Reports of J pod should bring hope and relief
June 18th, 2009 by cdunaganUPDATE
A group of orcas swam by Lime Kiln State Park earlier in the day Saturday, but they were gone by the time OrcaSing started in the evening, according to notes with photos by People for Puget Sound. Still, everybody seemed to have a good time, according to reports. Also, check out the YouTube video by The Whale Museum.
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With luck, J pod will be back in the San Juan Islands Saturday in
time for “Orca Sing,” an annual celebration of Puget Sound’s
beloved killer whales on San Juan Island.
Three members of L pod shown in a
rare "triple tail lob" Wednesday off the western shore of San Juan
Island.
Photo by Jim Maya, Maya's Westside Charters
This morning, I received a report that J pod had been spotted with a portion of L pod near Jordan River at the southern end of Vancouver Island, west of Victoria. That’s just a spy hop and a jump away from their summer waters in the San Juan Islands.
Charterboat operator Jim Maya told me about J pod hanging out with a group called the L-12s when I contacted him about using the photo on this page — a rare “triple tail lob,” in which three orcas slap their flukes at once. Maya, who has 20 years experience on the water, says he has never seen one of these maneuvers before, let alone capturing it with a camera.
The L-12s have been in and out of the San Juans lately, but J pod has not been seen for about a month. Many people have been worried, since J pod is known to spend much of its time in inland waters, especially at this time of year. (See Water Ways, June 12.)
If J pod really is at the south end of Vancouver Island as of this posting, the whales could be back to the San Juans by tonight or tomorrow — though there are never any guarantees that they will show up for Orca Sing.
Experts at the Center for Whale Research are ready to see if all the animals are accounted for and if their are any newborns in the group.
Orca Sing, now in its 10th year, begins at 6 p.m. at Lime Kiln State Park with “Stories and Sounds,” an update on the orcas and their activities by Cindy Hansen, education coordinator for The Whale Museum.
Music by the City Cantabile Choir and guests begins at 7 p.m., as participants watch for whales off the western shore of San Juan Island. Last year, a large number of orcas showed up to make it one of the most memorable events in the series.
Some years, the whales have not been seen, however.
“We tell people to come and make a day of it,” said Jenny Atkinson of The Whale Museum, who has helped to organize the event.
She suggests bringing a picnic dinner and carpooling to the park, since parking is limited. For information, e-mail Atkinson or Hansen or call (360) 378-4710.
Sponsors include City Cantabile Choir, The Whale Museum, People For Puget Sound, Friends of the San Juans, Whale Trail and the American Cetacean Society’s Northwest Chapter.
Tags: killer whales, orcas, OrcaSing
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
June 22nd, 2009 at 3:48 pm
UPDATE
A group of orcas swam by Lime Kiln State Park earlier in the day Saturday, but they were gone by the time OrcaSing started in the evening, according to a notes with photos by People for Puget Sound. Still, everybody seemed to have a good time, according to reports. Also, check out the YouTube video by The Whale Museum.
June 22nd, 2009 at 10:04 pm
I was one of the lucky kayakers on the water Sat. when J pod passed San Juan Island. Most of them passed a good 200 yards in front of us but the last 5 or 6 swam behind us and the shore. We got a very good look at them. One of the most amazing experiences of my life!!!!