4-20-16 A Procession Across Boundary Pass

Wednesday April 20th
...it started out as another day of no word on J Pod's whereabouts since they went north three days ago...
...jokingly I had said that if Oreo J-22 had any say in it they would disappear for two days and show up on the third day at Active Pass...and they did!
...it began with whales being seen at the north end of Galiano Island...then whales coming down Trincomali Channel...and then J Pod on the north side of Active Pass coming east...were the first two sightings actually J Pod or were they the Transients who later showed up in Saanich Inlet...curious...
...wow - now that is totally intriguing...

...out on Peregrine with Capt. Jim for a late afternoon trip we head up to East Pt. to meet the whales as they came down...that is if they did...
...there was a lot of activity at Boiling Reef...

...we are watching this amazing flock of Surf Scoters with the Stellers, Mt. Baker, Patos light, etc...when one of the passengers yells out "there's a whale, and I know what that looks like!"...and she did and it was!...it was Mike J-26 and a few others...they had passed on the inside of the reef and were quickly moving down Saturna Island, close to shore and about out of our view within a minute or two...others were approaching...Blackberry J-27 and his sister, Tsuchi J-31...

...the Blackberry surfaced with Suttles J-40...

 ...the J14s family and the J11s family members were mixed up between the two family groups and then some...they know what they are doing...we don't!

...the whales were spread out...along came Granny J-2 and Onyx L-87...

...Tuschi J-31 and Blackberry J-27 stopped and appeared to be foraging...
...at the same time the Steller sea lions were at alert and didn't like these black and whites in their 'territory'...

...after several minutes Tsuchi and her brother moved on...

...others were way in the distance...the J17s and Oreo J-22 and DoubleStuf J-34...

...as we moved out to see them, Shachi J-19 with her grandson, Nova J-51 passed by us, along with Mako J-39...not sure where Eclipse J-41 was in the mix but whales were spread and surfacing/diving quickly...

...the whales in the distance were mainly the J17s...

...and soon we saw whales moving from Saturna Island, crossing Boundary Pass heading for the J17s and the J22s..they passed by us one by one...it was a  procession and it continued until all appeared to be present except the J16s and the J19s...

As this procession was in progress...

The majority of J Pod whales selected a direction and headed down President Channel...but there was no sign of the J16s and J19s...


...it's the humans who watch them are now left waiting for the next sighting to see who is where...
...but the bottom line is that the whales get enough food to THRIVE...

May 4th

7 pm

Seattle Town Hall

Your support needed to save the salmon and the SRKWs.  

Political support is needed for breaching the 4 lower Snake River Dams for saving the salmon and saving the whales.  Let your politicians know you support the removal of these dams.  

Get the facts from:

Jim Waddell of Dam Sense presents

Killer Whales, Salmon, Taxes, and LSR Dams

The Last Best Chance for Salmon

 

For the details click here for the Seattle Town Hall Website

announcing this presentation.