Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
11-26-19 An Unusual Encounter This Morning
11-26-19
It was quite a treat to see this, this morning...
It was quite a treat to see this, this morning...
Thursday, July 26, 2018
7-25-18 SRKW J35 and the Loss of Her Baby
It was learned on 7/24 that Tahlequah had a newborn and the baby died.
24 hours later, to see her still pushing the baby...
As we humans watch, wait - for action to be taken to save these whales from death, we now have Tahlequah J-35 whose newborn died. She is a mother and loves that baby. Her family knew a baby was about to be born. The rest of the SRKW community likely did too. Tahlequah didn't just accept it and move on. NO...she kept that baby with her the next day, kept pushing the baby to surface. When she passed by the lighthouse, Suttles J-40 and Star J-46 were assisting her, helping to keep the baby at the surface. Not only is she morning the loss of her baby, SHE WON'T LET GO. Neither should we. I woke this morning thinking of not only the physical aspect of her having a calf and losing it, but the stress she is experiencing. What about eating? She can't take time out to eat when her job as a mother is to protect her baby, and that means keeping that baby at the surface. Those who are assisting her are stressed as well, but doing the job that they know they must do to help her. Every member of this SRKW community is at risk and every member of the SRKW community is needed to keep this endangered population alive. My heart breaks....
The Snake River may be far away but holds a major key to restoring wild salmon runs. The SRKWs don't have time for more studies. They can't eat studies! Take action, call your elected officials to get the dams breached.
Watch the Dammed To Extinction trailer
Monday, October 23, 2017
10-23-17 A Bit of Harbor Seal - Video
Monday, October 23rd
...during this year, from time to time, I have posted about the waters on the west side of San Juan Island and how something is wrong, to me anyway. I've noticed it all year. Changes would occur when salmon came through. And since that was few and far between, it was pretty bleak on the west side - a stretch from about Hannah Heights to the north part of Andrews Bay. I didn't do it all summer but most of it. When the SRKWs came in, most of the time, ahead of them there were some changes, but not like in years past.
And with the recent Chum salmon run there was a huge difference in other marine life - because one of the missing links - salmon - a lot!! - were passing through!
So this morning when I noticed some bait fish and gulls I went and looked outside.
Here's a short video. It's on Vimeo. Just click on the link
...during this year, from time to time, I have posted about the waters on the west side of San Juan Island and how something is wrong, to me anyway. I've noticed it all year. Changes would occur when salmon came through. And since that was few and far between, it was pretty bleak on the west side - a stretch from about Hannah Heights to the north part of Andrews Bay. I didn't do it all summer but most of it. When the SRKWs came in, most of the time, ahead of them there were some changes, but not like in years past.
And with the recent Chum salmon run there was a huge difference in other marine life - because one of the missing links - salmon - a lot!! - were passing through!
So this morning when I noticed some bait fish and gulls I went and looked outside.
Here's a short video. It's on Vimeo. Just click on the link
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
9-13-17 Spectacular From A Distance
Wednesday, September 13th
...when I learned that the whales were coming down San Juan Channel...well, I had to head that way...it isn't common to see them coming down and exiting Cattle Pass...I wasn't going to miss it!
...it's not uncommon to see the Transients on the far side of the channel, but today it was going to be the L Pod whales who were way, way, over there...
...had they been really close I wouldn't have seen the people and would have likely missed some of the action...
...then they exited Cattle Pass and headed offshore and up island...
...by now they were really far offshore...
...however, there were a few who were quite close in at South Beach...the first time I've ever gotten an image from there...
...then on up island the whales went...but they didn't get all the way up before they changed direction, spread out, and eventually headed south...
...while sitting in a chair seeing the whales from a very, very long distance, a mystery captain broadcast some of the calls over the hydrophones...
...not very good with my cell phone, but realized I could take video of the calls...and while holding the cell phone - ha! - I got my shadow too...
...well, thank you mystery captain, you brought the whales right to me!
...when I learned that the whales were coming down San Juan Channel...well, I had to head that way...it isn't common to see them coming down and exiting Cattle Pass...I wasn't going to miss it!
...it's not uncommon to see the Transients on the far side of the channel, but today it was going to be the L Pod whales who were way, way, over there...
...had they been really close I wouldn't have seen the people and would have likely missed some of the action...
...however, there were a few who were quite close in at South Beach...the first time I've ever gotten an image from there...
...while sitting in a chair seeing the whales from a very, very long distance, a mystery captain broadcast some of the calls over the hydrophones...
...not very good with my cell phone, but realized I could take video of the calls...and while holding the cell phone - ha! - I got my shadow too...
...well, thank you mystery captain, you brought the whales right to me!
Saturday, June 17, 2017
6-17-17 L Pod Whales On the West Side
Saturday, June 17th
...after seeing the Transients in San Juan Channel while on the Western Prince, we headed over to the L Pod whales who just 'showed up' on the west side...
...this is the first time since last October that some of them have been this far in...I took a few images before getting some video...
...here's a brief clip with the hydrophones...they were quite vocal...
...then on the way back...
Thanks Capt. Dennis and the Western Prince!
...after seeing the Transients in San Juan Channel while on the Western Prince, we headed over to the L Pod whales who just 'showed up' on the west side...
...this is the first time since last October that some of them have been this far in...I took a few images before getting some video...
...here's a brief clip with the hydrophones...they were quite vocal...
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
6-13-17 The L12s Took Up Where They Left Off
Tuesday, June 13th
...the L12s are an interesting group...of course they all are...but this group is rather independent and 'travel to their own drummer' so to speak...
...they had come in yesterday and stayed down island...late this morning they began what might be the longest time taken to travel just 2 miles!...that's the L12s...
...here's a clip of them moving at their fastest today :)...
...at the end of the day as we were watching them going down island a humpback surfaced coming north...about 20 minutes later a humpback surfaced going south...I couldn't confirm 1 or 2 until I looked at images...it was actually 2 humpbacks...will post those images too...
...I did see some foraging at different times throughout the day and also a lot of resting...
...moving up island against an outgoing current...then later moving down island against an in coming current...maybe they are finding it easier to have the salmon come to them :)
...after watching them for almost 6 hours today, no time left to post more tonight...they did some interesting and one unexpected action today...to follow in the next post...
...the L12s are an interesting group...of course they all are...but this group is rather independent and 'travel to their own drummer' so to speak...
...they had come in yesterday and stayed down island...late this morning they began what might be the longest time taken to travel just 2 miles!...that's the L12s...
...here's a clip of them moving at their fastest today :)...
...at the end of the day as we were watching them going down island a humpback surfaced coming north...about 20 minutes later a humpback surfaced going south...I couldn't confirm 1 or 2 until I looked at images...it was actually 2 humpbacks...will post those images too...
...I did see some foraging at different times throughout the day and also a lot of resting...
...moving up island against an outgoing current...then later moving down island against an in coming current...maybe they are finding it easier to have the salmon come to them :)
...after watching them for almost 6 hours today, no time left to post more tonight...they did some interesting and one unexpected action today...to follow in the next post...
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
6-6-17 A Day of the T65As
Tuesday, June 6th
...J Pod has not been seen since June 1st...
...Transients have been around...mostly up toward East Pt, etc. but not along the west side...
...the T65As were in Rosario Stait a few days ago, then up by East Pt. yesterday...on Monday, friends who were visiting and hoping to see the whales commented that maybe the T65As would make their way down along the west side...
..."hire that lady" - she was right! The T65As were spotted late morning a few miles north of Lime Kiln...they slowly made their way down island...
...and it was on to the next spot...hope my friends got the message...
...the whales took so long to get to the park, my friends, whose last day on-island it was, made it in plenty of time...to spend hours of watching this group in front of the lighthouse for hours! We just moved from one picnic table to another - perfect -- whales in front of us the whole time :)
...the other present was T65A4 and is one of those active playful orcas.
...there was a strong current running up island and the whales were going down island, which was so interesting...they would make progress of a few hundred yards surfacing several times, then dive for maybe five minutes...their next surfacing they were behind where they had been...at this point, after all that play, (and I think they had made a quick kill (lunch) before the play began)...they were now in a resting pattern...
...they have nowhere they have to be so they didn't care which way the tide was going...
...by about 5pm the whales had exited the park, still in a resting mode...I went to Land Bank and got a few moments of them...quiet, peaceful, calm waters, and their blows - just makes all you cares and worries go away for the moment...
...J Pod has not been seen since June 1st...
...Transients have been around...mostly up toward East Pt, etc. but not along the west side...
...the T65As were in Rosario Stait a few days ago, then up by East Pt. yesterday...on Monday, friends who were visiting and hoping to see the whales commented that maybe the T65As would make their way down along the west side...
..."hire that lady" - she was right! The T65As were spotted late morning a few miles north of Lime Kiln...they slowly made their way down island...
...there was a strong current running up island and the whales were going down island, which was so interesting...they would make progress of a few hundred yards surfacing several times, then dive for maybe five minutes...their next surfacing they were behind where they had been...at this point, after all that play, (and I think they had made a quick kill (lunch) before the play began)...they were now in a resting pattern...
...they have nowhere they have to be so they didn't care which way the tide was going...
...by about 5pm the whales had exited the park, still in a resting mode...I went to Land Bank and got a few moments of them...quiet, peaceful, calm waters, and their blows - just makes all you cares and worries go away for the moment...
Thursday, March 16, 2017
3-16-17 J Pod Being J Pod
Thursday, March 16th
...no one was sure as to where J Pod had gone the other night, but it was believed they had gone north...the last of their calls I had heard over the Orca Sound hydrophones and that was at about midnight...but without eyes on them one can be certain...
...today they 'magically' appeared just north of Friday Harbor, in San Juan Channel and they were thought to be coming down toward the entrance to Friday Harbor...but they stalled out a short distance north of there...my guess is that they got into some salmon, because soon they were heading up the channel...
...off to the north end of the island...
...J Pod was spread out...Mike off foraging in one area, Onyx in another, and Blackberry was way off from others...some were very close to the beach on Waldron Island...while others were going every which way...
...Onyx appeared from off in the distance to right here!
barely there, but - wow!
...it is the first time I have heard them under the surface without hydrophones...likely because everything 'lined up'...in an area where there is no possibility of ship noise, happened there we no other boats moving through the area, no one on the boat was talking, seas were calm, no wind...and luckily chatty Onyx and a few others...a special moment I think all of us on the boat felt.
...and this image sums it up for me...
...peace, calm, living, being...
...everyone has moments of all kinds throughout their day/week to cherish...we just have to stop long enough to realize some of them...
...a different kind of moment that brought out the 'hurry-get the camera!'...
...thank you Maya's Legacy Charters and Capt. Jim at the helm!
Who/what did I see today? All the J16s, all the J19s, one/some of each of the other family groups, Onyx L-87, foraging, babysitting, some goofing around, breaches, tail slaps...and relaxed looking whales...J Pod being J Pod!
...no one was sure as to where J Pod had gone the other night, but it was believed they had gone north...the last of their calls I had heard over the Orca Sound hydrophones and that was at about midnight...but without eyes on them one can be certain...
...today they 'magically' appeared just north of Friday Harbor, in San Juan Channel and they were thought to be coming down toward the entrance to Friday Harbor...but they stalled out a short distance north of there...my guess is that they got into some salmon, because soon they were heading up the channel...
...off to the north end of the island...
...it is the first time I have heard them under the surface without hydrophones...likely because everything 'lined up'...in an area where there is no possibility of ship noise, happened there we no other boats moving through the area, no one on the boat was talking, seas were calm, no wind...and luckily chatty Onyx and a few others...a special moment I think all of us on the boat felt.
...and this image sums it up for me...
...everyone has moments of all kinds throughout their day/week to cherish...we just have to stop long enough to realize some of them...
...a different kind of moment that brought out the 'hurry-get the camera!'...
Who/what did I see today? All the J16s, all the J19s, one/some of each of the other family groups, Onyx L-87, foraging, babysitting, some goofing around, breaches, tail slaps...and relaxed looking whales...J Pod being J Pod!
Sunday, December 4, 2016
12-4-16 Holiday Rush Explained Via Creatures of the Sea
The holiday rush is beginning.
Originally posted in 2014 and still appropriate for today.
Originally posted in 2014 and still appropriate for today.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
10-11-16 Stunning Encounter Today
Tuesday, October 11th
...today some K and L pod whales were somewhere in the area but I didn't think they were going to get within range of me seeing them today...oh, how wrong I was!
...mid-afternoon some whales had made it to the west side and were ever so slowly making their way up island...
...the L54s along with Nyssa L-84 and Wave Walker L-88 were present...I didn't see very many whales...hum...
...as they got a bit closer to Lime Kiln, Cappuccino K-21 was present and Opus K-16 and Sonata K-35...Ino L-54, Coho L-108, Nyssa L-84 and a couple others...
...they were pretty far from shore and back lit by the late afternoon sun...
...I was just about to pack up when I noticed down island three whales in the distance...okay, "stay put" I said to myself...
...and the Stunning (to me) Encounter was soon to unfold...
...after noticing the three whales and keeping an eye on their progress, I heard a blow that was much closer - "oh, my, a line of whales!"...and they were just about in the park...
...down under they went and down they stayed for about three minutes...
...while waiting on this line of whales to surface again I hear someone say, "Look! They are right on shore!"... I did. They were. But those were fewer and they were farther down from the line of whales I had seen...
...and then that line surfaced, but this time they were no longer going up island they had turned in toward shore...
...I snapped as many images as I could in the waning light and hoped I would get some IDs...but did it matter?...no not really...not this time...
...all I could think of toward the end of this were the words:
The Purpose of Being
Interpret it how you like.Think it dramatic?
It is.
They are.
And we know and respect that.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016
9-7-16 Birthday Whales Galore!
Wednesday, September 7th
...it was a whale of a birthday and it all began at about 2:15 in the morning when the whales woke me up over the Lime Kiln hydrophones...
...and they kept on, and on, and on...until finally at 5:30 I just had to get out there and see - in the dark? not! - what they were doing...
...they had begun to move up island and could be clearly heard over the Orca Sound hydrophones by 5:30...but I hadn't heard many L Pod calls, nor had I heard the L12s calls...hum...
...I soon found out!...some J and K pod whales were there too!
...it was a whale of a birthday and it all began at about 2:15 in the morning when the whales woke me up over the Lime Kiln hydrophones...
...and they kept on, and on, and on...until finally at 5:30 I just had to get out there and see - in the dark? not! - what they were doing...
...they had begun to move up island and could be clearly heard over the Orca Sound hydrophones by 5:30...but I hadn't heard many L Pod calls, nor had I heard the L12s calls...hum...
...I soon found out!...some J and K pod whales were there too!
The only thing better would be to see the orcas spyhopping or lunging with salmon between their teeth!...or for that matter...lying on the surface with salmon on their heads :) ...they will play with their food when there is plenty...
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
8/22-23/16 Up One Day and Down the Next
Monday-Tuesday, August 22-23rd
...no whales at the park on Sunday...
Monday the 22nd
...it was late afternoon when K and L pod whales came up island...
...J Pod had already gone north in the early, early morning...
Tuesday the 23rd
...late afternoon...
...evening...getting toward sunset...
...will they continue 'down and then out'...or will they just continue down and then back up tomorrow?...
...no whales at the park on Sunday...
Monday the 22nd
...it was late afternoon when K and L pod whales came up island...
...J Pod had already gone north in the early, early morning...
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