4-9-15 Another Day for the J16s and the West Side

Thursday, April 9th
...just as we were leaving the harbor on Maya's Westside Charters we get word of whales within a half mile...it was the J16s coming down island...
...it's so interesting to watch them these past few encounters...so spread out is what I find interesting...I know that they know where they all are...but this human here gets into her 'auntie Jeanne' mode and worries about the babies!

Slick J-16 was quite a way ahead of Echo J-42, who seemed to be behind baby J-50...then a good half mile or more behind was Mike J-26, who was foraging as he moved along...and then Alki J-36 and J-52...
...they passed Lime Kiln lighthouse and continued down island for a while...then the moms and babies stopped for a while...
...the seas were calm...

...and before long they turned and headed back up island...this time not as spread out...that's Mike J-26's pec fin, then Echo J-42, and the tip of J-50's fin...

...there were lots of people waiting for the whales to pass by!...up ahead of Mike is mom, Slick J-16...

...J-50's scratches - easily visible from such a great distance...

...off the boat and to County Park as they passed by on the outside of Low Island...

...they headed up island...I heard them on the Orca Sound hydrophones for the last time at about 6:00 p.m. and that was it for the day...