Thursday, September 06, 2012

Incredible encounter with Resident Orcas! Sept 1st, 2012










































We had incredible encounters today with Resident Orcas, members of L-pod off San Juan Island!
In the morning we caught up with the Resident Orcas near Salmon Bank as they were foraging off-shore. We saw L25 "Ocean Sun"  L41 "Mega", his sister L94 "Calypso" with her calf L113 "Cousteau", and L41's other sister L77 "Matia" with her new calf L119, who was born in May 2012. L119 was in a particularly rambunctious mood and was playing in a kelp bed:)
When we headed out in the afternoon the Resident Orcas had moved a little north and we encountered them near False Bay. Our first encounter was with L25 "Oceansun" who was foraging off-shore from the rest of L-pod. We then moved closer to the shore and encountered L77 and L119. Not long after we had been watching the two Resident Orcas, we suddenly saw breaching from both L119 but also L77 "Matia"! Other members of L-pod swam past our boat including L41 "Mega", who is now the oldest male in the Southern Resident Orcas and was born in 1977.
It was a wonderful day to be on the water with these incredible Marine Mammals:)

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