The sun shines.  Yay!  And, after a long run, we see them!  These three whales are known as the T-10's.  The adult female (T-10) is with her two adult males, T-10B and T-10C.  The Transients are all assigned the letter "T" and this would be the 10th transient identified by researchers.  Her offspring will keep her number, "10" and the first one born is then, T-10A.  I have no idea what happened to "A," but she now always has with her the two males, 10B and 10C.  The information on Transient whales is sketchy compared to all the data that has been compiled on our Southern Resident Orcas.  We know they are organized in much smaller family groups, offspring still sticking with their mother.  However, the families don't seem to grow past three to five whales.  What happens if they have more offspring?  How is it decided who goes and who stays?

We have a wonderful hour to watch the T-10's as they clip on past Victoria, and head toward the Discovery Islands marine park.  Perfect place to find Harbor seals?  They split up and cruise in and around the shoreline, huge black fins slicing through the kelp beds and popping up around the back of rocky areas.  How can such a large large whale slip in and around the shore almost un-noticed?  They are hard to spot!

T-10 has a big notch carved out of her fin.

Big boy brothers - T-10C and B

Mom leads as they cruise around the kelp beds.

Easy ID fin - T-10 and look who is tagging along right behind!

T-10 C

Our run back to Friday Harbor is shorter as we have been traveling in the company of the whales for an hour, all in the general direction of home.  Lucky!  It's too hard to resist a stop at Whale Rocks to check out the Steller sea lion action in the late fall afternoon light.  We notice two of the sea lions are branded.  This is a strategy researchers are using to discover the movements of the Steller sea lions.  When I find one with a brand, I photograph it and send it in to the folks who keep track of the data.  I have seen 311 - R (for Rogue River in Oregon) before.  He's back again!  224 Y is a new sea lions for me and I'm anxious to find out river is indicated by the Y.  This will be the river of origin for the branding, which takes place when they are juveniles.

311 - R brand indicating Rogue River

224 Y is a brand I've never seen before.

And yes, here are a few shots of sea lions that were just too full of character not to add to my stash of sea lion photos!

Buddies?  For the moment

Dang...I know I was thinking of something...just now...what was it?

Another week on the water....gone...the season is slipping away....

Eagles, Seals and....ORCA Whales!

J-19 rockets into the air!....with flare!

Good news!  The Southern Resdients are back in our range today!  It's been a week since I've seen them and I am anxious to get back out on the water.  Today there are 26 passengers who are also excited to see the whales.  Our trip takes us north to the top of San Juan Island and out into Haro Strait.

 We find a group of six or seven whales headed north.  Here's a little bit of "Fluke and Fin" between two K and J pod family whales!

Granny, J-2, in the lead and Lobo, K-26 keeping her company!

Interestingly, Granny, the oldest of all the southern resident killer whales with an estimated birth year of 1911, is swimming along with a young adult male from K pod today.  Lobo, K-26 is keeping up and right along with them is the rest of his family.  His mother, Lea, K-14 is there and two more siblings.  Little Yoda is one of my favorite whales as I remember the day I caught him spy hopping and his chin sports a dimple!

Granny in the lead, and Lobo and...

We have a whole hour to watch the whales and suddenly are surprised by a giant breach.  One of our young passengers is counting...and as he says, "One..."...I add, "Two" and suddenly, J-19 flies out of the water on our chorus of "Three!"  What a surprise!  I just barely get the photo to prove it.

We keep trying our  counting trick...but the magic only works once.

After a stunning hour enjoying Orca whales foraging and cruising along San Juan Island, we turn to begin our trip back to Friday Harbor, but there is more to see on the way home.  How about Bald eagles?  We find three different adult Bald eagles on the shore of Spieden Island.  One walks a fallen tree, way out into the air over the water.

Always Alert

Checking us out...

Flashy Dresser

Here's one practicing for Halloween....going to dress as a tree branch!

Can't see me....can you?

It's hard not to stop and admire the Harbor seals basking in the warm autumn sunshine.

Two or Three?  Can you see?

My rock....MY rock....

Marveling at the magic on the water today, we head back into port.  I always feel so lucky to have spent the day this way.  Eagles, seals...and Orca whales...

Let the Baby Games Begin!

Today we find the L-12 family of Southern Resident Orca whales shopping the west side of San Juan Island.  Grocery list?  One word: Salmon!  Make that King salmon....oh, and prefer the Fraser River stock.  Appearently the delivery is in as this sub-family of L's plus a few other L pod males spend time today cruising back and forth in front of False Bay.  In this group is a three year old calf and the newest addition: L-119 born in February 2012.

L-119 practicing "Stealth Whale" game!

While big uncle, L-41 Mega, slowly cruises on the outside of the group, L-119 puts on quite a demonstartion of what, for all the world, look like "baby games!"

Bubbles....big ones!

I Spy?

Then, a series of five spy hops in a row.  Was something down below pulling her down, causing her head to pop up over and over?  What action!

Pop Up...Spy Hop!

Catch Up

Finally she puts on a spurt of high energy and catches up to mom.  It must be hard to play baby games, but try to engage adults?  

Time to move on....

Watching this young one gives me lots of ideas for baby Orca names.  Got a few yourself?  Hopefully she will thrive though the winter and next summer L-119 will be graced with the perfect nickname!  What will it be?

Hey! Which Way???

Hey!  Which Way???

The Phalaropes are back!  These zippy little birds (7-9 inches in length) make a "stop over" in the San Juans during their migration from the summer breeding grounds in northern Canada or the Arctic...enroute to...South America and / or tropical ocean locations!  Little bird.  Long trip.

From mid-August through the beginning of September I have the pleasure of watching them zip through the air, often in flocks of a dozen individuals, or appear bobbing on the water's surface.  I guess  like everyone on a long trip, refuling stops are a necessity.

The Phalaropes find areas in the ocean where currents collide (lots of those around the Salish Sea) and upwellings occur.  That provides the delivery of small bits of food to the surface of the water.  Sometimes they even demonstrate a spinning behavior on the surface of the water, meant to create their own personal whirlpool, and then use their long slender beaks to pluck food off the edge of the vortex.
Clever!

The beginning of the migration finds mostly females enroute.  In Phalarope society, the females are the flashier dressers (colored breeding plumage), very agressive and protective about nest sites. After the eggs are in the nest, they take off for warmer climes.  That would leave the males to incubate the eggs and tend the nest for about 20 days after the chicks hatch.  Hum....

I know there's a snack around here somewhere....

It amazes me how quickly they appear, and then...off they go.  Jetting south in small groups...in syncronized flight.

Sliding down the waves in Cattle Pass

See you next spring!

Sea Jelly Magic! = Good Luck!

Magic!  Did you know spotting sea jellies on a trip brings good luck?

Here's a beautiful Lion's mane sea jelly and I'd say, yes, we had fabulous luck on Saturday morning!  We leave the dock with a whale sighting reported.  Good luck!  The weather is perfect...sunshine, warm temperatures and flat seas.  Good luck!  Harbor seal pups and adults abound on a rocky reef area right outside the harbor.  More good luck!  Seal pups are bobbing in the water and adults are hauled on the pocket beach by Goose Island!  Captain Pete spots an adult Bald eagle on Deadman's Island way across the pass.  Good eyes!  We zoom over and take a look.  Good luck!  We motor over to Whale Rocks and find the numbers of Steller sea lions have doubled since yesterday!  Double the luck!  A slow ride past the south end of Lopez allows a slow look at a giant eagle's nest and sea birds dot the small island refuges.  So much to see!

And then...as we head out to open water...the whales!

Here's Calypso and her calf Cousteau.

Cousteau races along!

But wait!  It's Matia and her little new one...L-119!  This calf was born in 2012 and today she is very very active.  We watch tail slaps (four in a row!), a mini tail stand, a chin up with open mouth and the grand finale....belly up roll overs!

Now that's a memory I'll carry for a long, long time!  Good Luck!

Just Another Day at the "Office"!

Friday morning finds us speeding toward Haro Strait.  Southern Resdient Orca whales, are on the west side of the island!

We are excited to see just which family of whales is present.  We arrive and realize that the whales are moving west toward Victoria....or are they starting out the Strait of Juan de Fuca?  Part way toward Victoria we are suddenly with J pod females and calves!  They have turned around and are once again headed for San Juan Island!

Here's J-17 swimming with her group of female off spring and their off spring!  They speed past us toward the island.

Then L-87 cruises by us showing off his massive fin in an elegant way.  But who are the two females he is with today?  Not the usual...but then...all three pods of Southern Resident whales have been mixing it up lately, so all bets are off!

Before we head back in we are able to float off Whale Rocks and check on the Steller sea lions.  The numbers are growing and today we find 12!  These massive sea lions are always amazing to watch, in lounging mode or bossy mode.

Our afternoon trip takes us right back out to Haro Strait and more fantastic time on the water with whales from L-pod.  The L-12's are headed up island and one of the new youngsters is busy keeping up with the family.  On the way home seal pups delight us in the Cattle Pass area.  Who can stop smiling as tiny seal heads pop us all around us?  Not me!

Hey Pup! What's Up?

Upside Down?  Or...Right Side UP!?

Upside down...or right side up..these Harbor seals seem to have R&R figured out.  I am always amazed at how well animals are dressed to blend into the environment and how they manage to look oh so comfy...in someof the most uncomfortable looking places!

August has been a bit unusual this year as far as Southern Resident orca whales sightings.  The Residents can be a pretty clear indicator of "salmon or no salmon" present in our local waters.  Since the beginning of the month, these three families of whales have been on the move...but far and near.

My first day back out on the water was August 9th and the news of the new J Pod calf was hot off the presses.  How encouraging to see a new little (ha...8 ft. long and maybe 400 pound) calf traveling alongside an eleven year old first time mom.  Everyone was in high spirits and celebrating the new birth!

Since that week, it's been "now you see them, now you don't" as far as Southern Resident orcas in our area.  They seem to arrive back in the islands, check out the fish situation, and after a day, or even hours, they hightail it back out the Straits of Juan de Fuca.  If the salmon were present...they'd stay.  That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

The flip side of that is the focus of our whale / wildlife watching trips really turns to wildlife...all of it!  We are always in seach mode for whales, but when you go intentionally slow, so you don't miss anything...guess what.  You don't miss much!  I often say, "The slower you go, the more you see...the more you see..the more you are amazed by...all you see!"  Go slow mode is one of my favorites.

Seal pupping season is the beginning of July.  That means, lots of pups are being weaned in mid August.  The pups spend a lot of time in some of our small bays where the current is not too stong.  Are they looking for mom?  Shutting down the engine and just sitting in what I call a "nursery bay" we spot one little head pop up after another.  They stare at us with big eyes.  No, we are not your mother...nor the source of your next meal.  But we are good at admiring them as they dip, dive, cruise by, snort, flip over, slip silently under the surface or just float bouyantly with their plump little bodies watch us.  Hum.  Just who is watching who?

Cruising by on a Mission

Snow White

What White Whiskers You Have!

Going Down...

Beauty 

As sweet as Snow White looks, I know he/she is part of the food chain for Transient orca whales.  We go slow, and look in every place Transient orcas would be collecting groceries.

Chubby

This chubby little one does a perfect job of playing the blending game.  Hard to spot at first, my binoculars pick out this "rock" when it wiggles a flipper.

Buddies

Remember the school game: Statue?  Think something about running around in a frenzy and then having to freeze into a statue when the word is shouted.  Not moving has it's advantages if you're someone's prey...in the game of Wildlife.

Steller sea lions are also on the Transient orca whale grocery list.  Handy that they have returned to the Salish Sea a little early this year.  All the better to enjoy a wide variety of food!  Our slow trip around Whale Rocks turns up these handsome guys.

Waltzing with Sea lions...the grizzlies of the sea!

While there are seven or eight "big boys" already occupying this protected rocky island, some are in "Mine Mode"  and some are totally zonked out or practicing sea lion yoga.

High Five

And what is this?  A strange duo as sea lions this small are usually still on the breeding grounds.

Big and Jr.? or Ms.? or Mrs.? or??

I'll be checking around to see if I can solve this mystery.  Is Mr. Small, a Mrs.?  Or a Miss?  Or a Ms.? Or a juvenile that shouldn't be here?  Or should be here, but I've never seen it before?

That's the magic of working on the water as a marine naturalist.  The slower you go...the more you see..the more you see...the more you wonder...the more you wonder the more you know...the more you know...the slower you go!

Nap Time

Sticking Close to Mum

Transients! No...Residents! NO...BOTH!

It's sunny and hot in Friday Harbor today....really hot!  Any day it tops in the high 80's qualifies as a heat wave.  Pulling away from the dock, breeze fills the boat and we are instantly in air conditioning...the natural kind!  We are off for an adventure as we have a whale report, but the returning Resident Orcas are still out of our range and not reported to be moving very fast.  We head out, knowing we will find lots to look at and enjoy, but we just are not sure exactly what or where!  What surprises await?

We decide to head across Haro Strait and hope the elusive Resident Orcas will decide to pick up speed in our direction.  Before long we have Orcas in sight...but not the Residents!  We have discovered four Transient Orca whales traveling north in Haro Strait!  In typical Transient behavior they move fast, they dive long, they come up not where we expect!

They move along at a fast clip, suddenly disappear, then reappear,  going the opposite direction and now there are 6 total!  Have they found a porpoise in the depths of Haro Strait?  The water's surfacce is almost flat today except for tide rips here and there.  We scan and scan...10 minutes pass...?  It's the Transient "Disappearing Cloak Trick"...they're suddenly gone.  Just gone.  And hard as we look, not one of the now five boats present locates them!  But wait....

Who is that in the distance?  My eye catches a spy hop....way, way across the water...and then more blows.  The Resident Orcas are now rocketing through the water and headed right for us!  Just 30 minutes ago they were out of our range, and now they are flying toward us at 11k!  In no time K pod is on our starboard side, headed with what appears to be "purpose" to the westside of San Juan Island.

We enjoy watching easily 40 whales, all of K pod and probably J pod, but they are too spread out to be sure.  They have been off in the open ocean for two days and we are so glad to see them again!

On our way back to Friday Harbor we just have to stop off for a look at the Steller sea lions perched on Whale Rocks.  They are in super relaxation mode this afternoon.  Think I'll sign up for lessons.

Another STELLAR day on the water and once again, it's true: "You just never know what you're going to see out there!"  That's the thing about wildlife...it's WILD and full of surprises.