5-11-14 Elusive Minke and One Orca

Sunday, May 11th
...out on Maya's Westside Charters in the late morning on our way down island we spot a minke whale...it was very elusive and soon we continued on...ah!...another minke closer to the light!

...Pigeon Guillemot and their red feet...

...and then we get the call...a transient killer whale up north...'only one so far, but there must be others around'...ha!
...T124C

...he has an interesting story...he was thought to be a female for a long while because his dorsal fin didn't sprout until he was in his late teens!...he is 22 years old [from the DFO Bigg's (Transient) Killer Whales from Coastal Waters of British Columbia, Northern Washington, and Southeastern Alaska]...but looks like he's only about 16 years old...
...he is not commonly seen with his family, and we've seen him with other males from time to time, but I'm not sure if he has been seen alone before...it was interesting to watch just one orca today...
...when we came back out in the later afternoon he had moved west along Strait of Georgia side of Mayne Island...the water was beautifully calm with great reflections...

The absence of J Pod is getting 'louder and louder'...
...I don't know what else to say...