April 2026 - Catching Up

Due to several falls...recoving now...

And due to the lack of the presence of SRKWs which translates to lack of salmon, it has been an unusual time.  I took this image several years ago from shore near Lime Kiln Lighthouse. The image is exactly as it was taken, 2 whales and their timing was perfect!

That image 'says' it all with the state of the SRKWs now.

There have been many Transient orcas who don't eat salmon but they are helpful because they eat seals and sea lions who do eat salmon.  That's a help!

Mother's Day is in May...This is a grandmother - Shachi J-19 with the youngest of 2 Grand Offspring.  Image was taken from shore near the Lighthouse.

Recently I participated in presenting at the TWM's Marine Naturalist Class.  I was a bit shacky because it's been a long time...so I finally had a few ideas...

One was of a shirt I had purchased many years ago, and decided I would wear that...but how would I get a picture of me wearing it...hmmm... the mirror!

The whales have a 'warning

 - stay away - flag

No telling when/where J Pod will show up next.

K Pod and L Pod are likely somewhere along the outer coast...but that's just a guess.

                        Happy Sprng

and Happy Mother's/Grandmother's Day ...in May

What A Wonderful Day Watching J Pod!

 J and K Pods had come in to the inland waters in early April.  They went up north to the Strait of Georgia, Canada, and spent many days there.   K Pod came down and traveled far offshore, closer to Vancouver Island and then into the Strait of Juan de Fuca toward the open ocean.

So where was J Pod? They came down a couple days later, or part way.  They were in Boundary Pass and almost to where Haro Strait and Boundary Pass meet.  But instead of continuing into Haro Strait they made a turn and went up along Pender Island to Active Pass and into the Strait of Georgia, something they will do because it takes them to basically to the same area outside of the entrance to the Fraser River where the salmon are before they head up the Fraser River. 

They were seen a few days later in San Juan Channel going down island but then changed their direction to up island!  ...keeping the humans wondering what they would do next.

On April 16 they came down the west side and then later that day they came back up island!  That's how it used to be! It brought a 'hopeful feeling' that just maybe there was going to be enough salmon for them...we hope.

Here are a few images of some of J Pod coming down island and up island passing Lime Kiln lighthouse. It was like it used to be!  Here's hoping...

A big splash from a tail slap.

            Coming down...

This looks like Grandma, Shachi J-19,                                                            with very young new member of this family group.

In the center the orca just about to disappear under the surface after a great spyhop, which I only got this part of!

She was closer to shore!  Many people watching the whales as they either went up island or down island. 

In the distance someone landing from a breach.

And this is the resulting landing! 

They know where to go to seek out salmon.  

Let's just hope they find plenty!

And since they are currently still in the inland waters maybe we'll get to see them again...soon!

Holiday Message from some Marine life

 

No Ordinary Day - 2004-My Journey Began

Going through old files today I came across this... 

"Inside to begin the work day...when in he walked with "there are some crazy orcas out there."  They couldn't be heard...until out the door...a big pwoofff resounded in my ears.

Off at a run to the ocean's edge to experience their mighty majesty.  No mind do they pay to the wind and the rain and the ocean's swells, a breach here and another there. We stood in silence, me and one other, soaking in the awe of it all.  Away they went to meet the Js and do what whales do best.

People came and asked throughout the day, "When do the whales come?" We're not sure, we say, but we think....so wait we do.  Some gave up and went on their way, but what do you know the whales still came.  The ocean was rough, a nasty flood tide, with water spraying off the rocky shore.

The L12s in part came our way and pushed on through.  The patient ones, as short or long as the wait was, had a touch of wonder enter their souls.

A good meal was eaten, my soul already filled, and the most beautiful sunset of all."

No, it was no ordinary day.

July 6, 2004

Jeanne Hyde the beginning of a 'journey' that has gone on for 20 years.

June 26-2024 More Happy whales and People too!

J Pod came down from the north today. They were very spread out. Some were miles across Haro Strait and luckily some were closer to the west side.

Suttles J-40 was in the mix with several of the mothers and their littles.  But Suttles wasn't 'on duty' as an escort today, but maybe just in-case she was called on :)

Slick and Shachi were both up front as the whales came down - these next two images are of Slick J-16.  She was changing directions a few times as they were passing by.

Then came some moms and kids.

Shachi J-19 was with her grandson, Nova J-51, and Nova's mom,

Eclipse J-41 was with her youngest, Crescent J-58.

Tsuchi J-31 and her offspring, Tofino J-56 were there too.

Mike J-26 was the only male that I saw in closer to the west side while it appeared the other males were miles offshore, which is not uncommon.

And then some action began and oh how the people on shore were delighted!

...and then came Hy'Shqa J-37 & offspring J-59 Swee-uh-kosh, currently the youngest living member of J Pod.

That's J-59's head and dorsal fin tip landing with a big splach!

It was a great day for the people to learn about the SRKWs and the challenges they face.  Each of us can do somethig to help these whales live long lives and prosper into the future.

Cheers!

June 2024 - SRKWs - Full of Energy!

 Happy whales!!  This is just one pass-by! images from shore by Jeanne Hyde.

This was a day of hope for this community of orcas which in turn showed those watching that just maybe they too could help this community of orcas so that they can thrive in these waters that have been their home for more years than we humans know.

Enjoy this 'energy in motion' and think about what you can do to help these whales of J, K and L pods. The next generation of humans and whales will thank you!  

                                            One more heading for the fun!

6-26-2023 It looked like a Breaching Contest

 ...far behind in posting, but had to add today's encounter with J Pod.

J Pod came into the inland waters late in May and stayed for a few days. 

They went north into the Strait of Georgia for a couple days and came back south.  They were energetic and actively chasing salmon when they came in and again on the last day they were here in early June. 

(During their absence in the inland waters during most of June, several times a Humpback whale was seen. Not not sure how many actually came through or one or two who were changing direction and showing back up again! In addition, some Transient orcas were seen, some very close to shore.)

J Pod was seen going back out to sea on June 6, not returning until June 25.  They went north to the Strait of Georgia and came back south the following day, today.  They were spread out when they came into view from shore at Lime Kiln lighthouse. Here's just a brief sample from today.

Will they be here tomorrow, June 27th or will they be headed back out to sea?  Only they know the answer to that!  We'll just have to wait to find out.

4-21-2023-Orca Connections With One Another

At The Whale Musem's Marine Naturalist Training Program Spring Class today April 21, 2023, I was asked a question about the connections the Southern Resident orcas have with one another.  (Thank you for asking the question.)

It brought up the connection between Cookie J-38 and Rhapsody J-32, and how Granny J-2, the matriarch of the community was involved. 

...to me, this is a glimpse of how complex they are in their society, their intelligence and emotional abilities...it sure seemed as if there was something much more than these two whales traveling together today...

1st Post: December 5, 2014

...it happened yesterday...on the CTV, Victoria news...they announced a whale was seen floating in the water near a resort at Comox, British Columbia...I grabbed my camera to get a screen shot for reference...

...but it wasn't long before images came of the saddle patch...it was Rhapsody J-32...oh, so sad is all I can say right now...
...she was here on November 29th with the rest of J pod...

...that is the day they disappeared before our eyes...a few days later it was said that J pod was seen passing Victoria, but it was actually K Pod. So Js had gone north.

...she gave people the gift of her energy and playfulness...

...and of her breaching - of course!...

...you could count on Rhapsody to be seen with certain other whales...Cookie J-38, was one for sure...maybe he was her 'best friend'...though it seemed she had many...

...her last gift might be that of the revealing of information about what is happening to this community......it is hoped that with a necropsy we will know for sure why she died...Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research will be there for that.

2nd Post: December 10, 2014

...with the winds and the storms we have had here the last few days, I cannot help but be grateful, grateful for where and when Rhapsody died, and grateful to the person who saw her and knew the importance to save her is the only way she could now be saved...

..if all that had not occurred we would have never known what happened, instead she would have just not returned with the rest of J pod...

...to see her on the TV news was a shock for sure...'here I am' it felt like she was saying...
...it's beyond the point of 'oh, how sad' it's beyond the point of 'cause of death undetermined'...and shrug our shoulders and move on...no!

...Rhapsody gave us her life and the life of her unborn calf...
...what more is needed? 

...her breaches are now silent and they will be missed...
...were there more to those breaches that we didn't see?...
...was she telling us something but we couldn't hear?
...with our eyes or our ears not going beyond...
...but, no, the salmon call has been out for a long long time...

...please, do something now...
...it must come quickly, the whales don't have much time...
...to fix the main issue of starvation is on the line...

...now it's back to pouring over images from the last several years...already they are revealing things that might not have been known before...

..lest they be forgotten, three others in 2014 died...
Lulu L-53, was known as the L pod breacher...during the summer she would often be seen with Group B...

...Indigo L-100...he too didn't return with his family...we will never know what happened to this magnificent young male...

...baby L-120...who brought everyone such joy and hope...

...and now J-32...

...we can't just remember them, something has to be done to stop all this dying. (it's now 9 years later - 2023 and not enough is being done.)

Are you familiar with 'the canary in the coal mine' phrase?...for more than 10 years the whales have been referred to like 'the canary in the coal mine'. 
Miners used to take a canary in a cage down into the mine and when the canary stopped singing they had better get out or they too would die.  'an indicator' those canaries were...and that's what the whales are 'indicators' as to what has been and continues to go on...and that affects the humans...
...and that's just beyond sad...

3rd Post: December 24, 2014

...the day before Christmas and all through the day, J Pod showed up with travel, breaching, and play!
...that's Jones Island in the distance...

...in the opposite direction...

...what a treat for those on the international ferry...

...before the whales entered Spieden Channel...

...at this point it looked as if most of the whales were heading north and were going to pass between the east end of Spieden Island and Flat Top Island, but that changed quickly!
...it wasn't long before another boat came along...and seeing the way in which the people on the boat were looking, well, it seemed that there might be some other whales coming into Spieden Channel and closer to shore...

...it was very interesting to see Cookie J-38 and Granny J-2 traveling together...and that was definitely 'traveling together'...

...several minutes later Granny surfaced...

...Cookie J-38 was behind her...

...what I find significant about Cookie and Granny traveling together is that it's not common...Cookie is most often with his family and especially Rhapsody J-32 before she died earlier in December.  For Cookie to be with Granny, something is going on.
...I didn't see them for a long time today but on enough surfacings to conclude that they were together, at least for a while, and they were not mixed in with others when I saw them go by...
...off in the distance the J14s and others were moving into Spieden Channel...

...behind Granny and Cookie were Mako J-39 and Onyx L-87...

...Mako was born the same year as Cookie and they have been buddies all along...so considering the circumstances it didn't surprise me to see him with Onyx L-87 - but then again this is all summation on my part...
...also seeing Mako with Onyx reminded me of March of 2009 and an encounter with J Pod off the west side...the prior summer Mako's mom, Blossom J-11, had died, so the time frame was much different than the time frame of Rhapsody's dying and today, which is a period of just three weeks...
...however, back then Granny J-2 and Ruffles J-1 were with Blossom's three offspring - Blackberry J-27, Tuschi J-31, and Mako J-39 and they were quite far offshore from the rest of J Pod...they were moving in almost slow motion, intermingling, and in close proximity to one another...after a while Granny J-2 and Mako J-39 moved off and traveled toward shore, while the other three stayed where they were...
...Granny and Mako traveling together, well that too was unusual...

...looking back 9 years and sadly things for the SRKWs have only brought more challenges.  Can we at least allow them to have quiet seas, please?