Jpod and Minke Whales! June 30th, 2009.

Here are pictures by Ron Bates, MMRG, from todays encounters with Jpod Resident Orcas and Minke Whales. Jpod was first encountered near Lime Kiln and hung around the west side of San Juan Island all day. At least 3 Minke Whales were also sighted near Hein Bank today feeding on the abundant food such as Sand Lance.

It was another great day on the water and a wonderful end to Orca Month!

Clipper Navigation celebrates 23 years! June 29, 2009.

Five Star Whale Watching would like to Congratulate to Clipper Navigation on celebrating their 23rd anniversary! We hope you have many more years of safe and successful crossings between Seattle and Victoria.

Southern Resident Orcas and Minke Whales! June 29, 2009.

What a wonderful day to be on the Salish Sea with calm seas, blue skies and lots of wildlife, including the Southern Resident Orcas and a number of Minke Whales.

Please enjoy the pictures above taken by Ron Bates, MMRG.

Resident Orcas and Minke Whales!! June 28th, 2009.

This morning we headed East towards San Juan Island after Ron Bates, MMRG, received reports that Jpod, along with a number of Lpod Orcas, had been sighted near Andrew's Bay heading North. As we arrived on scene near Spieden Island we could see the Orcas were spread out of a large area. The Orcas were moving quite fast towards Turn Point and we could also see signs of fishing. However, three Lpod Orcas were lagging behind Jpod and we sat watching these three Orcas L2, L78 and L88, which is a Matriarcal line, L2 being the mother and Matriarc.

In the afternoon we again found the L2 Matriarc group near Spieden Island and we watched them moving south towards Lime Kiln lighthouse. After watching the Orcas for a while we decided to head south along the west side of San Juan Island to see if we could see any other wildlife and we were not to be disappointed! First we came across a number of Dall's Porpoise not far from Lime Kiln lightouse and a couple of these robust and speedy Cetaceans briefly rode our bow wave. We then travelled to Hein Bank were we could see thousands of marine birds including Rhinoceros Auklets and several speciaes of Seagulls including Heermanns Gulls. As we wached these birds form a number of large and shifting bait balls we suddenly saw not one but up to 4 Minke Whales surface and lunge feed on the bait balls, it was an incredible sight!

As we were sat still with our engines off suddenly one Minke Whale surfaced very close to the boat, just over 100 yeards away, much to the surprise of both the passengers and crew but what a pleasant surprise except for the smell! No wonder Minke's have earned the nickname "Stinky Minke":)

It was a beautiful day to be on the water yet again!

Saturday evening with Jpod! June 27th, 2009.

We caught up with Jpod this evening just south of Lime Kiln Whale Park and observed the pod steadily moving north. As we watched the pod we saw a number of breaches, spyhops and tailslaps. We also witnessed a number of the Orcas fishing for Salmon.

The highlight of the trip was a nice pass by J1 "Ruffles" and a number of Jpod.

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2009 AN OCEAN FULL OF WHALES!

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2009 AN OCEAN FULL OF WHALES!
Sometimes even our imagination doresn't prepare us for what can happen out on the water...Killer Whales (Orcas) moving from one location to another in an unpredictable manner, and then Minke Whales popping up through masses of small fishes...Awe inspiring.

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2009 RESIDENT KILLER WHALES & SEVERAL MINKE WHALES!!

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2009 RESIDENT KILLER WHALES & SEVERAL MINKE WHALES!!

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, Evening Trip, K -pod of Resident Killer Whales

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, Evening Trip, K -pod of Resident Killer Whales
Here are some pictures, with thanks to Photos by Kyla Graham, Official Whale Nerd http://www.maiacetus.blogspot.com/)

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2009, Afternoon Trip, K-pod of Resident Killer Whales, More Minkes & One Darn Cute Seal!!

Harbour Seal Floating on a Raft of Kelp!

Minke Whale surging as it feeds on through Capelin or Herring fry


Gulls and Rhinoceros Auklets hovering above Minke Whale looking for left-overs

K40, known as "Raggedy" because of all the bite marks along the trailing edge of her dorsal fin. Love bites from amorous males?


FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2009, Afternoon Trip, K-pod of Resident Killer Whales, More Minkes & One Darn Cute Seal!!

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2009, Morning Trip MINKE WHALES AT HEIN BANK & K-POD OF ORCAS

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2009, Morning Trip MINKE WHALES AT HEIN BANK & K-POD OF ORCAS

On Friday morning we headed out on calm seas with no reports of whales, knowing only that on Thursday night J-pod and K-pod had headed North and were probably still somewhere within 40 miles (60kms) of Victoria. But were they North, East, South or West?

We headed South from Victoria out to the middle of Juan de Fuca Strait so that we could use binoculars to scan up to 3 miles in all directions. No finding any whales there, we proceeded East to Hein Bank, where we encountered large flocks of birds; a good indication of large schools of fish near the surface, often pushed to the surface by large cetacea as they surge up from the depths. Soon after arriving we saw one Minke Whale [10 meters (30 feet) in length and weighing about 10 tonnes]...and then another...and another, at least 4 whales in total.



We got a report of Transient Killer Whales, but they were out West past Sooke and quickly moving away from us. But just as our hopes waned, we received a call that there were Orcas coming down the West side of San Juan Island. We headed North as quickly as we could and were able to catch a quick view of K-pod of Resident (Fish-Eating) Killer Whales before we had to head back in to get our passengers back to Victoria for connections to the next part of their visit to Victoria.

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2009 J-pod & K-pod Return

With a telephoto lens you can see the Salmon in the mouth of this K-pod whale as she swims away.




THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2009 J-pod & K-pod Return

Weds, June 24, 2009 J-pod of Southern Resident (Fish-Eating) Killer Whales

Weds, June 24, 2009 J-pod of Southern Resident (Fish-Eating) Killer Whales

J & K Pod!! June 23rd, 2009.

A full boat of delighted passengers:)

Young couple relaxes whilst contemplating the amazing trip with J & Kpod!

Early this morning Ron Bates, MMRG, received reports that Orcas had been sighted off William Head. Ron coordinates the search for the whales everyday and works with people in both Canada and the US (drivers, fishermen and people on land). Every day an area almost the size of Texas must be searched for the Whales and other Marine wildlife we encounter and this search is organized by Commodore Ron;)

In the morning our vessel Fastcat followed the Orcas, soon id as J & K Pod by Ron and Naturalist Kyla (Kyla worked at the Center for Whale Research as a volunteer 2 summers ago, helping to identify the Southern Resident Orcas), as they made their way past the Victoria waterfront. The Orcas were in resting formation for most of the morning but picked up speed in the afternoon as they headed towards San Juan Island.

In the afternoon the we caught up with J Pod just north of Lime Kiln Lighthouse, whilst K Pod were still further south towards False Bay.

As we observed the Orcas we had a wonderful encounter with J16 "Slick"(born in 1972) and her off-springs that includes J26 "Mike" (a male born in 1991) and J42 (born in May 2007). This sub pod of Jpod is very typical of Resident Orca pod structure with a female with her off-spring that will stay with their mother as long as she is alive.

Our passengers were thrilled to see several breaches, spyhops, tailslaps, porpoising and more as we followed the Orcas past Henry Island.

Thanks to Ron Bates (the Whale Guru) and his network, we once again had a wonderful day on the water with the Southern Resident Orcas:)

LPod in the morning and J & K pod in the afternoon:) June 22nd, 2009.

The picture below is of a Yellow-bellied Marmot (Marmota flaviventris), also known as the Rock Chuck, is a ground squirrel.. It lives in the Western US and southwestern Canada. Yellow-bellied Marmots usually weigh between 5 and 11 pounds (2 and 5 kg) when fully grown. It is very unusual to see Marmots in Victoria.

What a day on the water with both Lpod, Jpod and Kpod in our area! Our tour this morning caught up with Lpod who were heading out west and we had a wonderful time watching L41 and the other members of Lpod.

In the afternoon J & K Pod had traveled all the way from near the mouth of the Frazer River to Turn Point, which is where we encountered them. The Orcas were travelling at over 7 knots and we could see a lot of high speed porpoising. The highlight of the tour was when we witnessed a very high spyhop by J2 "Granny", an amazing feet for an old girl of 98!

More pictures from this afternoons Superpod trip!! June 21st, 2009.

Here are more pictures from yesterday's amazing Superpod trip taken by Ron Bates, MMRG.

More pictures from the AM trip, June 21st 2009.

The images above from the morning tour were taken by Ron Bates, MMRG. Our vessel Fastcat first found at least 3 and possibly as many as five Minke Whales at Hein Bank and then Ron Bates received reports of Jpod at Iceberg.

1st Superpod of the Summer on the Solstice!! June 21st, 2009.

J1, the grand old Father at 58 years old! Happy Fathers day Ruffles and to all Fathers:)

For the first time this summer we had all three pods in the same area! As J, K and Lpod they came together we witnessed the rare and breathtaking greeting ceremony near Pender Island:) We observed the Orcas high-speed Porpoising towards each other and then several breaches, cartwheels, spyhops, tailslaps and pectoral slaps as the Orcas greeted each other. This was the first time all 3 pods had been in the area this time and the last time was in February.

Watching a greeting ceremony between Orcas is something to really cherish and fills you with awe! As over 80 Orcas moved through the water it looked like whale soup;)

This was one of those very special trips that remind us all why we do this incredible job and I would not have missed it for the world!

Incredible morning trip with the L12's & L22's and then Jpod! June 21, 2009.

We headed over to the west side of San Juan Island in Supercat this morning, after Ron Bates, MMRG, received reports that members of Lpod had been sighted near False Bay. Meanwhile Ron and our vessel Fastcat headed further south towards Iceberg and made contact with Jpod.

Whilst watching the L12's we observed some signs of fishing. The Orcas were spread out and obviously aware that Jpod was further to the south.

As we traveled south towards Jpod we could see more of the L's porpoising towards Jpod and as we arrived on scene we observed several syhops, tailslaps and breaches. One Orca in particular breached a half dozen times!

On our way home we stopped off at the Chain Islets to check out the Harbor Seals, who will be giving birth to pups any day now.

Jpod in the morning and Transient Orcas in the afternoon & Evening! June 20th, 2009.

The pictures below were taken by Ron Bates, MMRG.

The picture above and the four pictures below are of the T49's

The picture above and the three below are of Jpod.

We spent the morning with Jpod who were moving rapidly North on the West side of San Juan Island. When we arrived on scene Jpod had already moved past Lime Kiln lighthouse.

In the afternoon and evening our tours encountered the T49's a group of Transient Marine Mammal eating Orcas. Whilst watching the Orcas we saw several kills including a dramatic Seal kill right at the entrance to Sooke Harbour during our evening tour!

FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2009, L-12 Sub-pod & J-pod in the area!!

FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2009, L-12 Sub-pod & J-pod in the area!!

Classic June weather and classic June sightings! Passengers on "Five Star Supercat" were required to pound through some surging tides, but we were all rewarded with excellent opportunities to see the grace and power of the Southern Resident Killer Whales.

Sound Watch Boater Education Program.

http://www.whalemuseum.org/programs/soundwatch/soundwatch.html

Every summer the Sound Watch team is on the water and visiting boats in local harbor, educating boaters on good practices around Orcas and other Marine Mammals. Visit the link above to learn more about the Sound Watch boater Education program, the Whale Wise guidelines and how you can help this very worthwhile program.

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2009, J-POD OF SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES RETURN!!!

THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 2009, J-POD OF SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES RETURN!!!

After "going for a three week walkabout", J-pod returned to the waters West of Victoria. While they were away we have had wonderful sightings of the L-12 sub-pod, K20 and K38, Humpback Whales and Minke Whales...but there has always been a soft spot in our hearts for J-pod.
We made two long trips out past Sooke today, as far as Jordan River: From the positive comments that our passengers made it was well worth it!

Afternoon encounter with the L12's & L22's! June 17th, 2009.

This afternoon we returned to the west side of San Juan Island where the L 12's and L22's were still hanging around. As we arrived on scene we could see several Orcas were actively fishing for Salmon. We watched in awe as these supreme predators hunted and caught their prey. In particular we had one wonderful example of the speed and agility of these apex predators as we watched L79"Skana" hunt for Salmon. When hunting Orcas can reach speeds in short burst of over 20knts!

As the wind picked up during the afternoon we also witnessed a number of the Orcas playing in the 2-3 foot waves. For most of the trip the Orcas were spread out but we then saw one of the males make a large tail slap and shortly after he was joined by three other Orcas and we witnessed a lot of fishing. Obviously this tail slap was to tell the others that he had found a large number of Salmon and to come on over!

Morning encounter with L12's and L22's! June 17th, 2009.

We headed out this morning with both our Expedition Catamarans full of excited passengers hoping to see Orcas and they were not to be disappointed. Within 40 minutes of leaving Victoria Harbour we were nearing the West side of San Juan Island after receiving reports that the L12's and L22's had been sighted just off-shore.

The Orcas at first were widely spread as they searched for Salmon but as we watched a group came together a swam in formation northwards, it was a wonderful sight:) Our expert naturalists soon id several Orcas including L79, L22, L12, L25, L94, L77 and one of our old favourites, L41 "Mega" a male born in 1977.

Just as we were about to head home we had a fantastic pass by a group of Orcas just over 100 m from our boat, it was the perfect end to another Five Star adventure on the Salish Sea!

MV Coho Celebrates 50th Anniversary! June 17th, 2009.

The Coho Ferry had an escort this afternoon including the fire boat to celebrate its 50th Anniversary.

This afternoon's visit to Victoria Harbour was a very special moment for the MV Coho Ferry and its owners BlackBall Transportation, it marked the 50th Anniversary of this vital link between Victoria and Port Angeles. Five Star Whale Watching would like to congratulate all the Crew aboard the Coho and Blackball Transportation on this historic milestone and wish her many more sailings!

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2009, L-12 Sub Pod of SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES & m.v. "COHO" FERRY'S 50th ANNIVERSARY

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2009, L-12 Sub Pod of SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES & m.v. "Coho" Ferry's 50th Anniversary!!

Humpback Whales found by Five Star Crew in the morning and members of Lpod in the afternoon! June 16th, 2009.

We set off this morning with a boat full of eager and excited passengers hoping to find one of the various species of Cetacean that can be viewed near Victoria. Our vessel, Fastcat, decided to head directly south of Victoria Harbour on a hunch and it proved to be a wise decision as just 3 miles west of Race Rocks we encountered not one but two large Humpback Whales! This was a thrilling find as we do not usually see Humpbacks Whales at this time of the year and to see two was very exciting for both the passengers and crew. We paralleled the Humpback Whales as they slowly made their way east and did see a number of impressive tail flukes as the animals went on deep dives.

In the afternoon we headed out of the harbour and were on our way to Race Rocks when Ron Bates, MMRG, received reports that several Orcas had been sighted to the West, moving towards Victoria. When we arrived on scene a few minutes later we soon recognized a group of Lpod Orcas known as the L12's. We spotted L41 "Mega", a large male, further offshore than the main group and so we paralleled Mega as he traveled East. Whilst observing L41 we saw him fishing for Salmon several times along with a female that could have been one of his siblings. Watching these large Cetaceans move swiftly and skillfully through the water at speeds up to 20 knots as they chased the Salmon was awesome.

On our way home we stopped near Haystok to see the various Harbor Seals and also a Bald Eagle, what an end to a perfect day:)

Transient Orcas near Victoria! June 15th, 2009.

The images below were taken by Ron Bates, MMRG.

Early this morning Ron Bates, MMRG, had confirmed reports that 3 Transient Orcas (Marine Mammal eating Orcas) have been sighted near Becher Bay and so our vessel Supercat headed west. Shortly after leaving the Harbor our vessel was on scene with the three Transients, much to the delight of our passengers. We believe we may have witnessed a kill whilst we observed the Orcas, possibly of a Harbor Seal. Apart from the Orcas we also saw Northern Elephant Seals, Sealions and a large number of Harbor Seals, which is what probably attracted the Orcas into the area in the first place.

In the afternoon we again saw the Transient who had by now traveled further into the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Orcas can travel up to 100 miles in a 24 hour period and are constantly moving in search of food. The Transients were identified as T87, T88 and T97.

It was another wonderful day on the water!

Minke Whales and Humpback Whale! June 14th,2009

The picture above and the ones below were taken by Ron Bates, MMRG.

Despite a brisk wind we had another incredible day on the water today with at least three Minke Whales and a Humpback Whale in the area.

Apart from these magnificent Baleen Whales we also saw Porpoise, Seals, Elephant Seals and Sealions.

SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2009, MINKE WHALE

SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2009, MINKE WHALE

"There is a way that nature speaks, that the ocean speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story."
Linda Hogan

You never can be sure what you will see when you get out onto the water. Most days we are thrilled by the variety of marine species that we encounter. And some days, for whatever reason, we are all but "shut out" and it is almost as if most of the creatures have somehow just disappeared. But in that there is mystery, too.

Certainly it is not for a lack of effort: In fact, these are the days when we travel further, logging more nautical miles and using the last ounce of energy to scan every inch of the sea for creatures to show to our passengers.

By identifying and watching a massive flock of birds feasting on fish we are able to predict that something large must be pushing that "Bait Ball" up to the surface.

Today we were blessed to see a Minke Whale.

FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2009, UNEXPECTED HUMPBACK SIGHTING!!!

FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 2009, UNEXPECTED HUMPBACK SIGHTING!!!

It is very unusual for us to see a Humpback Whale off the Victoria waterfront at this time of year. Most are already up in Alaska or Northern B.C. feeding the massive blooms of Krill, the small shrimp-like creatures that form the majority of their diet.

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2009 L-12 sub-pod of Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus Orca)

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2009 L-12 sub-pod of Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus Orca)

"Oh, what a day!".

That's what we said when we awoke to beautiful weather. Little did we know that our day was only going to get better. Very active whales, with lots of feeding and socializing.

"Oh, what a day!".

Five Star Whale Watching has found the L12's! June 11th, 2009.

We have just had confirmed reports that one of our vessels has sighted the L12's (part of Lpod) off the West Coast of San Juan Island! More details to follow.

Members of Kpod and Lpod, plus Transient Orcas! June 10th, 2009.

After several days of traveling the Salish Sea on there own, today K20 and K38 finally had some company as they met up with the L12's including L12, L41 and L77!

There were also reports of Transient Orcas in the area including T20 & T21. Transient Orcas are different than the Resident Orcas, as Transient eat warm blooded Marine Mammals, whereas the Resident Orcas are fish eaters, primarily Salmon. Resident Orcas also tend to travel in larger pods (family groups) than Transient Orcas. There is also a third type of Orca called the Off-shores that rarely visit coastal waters and as a result there is still little known about this type of Orca.

We are fortunate in Victoria to often encounter both Resident and Transient Orcas in the local waters.

More images and information will be posted on our blog shortly.

Multiple Minke Whales! June 9th, 2009.

The pictures below of the Minke Whales were taken by Ron Bates, MMRG.

Today we had multiple Minke Whales during our afternoon tour. We headed out towards Hein Bank and found there at least three Minke Whales possible as many as five. Over the last week we have seen more and more Minke Whales in this area as they are attracted here by the abundance of food such as Sand Lance (a small thin fish).

Apart from the Minke Whales we also saw over a hundred Harbor Porpoise chasing after schooling fish in the tide lines. We also saw many Harbor Seals, many looking like they are about to give birth to pups!

It was another beautiful day on the water and our guests enjoyed the adventure.

Happy Ocean Day! Orcas and Minke Whales:) June 8th, 2009.

The pictures below were taken by Ron Bates, MMRG.

Bald Eagle

Harbor Seals

Nuclear Sub

K20 and K38 "Comet" (calf born in 2004)

K20 "Spock" born in 1986.

Minke Whale at Hein Bank.

Today is International Ocean Day and we celebrated at Five Star with an encounter with K20 "Spock" and her calf K38 "Comet". These two Orcas have been seen traveling alone over the last few days, which is highly unusual as the members of a Resident Pod normally travel close together.

We first observed K20 and K38 just south of Race Rocks but by mid afternoon they were already by Protection Island and traveling towards Whidbey Island.

Our passengers also saw Sealions, Porpoise, Harbor Seals and 3 of Minke Whales during our tours today. Being in the Salish sea was a wonderful way to celebrate Ocean Day.

Transient Orcas and Minke Whales! June 7, 2009,

Here are pictures taken by Ron Bates, MMRG, from todays encounters with Transient Orcas and Minkes Whales.

Members of KPod in the morning and Minke Whales in the afternoon and evening! June 6th, 2009.

This morning Ron Bates, MMRG, received reports that members of KPod had been sighted and vocalizations heard on the Hydraphone at Lime Kiln lighthouse. When our vessel arrived on scene they found two Orcas, a mother K20 and her calf K38 heading north. By early afternoon these two Orcas were already well on their way to Vancouver.

In the afternoon our vessel headed towards Hein Bank and found at least three different Minke Whales. During our evening tour we again headed towards Hein Bank and encountered at least three Minke Whales here plus one more further north as we travelled up Haro Straight towards Lime Kiln.

On our way home we stopped at Baumont Shoals and saw a large number of Harbor Porpoise. Then we stopped off at Great Chain Island where we watched an incredible encounter with a Bald Eagle and the Sea Gulls, one Sea Gull in particular had to fly for its life!

Five Star Whale Watching proud to support "The 5th annual Variety Boat for Hope". June 6th, 2009.

Five Star Whale Watching took part in today's "5th annual Variety Boat for Hope" celebration in Victoria inner Harbour. Our crew volunteered to take these wonderful children on a Pirate scavenge hunt within the Victoria inner Harbour.

"The Variety Boat for Hope, presented by Pharmasave provides children who have special needs with a fun-filled day on the water, where they can get a little wet, feel the breeze on their face and maybe even get into a little mischief. Parent’s and caregivers can also enjoy a fun and relaxing day, because we understand that for children and families who have special needs… not every day is smooth sailing."

http://www.variety.bc.ca/bfh/victoria.html

Both the crew and the children on board had an exhilarating, fun and wet experience:) Arrghh maties!

Five Star Whale Watching is proud to support this worth while and important fund raising event.

Minke Whales, Bald Eagles and stunning sunset! June 5th, 2009.

Today we encountered Minke Whales near Salmon Bank, despite choppy waters. We also saw a number of Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seals and Bald Eagles. A choppy seas state all day made it difficult to find wildlife but our crack crew was not to be defeated:)

The day was concluded by a stunning sunset as we returned home after another fun filled day!

Minke Whales on another record breaking day. June 4th, 2009.

Today we enjoyed another record breaking day on the water with temperatures in the 30's again. The calm seas and hot weather made for the perfect conditions on the water and we were fortunate enough to spend time with Minke Whales for the second straight day.

The pictures above were taken by Ron Bates, MMRG.

Minke Whales! June 3rd, 2009.

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Today on our tours in the morning and afternoon we were lucky to encounter not just one but up to three Minke Whales near Hein Bank. With temperatures in the 30's the water was the best place to be on such a gorgeous day and all our passengers enjoyed the wonders of the Salish Sea.

Minke Whales are a Balean Whale (filter feeder) and congregate around Hein Bank because their food gets concentrated here. These curious Rorquals (from the Norwegian word Rorhval, meaning furrow) has a series of pleats or foalds that they use to filter their food.

We also saw a number of harbor Porpoise, Dalls Porpoise, Harbor Seals and Bald Eagles during todays tours.

Five Star Whale Watching first to encounter L Pod! June 2nd, 2009.

We have just heard from our vessel that they have encountered members of L Pod (the L12's) near Albert Head! This is the first confirmed sighting of members of L Pod in the waters off Victoria this season and once again Five Star was the first on scene:)

Despite what others would claim, this was the first time members of L Pod had been seen in the area this season (March to October). The last time L Pod had been seen in the local waters was in February 2009, but that is considered the off-season by most experts/companies.

For all of us that love these amazing Cetaceans, we can rejoice that they have returned to the Salish Sea and hope for many more encounters this season.

Earlier in the day we had Transient Orcas in the area for the third straight day:)

Apart from the last two pictures, all the images above were taken by Ron Bates, MMRG.

Happy Orcas! An unforgettable Transient Orca experience, June1 2009.

Here are just a few images from todays unforgettable encounter with over 20 Transient Orcas! We witnessed at least two kills as well as a greeting ceremony as the two groups of Orcas came together, it was a magical experience:) Although watching a Transient Orca kill a prey animal can sometimes be a little sad to watch, it is also a very awe inspiring!

The most amazing occurance happened when we saw one of the Orcas lock onto Harbor Seal and Porpoise right over to the Seal before exploding on top of the helpless Seal. It sent chills down the spines of all that watched nature in its rawest.

As the two groups of Orcas came together we observed several spyhops, tailslaps, tail waves, breaches and pectoral waves.

June is Orca Awareness Month and what an awesome way to start the Month of June:)