Thursday, October 30, 2008

10/19-30/08 A Wild Last Half of October

Note:  this is a condensed re-post from October 19-30, 2008.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

I could hardly wait to get home and post...whales, we had whales today!...I was invited to go on the Western Prince today, and even though I knew the whales hadn't been seen in five days, I thought it would be great just to be out on the water...but before I got to town I get a call from a friend all I could hear at the other end of the phone was "teehee, teehee, teehee"...I finally GOT IT! She knew something ant that meant whales!


...first whales we saw were Lobo K-26 and his youngest sibling K-42, who was first seen in early June...Lobo is 15 and his dorsal fin is really tall for his age...in fact it's the tallest fin of the K pod whales, so his dorsal fin and body towered over this sibling, K-42...the two were playing around...JB asked if the calf had been sexed yet...and then we realized this might be the day to get the gender of this little one!


...a note about Onyx L-87...he's been traveling with K pod since his mom died and today he was traveling with Scoter K-25...

October 22, 2008
...on the Western Prince again...we come down San Juan Channel passing a gob of Steller sea lions...and we then move out into Haro Strit..we were off sore and facing in shore as we approached a bait ball...I wasn't too good a spotting from the boat, but I'd give it a try...oh, my, I saw something slender, tall, and black and it disappeared...I held my breath...I literally froze..."naw, I couldn't be seeing whales...maybe it was the mast of a sail boat..."...and there it was again!
...amazingly enough Ivan told me I actually spotted the whale at about 2 1/2 miles distance!...it could only have been Lobo K-26 or Onyx L-87 because of their tall dorsal fins at that distance...I'm sitting here with the silliest grin on my face just remembering the exuberance of finding the whales!


October 24, 2008
...last report was that K pod whales were at Constance Bank heading west...so when I find out that there are whales coming up the west side - one call from a friend and the other to a friend who was listening to the hydrophones...here I was on a boat, somewhere, I hadn't a clue and bam! - connected up!  Awesome!
...we went south and met up with the whales as they came north...I visually worked my way up island...there's the lighehouse...there's the bay...I realized I was looking at where I live!...now that's a definition of 'lost at sea' for you!
 ...Opus K-16 and Sonata K-35 were traveling with the rest of K pod, but Cappuccino K-21 was not present on this day...

October 30, 2008
...last night (10-29) I was listening to the hydrophones...I began hearing something but wasn't sure what...then on long distinct call ...the adrenaline shot through me - it was K pod - still around!...I only heard them for a few minutes...at work today I get a page...off to the park - J pod!...and it wasn't long before I was on the western Prince and off to see the whales...
...it was J and K pods and Onyx L-87...we spent our time with 'the man' Ruffles and Onyx L-87...

...and all three spent time together...

...that was the day we thought we might not seen them for a while, in this area anyway...

...now jump ahead to October 18, 2014 post - six years in the future...
J pod, K pod and lots of L pod whales...