Saturday, June 7, 2014

6-7-14 Breaching Humpbacks-Killer Whales-Js and Ts


Friday/Saturday, June 6-7th
...no killer whales did we see on June 6th...and glad for that or we might not have gone to see the humpback mom and calf, #BCY0324, and commonly known as 'Big Mama'!
...let me backtrack a couple days to June 4th when we first saw them...these two had been in the area for a few days prior...and this was our first encounter with this humpback calf...aren't all babies cute?
...jump ahead to June 6th when we got our next opportunity...and what a sight it was!...thanks Capt. Jim...
...and then mom decided to get in on the action...that's Orcas Express in the Distance...
...the J pod whales and Onyx L-87 had gone out on the 6th...
...the morning of June 7th...the two humpbacks came up island...
...a different look from the day before...but a real treat to see them from where you live...
...out on Maya's Westside Charters in the afternoon...word just came in that some Ts had been seen coming our way...oh, goodie...at first we heard there were about 7...then, when on our way we learn there are 30+ - wow!...
...it seemed they were on a mission...porpoising, porpoising, porpoising...
...passing Turn Pt...
...they slowed down a couple times and milled about...it seemed they were taking a rest for a few minutes, then all of a sudden they would take off again...was this an exercise program? :)
...even T65A5 kept right up...this little one is just a couple months old!



...they had dispersed by the time they reached us...thanks to Dave Ellifrit of the Center for Whale Research who ID'd the T77s, who were traveling with the T65As...T65A4 leaping behind mom, T65A in Open Bay as the whales continued south...
...Capt. Jim had taken a family out for a quick view of the orca, since one young fella, Dillon, didn't get to see an orca whale during their earlier trip...oh, my was he excited...I was afraid he would fall off the boat...but his mom was holding on tight to him!...we left the whales after they passed the entrance to Snug Harbor and the folks followed me to Lime Kiln Pt. State Park where we arrived just as the whales were entering the park...and amazingly enough they slowed down...there were multiple spyhops too...
...and on they went...having left my cell phone at home all day I was completely out of the loop...out of the park and on my way home I saw some boats coming up island...what? did those whales turn around?
I knew that some of J pod were on their way in but last I had heard they were too far to make it to the west side...wrong!...it was J pod coming up island...amazing...Granny J-2, Mike J-26 and several others passed by the lighthouse going up island...sweet...
...but it was getting dark...
...so Granny J-2
and most likely the whales 
who have been with her 'this time around' had come back in...
Is that a good sign or a not so good sign?
More salmon coming?
Or 
No more out there than in here?...

2 comments:

Robyn said...

Hi Jeanne,
I look forward to seeing your posts in my email every day and today was such a special treat with the humpback mom and calf.
I share your intense love for wildlife, particularly whales and I thank you for letting us be part of your adventures.
Fabulous!

Jeanne said...

Thank you Robyn. That means a lot to me!