Friday, January 29, 2010

1-29-10 - Ruffles J-1 Event - Part 4

Friday, January 29th


... J POD IS BACK TOGETHER today!... 8:54 a.m. I could hardly believe it this morning when I thought I was hearing calls...and then I knew I was, and I knew I was hearing more than just one whale!......the park of course for me...I'll be in the middle no matter which way they were coming from......scan, scan - ah, there's a whale making a huge lunge all the way over by Kelp Reef marker...then I saw a few more whales...I knew it was J pod from their calls...now was Ruffles with them?...
...then Dave from the Center for Whale Research  called to say:
"Granny just nailed a salmon in front of the Center 
and Ruffles is with her."

...need I say more? whew? sigh of relief... woo-hoo!!!! Several whales were about a 1/2 mile off shore as they approached the lighthouse...

...Ruffles was in the lead with Granny not far behind...Blackberry J-27 was there with Mako J-39 nearby...Riptide J-30 and Samish J-14 (J-45 was around and seen later)...a big 'nursery group' was way way offshore...

...were all the whales of J Pod identified today? no...not all were, however, the whales were spread across the Strait for several miles... of some of the whales really far out, I thought I saw Spieden J-8 but didn't get a picture to verify...and another whale who hangs out with her, Keet J-33 I thought I saw him far offshore too, but no verification as of yet...

I had the privilege of accompanying Ken Balcomb and Dave Ellifrit of the Center for Whale Research on their research boat to ID as many as possible..there was a keen interest in the well being of the babies and I'm glad to say: ...BABIES all present and accounted for.

It was a joyful day and the whales seemed to be in pretty good spirits too!

 

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