J-pod foraging for Salmon! Aug 11th, 2012

In the picture above you can actually see a Salmon in the mouth of the closest Orca!

Today we encountered Resident Orcas, mostly members of J-pod, foraging for Salmon near San Juan Island! Resident Orcas spend a lot of their time Foraging (hunting & killing) Salmon as they need to eat anywhere from 5-10% of their body weight a day in Salmon. The Southern Resident Orcas of J, K & L-pod, specialize in feeding mostly on large Chinook (King Salmon) Salmon as these as the largest of the Salmon species found in the Pacific North West.
Resident Orcas use a sophisticated form of Sonar, called Echo-Location, which they use to locate the Salmon. When they get up close they can intensify the sonar pings and actually stun the Salmon, making it easier for them to kill. In the pictures above you can actually see a Salmon in the mouth of one of the  Orcas!