6-25-19 Transients All Over SRKWs Absent

Tuesday, June 25
...the transients continue to have a big presence...
...it's likely because the Southern Residents have been out to the open ocean... now 50 days.


...in the late morning, whales came up island, far from shore, but fun to see them, the T101s...
...then later more whales were coming up island...
...trying to see them as they pass Friday Harbor...

 

...they were still going up but they were out in the middle of the channel...hmmm...go to the next spot or not?...well, why not...

...the whales turned again and continued to head up, passing between Green Pt. on the east end of Spieden Island and Flat Top island...
...there were reports of Transients being in at least 4 different locations during the day, and of course those locations changed during the day...

6-20-19 Killer Whales on the West Side Today

Thursday, June 20
...what began as a quiet day and a list of things to get done, ended up very differently...

...for a day that began as quiet as it did, it sure ended up full of unexpected things...
...the group of whales are the T124As and one or two others in this group.  There were three other groups in other various places today too.

06-19-19 Pack It In Pack It Out

6-19-19
Pack It In Pack It Out - 
Events occurring at Lime Kiln Point State Park in the next couple weeks - Orca Sing and the 100th Celebration of the lighthouse.

So here's an idea. Whether you are a 'local' or a visitor please leave all 'one-use' plastic items at home and bring your beverage and food with you in RESUSABLE containers. How about make this year be the least amount of trash left behind after each of these events. 

There used to be signs in many places on this island: Pack It In Pack It Out. It's also a great way to help others learn about making good choices for the environment. And what a better place than along the shoreline at the park. If you are on a boat that day, PLEASE be aware of the dwindling kelp beds and stay a good distance away from the shore. Every positive step you take may just help another make changes too. Enjoy the festivities, take in the beauty of your surroundings and start to walk a new talk - Change Matters.

...and no matter where you live - Change Matters...what events will be going on where you live and how might you approach them with doing things a bit differently this year - it's for the sake of our children's and their children's future.  REALLY!

6-14-19 Whales and Whales But No SKRWs

Friday, June 14th
...been without internet for a week now...ugh...
...but then again not a whole lot to post...
...except that the new J Pod baby, J-56, was seen with Tuschi J-31 again about a week ago...that was near Tofino again...
(note: I have not seen an 'official announcement' about the new baby, but I did see on a Center for Whale Research post where they mentioned both of the new calves, L-124 (first seen in January 2019) and J-56 (first seen on May 30, 2019)...so that's official enough for me.)

...I don't know of any other sightings of any of the SRKWs since then...
...there was a report with video of a large group of transients moving up the Oregon coast...then four or five days ago a large group of killer whales, unknown eco-type, near the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca...
...it was likely some if not all of those Ts who have shown up over the last several days...
...but before that there had been a humpback or two...one afternoon the best one could do was to get some of the exhalations of those two humpbacks...

...a couple days ago, I think it was the T124As who were seen passing County Park...missed them...went back to land bank...got a call from a friend telling me there were whales coming up island (thank you very much!) - what?...how long ago?...just now?...and here came another group, the T73As, that I've only seen once, and with them T75 and her oldest offspring, T75A, who has a very tall, and wavy/wonkie dorsal fin...
...will post pictures of them later--okay here they are:

...amazing...they passed the lighthouse along the edge of the kelp, turned on their sides as they did - just under the surface...maybe checking out those kayakers who were properly parked deep in the kelp and appeared to be 'frozen' !!  I followed them, from shore, for as long as I could, last seeing them as they rounded the corner of Spieden Island...
...then today, many whales inbound - I'd like it to be SRKWs of course, but it was Ts...several groups spread out...one was T77A, a bachelor, known for playing with crab pot lines or things like that...he made it to Haro Strait and came up island far from shore...the others were in the Strait of Juan de Fuca but so far hadn't come into Haro Strait...
...BUT, before that another group was spotted from shore in the early morning but it took several hours before they reappeared again...and when they did they came up island...
...they have passed by Lime Kiln lighthouse many times in the past...and today was no different...and boy were they close!
I'm always looking for boats flying the Whale Warning flag...everyone that does is helping to educate those on the water who may not be aware that whales are present...or those on the water who are not paying attention...the flag is bright and obvious, but only obvious if boats are flying the flag when with whales...today I saw this boat, Outer Island, and of course Soundwatch...

...there is a 6th member of this family group, T49A2...a male who decided to disperse from his family at an age younger than most...of course, he also had spent more time with his aunt than his mom when he was young, so something was going on there...anyway, no telling when/where/with whom he will appear with...

...where are J, K, and L Pods?  Out in the open ocean.
...why aren't they here?  lack of food most likely, possibly the loss of a strong leader or re-forming, which could take a long time, after the loss of Granny J-2 in late 2016.

...oh, so sorry, but to not have had internet for a whole week (poor me)...I am just running at the keyboard!

Last week I began a 30 challenge - purchasing nothing that comes in a plastic container.
...so far I have learned that I will automatically reach for a product and then realize it's in a plastic container.  Oh, no! ...so I have to look for something similar that is not...It's quite an eye opener.

Oh, how we are accustomed to convenience...convenience that will someday 'bite' us all if we don't stop now.