April 18th - Transient Orcas at Hein Bank again!

April 18th – Transient Orcas

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Andrew

Transient Orcas

For the second day in a row we encountered Transient Orcas at Hein Bank! The Orcas were soon identified as the TO65A’s, TO75, TO75B’s and TO75C1. This included the brand new Transient Orca baby T75B2 that is only a week old We were fortunate to get a call just after we left the harbour that Orcas had been spotted once again at Hein Bank so off we headed. The Orcas were in close formation and traveling north whilst we were on scene with them. We got some nice views of TO75B2 and the pod swam by and the baby was sticking close to  the mothers side.

Apart from the Orcas we also saw Harbor Porpoise and Harbor Seals as well as Bald Eagles. It was another wonderful day on the Salish Sea!
To see more images from today’s tour click on the link below;
April 18th – Transient Orcas

April 17th – Transient Orcas at Hein Bank

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Andrew

Tranient Orcas

Today we encountered a large group of Transient Orcas at Hein Bank that included the TO65A’s & TO75B’s. We had not heard anything about Orca sightings all day but just before we left the Harbour one of the American Boats headed to Hein Bank and stumbled upon a large group of Transient Orcas Hein Bank attracts a lot of Harbor Porpoise and Harbor Seals who feed at the bank on small bait fish and these Marine Mammals are Transient Orcas favorite food! The Orcas included the new Baby TO75B2, who is just a few days old.
Apart from the Orcas we also saw Harbor Seals and Bald Eagles today.

April 16th - Transient Orcas

April 16th – Transient Orcas in Upright Channel

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Andrew

Transient Orcas

Today we had a wonderful encounter with a large number of Transient Orcas in Upright Channel. The Orcas included the TO65A’s and the TO75B’s including a brand new baby Orca, TO75B2:) As we arrived on scene one of the Orcas did a head stand and waved its tail flukes high in the air! The Orcas then grouped together and moved through the channel towards San Juan Channel. We got some great views of the new baby, TO75B2 as they moved towards Friday Harbor in search of Harbor Seals.
Apart from the Orcas we also saw a large number of Sea Lions at Whale Rocks as well as a Bald Eagle. We also saw some Harbor Porpoise and Harbor Seals. It was a beautiful day on the water!
To see more images from this trip please click on the link below;
April 16th – Transient Orcas

April 15th - Jpod

April 15th – Jpod & the Babies at Middle Bank!

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Andrew

Jpod & the Babies

Today we had a wonderful encounter with Jpod & the Babies near Middle Bank. All the pod was together including all 3 Babies, J50, J51 & J52, and all looked happy & healthy! The Orcas were in a very sleepy mode and could not seem to decide which direction to travel. They seemed to be doing large circles around Middle Bank and we hardly traveled at all the entire time we were with the Orcas. It was especially exciting for our enthusiastic passengers to see the new Babies:)
Apart from the Orcas we also saw Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seals and Bald Eagles. Sun shine, calm seas, fun people, an encounter with Jpod & the Babies, what more could you ask for!
To see more images from this amazing day click on the link below;
April 15 – Jpod and the babies!

April 14th - Transient Orcas

April 14th – Transient Orcas (TO49A’s) near James Island!

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Andrew

Transient Orcas

Today was another epic day when we found Transient Orcas, the TO49A’s, at the south end of James Island There had been a report of Orcas heard on the hydrophones at Orcasound early in the morning but despite a few boats searching there had been no sight of them. We headed out and decided to concentrate our search around Darcy, Sidney, & Mandarte Island, playing a hunch that the Orcas may be somewhere in that area. Thankfully our hunch paid off as we found the T49A’s at the South East corner of James Island The Orcas were in a very sleepy mood slowly moving north up Sidney Channel. At one stage we even saw a Sea Lion swim past the sleepy Orcas who obviously were not hungry, lucky for the Sea Lions! The Orcas continued north following the eastern shoreline of James Island. Our guests were so thrilled that we had found these Transient Orcas and so were we.
We also encountered Steller Sea Lions (the largest Sea Lions in the world) at Kelp Reef. We also visited the Bird Colony at Mandarte Island as well as Harbor Seals at the Chain Islets. On our way home the wind had picked up and our guests enjoyed a lively ride across the waterfront where we got to witness some high flying Kite Boarders!
You can see more images from this epic trip by clicking on the link below;
April 14th – Transient Orcas near James Island

April 12th - Bigg's Killer Whales

April 12th – Bigg’s Killer Whales (TO49A’s) near Orcas & Shaw Island!

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Andrew

Bigg’s Killer Whales

Today we traveled deep into the San Juan Island to have a wonderful encounter with Bigg’s Killer Whales, the TO49A’s. These Orcas had been spotted East of Shaw Island heading west in the morning but made very little progress throughout the day. By the time we headed out in the afternoon they were still a long way from Victoria but we were determined to show our passengers these Apex Predators. We arrived on scene between Orcas & Shaw Island and the Orcas looked like they were finishing up a kill, probably of a Harbor Seal, their favorite prey. They then began to move West along the shoreline of Shaw Island.
Bigg’s Killer Whales are another name for Transient Orcas and the name is on honour of Dr. Michael Bigg. Dr. Michael A. Bigg (1939–1990) was a Canadian Marine Biologist who is recognized as the founder of modern research on Killer Whales (Orcas). With his colleagues, he developed new techniques for studying killer whales and conducted the first population census of Orcas in the Pacific Northwest. Bigg’s work in wildlife photo-identification enabled the longitudinal study of individual killer whales, their travel patterns, and their social relationships in the wild, and revolutionized the study of Cetaceans.
Apart from the Orcas we also encountered Sea Lions at Kelp Reef and Harbor Seals at the Chain Islets. We also saw a large number of Bald Eagles at the Chain Islets.
It was a beautiful day on the water with a great group of enthusiastic passengers that were thrilled to see the Orcas and other wildlife!
You can see more images from this tour by clicking on the link below;
April 12th – Bigg’s Killer Whales

April 9th - Transient Orcas

April 9th – Transient Orcas T049A’s, south of Victoria!

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Andrew

Transient Orcas

We headed out today with our vessel full of wonderful excited guests and what an amazing day it turned out to be with Transient Orcas south of Victoria! The Orcas were identified as the TO49A’s and we caught up with near Constance Bank. When we first arrived on scene the Orcas were moving swiftly to the south west and then one youngster began to play with an older brother, they seemed to be having lots of fun:)
As the Transient Orcas were moving west, we decided to take the opportunity to visit Race Rocks Ecological Reserve where we saw a large number of Harbor Seals, Northern Elephant Seals and at least 3 Bald Eagles. We then headed a little further west and saw a large number of Dall’s Porpoise, that then started to bow ride our boat (they love the duel hulls of our Expedition Catamaran), which is always a thrill for our guests.
We then headed back East towards Race Rocks where we encountered the TO49A’s just south of the Ecological Reserve. Once again we witnessed the youngster playing with the older brother and got to see several breaches, tail slaps and Spyhops! The Orcas continued to travel west at about 8 knots so we left them and headed over to look at the Sea Lions at Race Rocks before heading home.
With calm seas, sunny skies and so much marine life to enjoy, this was one very memorable day! Please don’t forget to visit our Trip Advisor Page and leave some kind comments about this trip:)
You can see more images from today’s tour by clicking on the following link:
April 9 – Transient Orcas

April 6th – Transient Orcas in Rosario!

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Andrew

Transient Orcas

Today we went the extra mile, or two, to encounter Transient Orcas in Rosario Strait! The  Orcas were the TO49A’s and TO123’s. As we watched them in the picturesque setting of Rosario Strait, the Orcas zigged & zagged as they hunted for Harbor Seals or Harbor Porpoise, their favorite prey. We also encountered several Sea Lions at Whale Rocks. Near Beaumont Shoals we also saw over a hundred Harbor Porpoise. We also saw Harbor Seals at the Chain Islets and Bald Eagles. It was another beautiful day!
To see more images from today’s tour click on the link below;
April 6th – Transient Orcas

April 4th – Transient Orcas near Henry Island!

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Andrew

Transient Orcas

For our second trip of the season we encountered Transient Orcas, the TO65A’s near Henry Island. This particular group of Orcas had not been seen in the area for a while so it was great to see them again The Orcas hugged the shoreline as they circled around Henry Island and then headed over to Spieden Island. Apart from the Orcas we also got to see several large Stellar Sea Lions at Kelp Reef as well as Harbor Seals and Bald Eagles at the Chain Islets. It was another wonderful day!
April 4th – Transient Orcas

April 3rd – First trip of the season with Jpod!

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Andrew

Jpod

We could have not asked for a better way to start the 2015 season than with Jpod thrilling our boat full of excited passenger! The first inkling we had that Jpod was in area was when our Captain Trev and Ron Bates (the Guru) heard  calls on Lime Kiln hydrophone. Jpod had been seen passing Nanaimo on Thursday evening and then were picked up by a boat north of Beaumont Shoals.
By the time we headed out the Orcas had moved further south and we encountered south of Seabird Point. We had all of Jpod including the new Babies:) It was a wonderful trip as the pod closed formation as they switched to sleeping mode. They were fighting a strong current so although they were pointing west they hardly moved the entire time we were out.
Apart from the wonderful encounter with Jpod we also saw Sea Lions, Harbor Seals and many Bald Eagles. What a wonderful way to start the 2015 Whale Watching season!
You can see more images from this amazing trip by clicking on the link below;
Resident Orcas April 3rd

Another New Baby in Jpod, J52!

Another New Jpod Baby J52!

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Andrew

Jpod baby J52

Image of the new Jpod Baby J52, taken by Jeanne Hyde

ANOTHER JPOD BABY J52!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michael Harris, Executive Director,
Pacific Whale Watch Association / (206) 465-6692
March 30, 2015
NEW PHOTOS AVAILABLE!
Pacific Whale Watch Association Crews Report Another Birth Today in Southern Resident Community, Its Fourth Calf in Three Months – Confirmed by Center for Whale Research
Newborn J-Pod calf seen today near Active Pass, BC.
The baby boom continues in Orca Country.
Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) crews report today a new calf spotted among the endangered Southern Resident Community, the population’s fourth baby in three months. The birth was confirmed tonight by the Center for Whale Research.
Naturalist/researcher Jeanne Hyde was onboard with Capt. Spencer Domico of Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching shortly after noon today watching the subgroup J16s with their three-month-old calf J50 off Galiano Island, BC.
“We were assuming we had only the J16s,” recounts Hyde. “And as they passed in front of the boat I saw a small calf surfacing next to J16 and said, ‘there’s the baby.’ But then J50 surfaced behind all the rest. That’s when I told Spencer, ‘I think there are two calves!”
The crew noted heavy fetal folds on the baby, which indicates that it was newborn.
Also out today with the newest addition to the Southern Resident Community were Capt. Jim Maya of Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching on San Juan Island, and Capt. Mark Malleson of Prince of Whales of Whales Whale Watching in Victoria.
“J-Pod is certainly doing all it can to rebuild the ranks,” explains Michael Harris, Executive Director of the PWWA, which represents 29 whale watch operators in Washington and British Columbia taking out about a half-million passengers a year. “The Southern Residents are a long way from being out of the woods, these calves too, but this is great news. We’re going to keep a careful watch on these babies and our fingers crossed – and of course continue to do everything we can to rebuild these salmon runs and feed these whales. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but it’s pretty clear the efforts PWWA and so many other groups are undertaking on both sides of the border on salmon recovery is taking us in the right direction. Let’s hope this baby boom means these endangered population has finally turned the corner.”
This latest addition would bring the Southern Residents to 81 individuals, with its 82nd member, the L-Pod whale Lolita, now in Miami Seaquarium.
HOW TO HELP: For all those who want to help the whales, become a Member of The Center for Whale Research! The Pacific Whale Watch Association is proud to be a longtime supporter of Ken Balcomb and his team. Help them help the whales. www.whaleresearch.com

Jpod off San Juan Islands on March 18th, 2015

We received a report today that Jpod, including the two new babies, were heard on Lime Kiln Hydrophone and picked up traveling north on the west side of San Juan Island. Both babies were reported to be looking happy and healthy, which is excellent news. The Orcas were last seen exiting Active Pass and heading into Georgia Strait around 5.30pm.

A single Humpback Whale was also reported in Haro Strait near Gooch Island.

3 New Babies for the Southern Resident Orcas!

At the end of December 2014, The Center For Whale Research  confirmed that Jpod has a new baby! J50 was seen yesterday with J16 “Slick” who may be the mother. We wish the newest member of the Southern Resident Killer Whales a Happy & healthy life!

Press Release from Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research:
PRESS RELEASE
From Center for Whale Research
To Contact List
12 February 2015

Another New Baby in J pod!
After spending the past two weeks near the west entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, J pod finally came back into the interior Salish Sea waters and showed off another brand new baby whale to the few observers that braved the mist and light rain and watched the whales swim by from land and from vessels at respectful distance. Dave Ellifrit from the Center for Whale Research, and Jeanne Hyde who first heard the whales on Lime Kiln hydrophone this morning, embarked on the Center ‘s research vessel “Chimo” to Haro Strait while CWR Senior Scientist, Ken Balcomb, watched from shore and managed communications.
The late December calf, J50, with its J16 family were seen today as well; but, the big news is that J19 and J41 were swimming protectively on either side on another new baby that we estimate is about one week old. This newest addition to J pod is designated J51, and the presumed mother is thirty-six year old J19. Her ten-year old daughter, J41, was also in attendance. The newest baby appears healthy.
This brings us to twenty-six whales in J pod, the most viable pod in the Endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population of the US and Canada Pacific Northwest. K pod has 19 individuals, and L pod has 34 individuals for a total population of 79 SRKW’s as of today. That number can change anytime with the birth or death of one of these charismatic whales.
Photos by Dave Ellifrit, Center for Whale Research.

New L pod calf!!
Dr. Brad Hanson (NOAA) gives us this latest news from the orca research cruise as well as an update on location of L pod:
25 February update – We were about 15 miles west of Westport this morning when we resighted the whales and observed a new calf – L94 appears to be the mother. To recap since our previous posting, on 23 February we were off Cape Lookout, Oregon following the whales north. Yesterday, we continued following the whales north past the mouth to the Columbia River. Since L84 was tagged a week ago we have been with all of K pod but only part of L pod. On 23 February Jon Scordino with Makah Fisheries sent us photos taken on 20 February of L25 off Cape Flattery, which indicated another part of L pod was in the general area. This morning, shortly after we launched our Zodiac we observed L41, part of the group that includes L25, indicating that another group of L pod had joined up overnight – this is first time we have documented pods reuniting on the outer coast. Fortunately the whales were very grouped up and within a few minutes we observed the new calf – with its unique orange-ish color on the white areas. The calf looked very energetic. We have five more days on the cruise and look forward to additional observations of the calf and collecting additional prey and fecal samples.

2014 Season Highlights!

The link below show some of our favourite moments from the 2014 Season at Five Star Whale Watching! It was an amazing season with some incredible memories and made extra special by all the passengers we had the privilege to take out in 2014. Highlights included an increase in Humpback Whales again this year, including at least 3 mother & calves.  We also saw a large number of Pacific White-sided Dolphins on numerous occasions Thank you to all our friends and supporters and best wishes for 2015. We hope to see in 2015 (our 30th year in business)  for more adventures in the Salish Sea!

Please click on the link below to see more images from our 2014 season highlights;

2014 Season Highlights