L pod ‘peeks’ into inland waters, then heads back out
June 3rd, 2009 by cdunaganEach June, killer whale observers of all varieties wait for the three Puget Sound pods to arrive in the San Juan Islands for an extended stay.
I usually mark the arrival with a news story reminding local folks about the social structure and behavior of our resident pods. I was prepared to write this story when I heard that L pod was headed south through Johnstone Strait along Vancouver Island. Instead, I’ll wait. Here’s the story I did write for tomorrow’s Kitsap Sun:
For a brief time this week, it appeared that Puget Sound’s killer whales had returned to Washington waters to take up their summer residence.
Several members of L pod were seen off Victoria Tuesday, after traveling along the east side of Vancouver Island in Canada, according to reports compiled by Orca Network. But, instead of heading on east into the San Juan Islands, the L-pod orcas turned west into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, headed for the Pacific Ocean.
All three groups of Puget Sound orcas — J, K and L pods — typically spend their summers hunting salmon in and around the San Juans. While J and K pods have been around part of the winter, L pod last appeared for only a day or two in February. When L pod showed up Tuesday, it was a good bet that the whales were here for a longer stay, said Howard Garrett of Orca Network.
“They did a quick peek in, then headed out,” he said. “The supposition is that they didn’t find enough to eat.”
The whales’ primary diet is chinook salmon, which are normally running at this time of year. Maybe, Garrett said, they’ll be back in few days.
Gov. Chris Gregoire has proclaimed June “Orca Awareness Month.” For a list of events, visit Orca Network.
Tags: killer whales, Orca Network, orcas
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