9-9-19 The Seas Settled with Perfect Timing!

Monday, September 9th
...first sighting from the west side today...

...turned into this...

...it wasn't until I went to town, later in the day, when the J16s showed up along the west side...

... I don't know which direction they came from - the south or the north...
...they were spotted off Land Bank, just south of the park, milling (not going anywhere)...


Look at how the seas ended up today!  
Perfect sea state and perfect lighting.  
I feel so lucky to have seen the J16s today.

4-3-17 The J16 Family Group

Monday, April 3rd

...most of the text is on the images.  I was on the Western Prince out of Friday Harbor...we hadn't left the dock when word came that there were whales spotted in Haro Strait coming south...wouldn't ya know...I'd be on the other side of the island...BUT it always works out...as it did on this afternoon...

 ...Alki and Sonic they were about 10 minutes behind mom, Echo, and Scarlet...hummm...seems she has moved into the 'cottage' adjoining the main quarters...i.e. she and Sonic are most often, at least lately, to be by themselves or with Mike...of course that could change.

...we now wait for their return from the west...at least that's where it looked like they were heading.

1-9-17 What An Encounter With the J16s Today!

Monday, January 9th
...heard something unusual over the Lime Kiln hydrophones at about 10:15 or so...but not enough 'information' to get me out the door...
...a while later - there!  click...click...click... - Residents!
RUN!!!!!!!
...got to the park and it took quite a while to find anyone...and when I did it one one lone male at least a mile offshore...
...I knew they were Residents and J Pod whales, so I expected to see more...nope.....off to the next spot...

...I get a call...my reply, "sure, you know we have SRKWs on the west side?"

...out on the Peregrine with Capt. Jim we first see Mike J-26...he was the lone male I had seen earlier from Lime Kiln...and he was quite a ways behind the rest of the family...then again that is not unusual for him...

...Dave from the Center for Whale Research was already on scene...he had moved over to locate Alki J-36 and Sonic J-52...I had only seen 4 of the 6 of this family, from shore, as did others, so we definitely wanted to located the other two...
...that didn't take long - Dave located them - they were half way up Henry Island and a bit closer in...and it was very interesting to watch some of the things they were doing...
...they were basically not going anywhere...I took video and it shows a lot more of what they were doing...here is the link
...and here are some images of them...

...not this time :)
...coming back into Snug Harbor...

...got in the car and since the whales were in Spieden Channel I couldn't just go home...if they are here I have to continue to watch them... ha!

...by they time they got to the eastern end of Spieden Channel and Spieden Island, Mike had caught up and they looked to be in travel mode now...

...the seas were getting rough, the current was flooding very strong...not sure which way they actually went...up President Channel?  or  down San Juan Channel? 
...only they know for sure...and I hope that wherever that is there is plenty for this family of six to eat. 

 

8-31-16 A Curious Whale Watching of the J16s

Wednesday, August 31st
...they had stayed up north for two nights...an indicator they might be getting more salmon up there than down here...
...knowing they would come back down at some point...well today was that day...some of the whales were so far off shore it was difficult to see them or even attempt to count how many were out there...
...but some came in to view as they came down...

...the K13s and the L4s came back down...behind them a bit later were the J16s...and what an interesting time it was watching them...

...mom, Slick J-16 was behind Mike and ahead of:

...they passed by the lighthouse and were down island a ways...then a good distance behind, Echo surfaced coming down island...

...that definitely had people 'seeing double' today as all this occurred...
...later in the day and not having seen many of the whales, I went down island a short distance and there I saw:

...Polaris and J-54 were with several others...I will assume one of them was Star J-46, her oldest...it looked as if maybe some of the J16s were with them but I couldn't be sure...but I was sure of seeing Polaris and J-54.
...everyone is pulling for these two to make it, to recover, to be fat and healthy again...
...now if everyone could just get the 'powers that be' to take some action to save the wild salmon, that in turn would sure help the whales...
 
 

8-20-16 An Orca-Filled Day

Saturday, August 20th
...it began at 5:15 a.m. when echolocation clicks came over the Lime Kiln hydrophones...a J Pod call or two I heard before running out the door...not sure just why - it was dark out there still...was able to see some as they moved up island...
... a few hours later more whales came up island...

...pause for a harbor seal...

...a couple more whales in the distance...

...it wasn't even 11:00 a.m. what would the rest of the day bring...

...