12-4-17 A Busy Whale Day for December

Tuesday, December 4th
Southern Residents and two different humpbacks, of two different sizes, and at two different times, is about the easiest way to explain the day.

...the day began for a go, look, see what might be out there.
It wasn't long before an adult humpback showed up along the west side, close to shore, going down island.  But it took a while to get an image, because it was so close to shore that trees and houses were blocking my view!
I was able to get one image that gave me dorsal fin shape, but that was it.

...it was off to town and home again...walking up to the porch out in the distance I see a huge splash! ...it was a humpback and it was slowly going down island...off to the park...
...this humpback was more active and appeared to be feeding...

...this was a little humpback...didn't know if it would come this way or not...
well, here's the answer...

...that fluke let me know this little one was likely going to be down for a few minutes...now where would it appear next?....off from the front of the lighthouse, having made a big loop and heading back up island...

...I knew that J and K Pod whales were headed in but didn't know how far they had gotten...little did I know their faint calls began over the Lime Kiln hydrophones while I was watching the little humpback!...

...waiting, listening, waiting, listening...their calls were very faint and they would not likely be able to be seen before dark...but I knew they were out there...

...getting home I had both the Lime Kiln and the Orca Sound hydrophones going...I could hear faint calls of the SRKWs, J and K, and likely Onyx L-87...

...their calls did not get much louder, and then, all of a sudden I heard a humpback sound...at first I thought it was on the Lime Kiln hydrophones, but I was wrong it was over the Orca Sound hydrophones - glad I was recording so I could verify which location...and then this humpback - I am guessing it's the little one 'carried on' for close to an hour...and from the sound of it he/she was in the same area the whole time...

...what an interesting day it was!