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