6-15-18 J Pod and the West Side

They came in on the 11th with some L pod whales and Js have stayed.  
No time to post daily, so here's a recap of just yesterday, Friday the 15th:

...one of their returns down island...

...this is only a recap of one day of these last several days that they have been along the west side.
...just hoping there is enough food and when they run out at this spot that there will be another for them to go to.

6-11-18 Southern Residents Return

Monday, June 11th

...everyone was surprised when J Pod and many L Pod whales showed up in the early morning...it had been a long time since they were in the inland waters...
...a few came up island at about 7 a.m. to Lime Kiln and then turned and went back down island...then at 8:40 the whales started to come up again...only to turn and go back down island again!

...then at about 10:15 they came up, Shachi J-19 in the lead(not shown on this clip)...they were spread out, close to shore and moved north passing the park...

...there is much more to the day...this was only the beginning... will add to this post until I get the day completed...

 

6-5-18 Transient Orcas What They Sometimes Do

June 2nd and 5th
There have been transients all over but not many seen from the shore on the west side...
...with the price of gasoline these days I decided to not try to catch up to them from land at other locations and just stay along the west side - :)

...one day there was a lone male far out...always interesting to watch anyway...

...on June 5th, sun-glaring afternoon but a bit closer...this group was steadily traveling up the west side, that is until a harbor porpoise got their attention...they did what they did and never made it to Lime Kiln...instead going back down island and offshore...but not until they had a snack!

 ...whenever they will do this there are usually exclamations of amazement...

...no telling what my camera might capture tomorrow...

6-2-18 They Evoked Feelings of Nostalgia

Saturday, June 2nd
...it was early in the morning, Haro Strait, a note from a friend that whales were coming my way...
...I waited...it wasn't long before they appeared from down island...

...seeing them, in their manner of travel, and watching from where I was, brought feelings of nostaligia...
...the video is shaky, the whales were not close...
...the nostalgia is of what used to be and who they 'should' have been...

...enjoy the moments and these transients slowly moving on by...

...seeing this type of travel up Haro Strait, in the early morning, was always special and not uncommon for the Southern Residents...but that was then...
 

6-1-18 Different Groups of Transients in Different Areas

Friday, June 1st
...whales in the early morning on the other side of the island going up...had to go see if I could find them...

...in addition to the T101s, the T86As and the T124A2s were with them...the same group that passed by the lighthouse in the late afternoon yesterday...
...it wasn't long before other groups of Transients were spotted in several different locations...and having an invite to get out on a boat...well, I couldn't resist...out on the Western Explorer II we headed south to where there were two different groups...
...one group was the T65As...

...unusual image...

...reminds me...

...there was an additional whale with the T65As...

...T49A2's mother and siblings were several miles away and T29A2 had been in Puget Sound with the T65As...so it will be interesting to see if they meet up somewhere along the way...
...we then headed over to the T49As who were off of Lopez Island...

...her oldest T49A1 was off to himself, while mom and the other three were in closer to shore...
...and then there was a harbor seal...looked like it was 'with' them instead of about to be 'lunch'...

...as soon as they began getting serious about 'lunch', T49A1, who had been offshore, came in quickly...

...later in the day the T65As and T65A2 were way to the south and the T49As were in Rosario Strait heading up...
...two very different directions...