8-8-16 They Arrived One Month Later

Monday, August 8th
...they, meaning K Pod, arrived 'one month later,' meaning one month later than the latest they have ever arrived in prior years...
...no matter their arrival time, everyone is glad they are here...
...but let's start early in the morning...by the time I got to the park whales (who?) had already passed by going up island...along came Alki J-36 and Sonic J-52...and they spent a good deal of time foraging...I was wondering if Sonic was getting some 'fishing' lessons...and in the end it looked like mom had 'made contact' with a salmon!...soon they too headed up island...I didn't see another whale for a few hours...

...and then they came...

...the K13s were in the first group...

...and mixed in with them were the J19s!...friends spending time with friends they haven't seen in a while perhaps...

 ...during the pass by and hearing the vocals...I heard some very distant J Pod calls...so I knew that other J Pod whales were off shore...I got a quick shot of Onyx L-87 - oh, from a couple miles out...but that gave a clue as to who might be out there..and a clue as to who was up north already (the J16s)!

...other whales remained off the lower end of the island...they didn't come up...maybe they will and maybe they won't...

...just after the last of the up island whales left the area these two oyster catchers...well, they were fascinating to watch...the adult kept pulling limpets off the rock, loosening them in the shell and then either letting the juvenile take it from the shell or the adult had the limpet in its beak and gave it to the juvenile...

...late in the day I had a conversation with a couple folks, one a kayak guide...and a question was asked as to what might be a take away for visitors...by the end of our conversation it became clear that we all have a passion and by sharing about the environment, the salmon issues, the orcas, and this local ecosystem is a great take away...
...passion is a 'whole package' it's not just one thing...