T49s T103

The Transients, the T49's and the big bull T103 milling around. The whales were onto something, beneath the surface when we arrived at 2pm. We first saw them off Albert Head, Vancouver Island, after a tip from shore. We left them heading toward the Victoria Harbour and south east.

Marie, Orca-Magic, Prince of Whales, Victoria, B.C.

                T49B

T124A, 124A1, 124A2, 124A3, 124A4, 86A, and 86A baby

I was just leaving the Victoria office to head back to San Juan Island in late afternoon when Jim Maya called with a report of transients and a sea lion near Kelp Reef in Haro Strait. I arrived on scene at 1723 and observed seven transient killer whales (T124A, 124A1, 124A2, 124A3, 124A4, 86A, and 86A baby) swimming rapidly and erratically in circles in the tide rips. Jim said that he had seen them thrashing a sea lion about thirty minutes earlier, but had not seen it since. At 1807, I briefly saw a very relaxed looking Steller sea lion just in front of T124A1, but could not determine if it was still alive. Gulls arrived around the same time, so I presume a trophic transition was underway. The tide was flowing rapidly and pushing us all toward Henry Island when I left at 1827. I came away very impressed, once again, at how tough these one ton sea lions are; but, they are no match for a pod of killer whales.


Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research, San Juan Island

T87, T88, T90 & T90B, plus the T30s.

Orca Network received a call from Matt Griffin of KATU TV News, Portland, saying they had received video of 3 or 4 orcas in Commencement Bay, possibly heading north this morning around 11 am, from KOMO TV.
We found the video on KOMO's website, as well as more video on KIRO TV's website, and sent the links to the Center for Whale Research. The orcas were confirmed by Dave Ellifrit to be the Transient orcas reported in Haro Strait over the past few days, and identified as T87, T88, T90 & T90B, plus the T30s.

T87

We left Transient orca T87 just off of Halibut Is., N. Haro St. at 4:45 heading toward Mandarte Is. going NW. I guess there were other Ts being heard on the hydrophones as we came in, but he was the only one that we were able to spot. We had found him a half an hour earlier just north of Kelp Reef. It was a big thrill for the family that was out with me. The daughter of the family wants to be a marine biologist, and was especially excited.
Capt. Jim Maya, Maya's Westside Charters, San Juan Island