Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research has confirmed that Paul Pudwell of Sooke Whale Watching located the five missing killer whales that have not been seen in U.S. waters this year. The whales were spotted July 15 off Sooke, B.C., which is west of Victoria on Vancouver Island.
Photo: Paul Pudwell
Paul was able to get pictures of all five whales suitable for identification by Ken and company.
By my reckoning, this should account for all the Southern Residents. While four new orca babies are thriving, we have had just one death to mourn over the past year. That brings the population to 82, up from 79 last year at this time. That number includes Lolita, a Southern Resident being kept at Miami Seaquarium. For a full accounting of the population, see Water Ways, July 1 and Water Ways, July 7.
To see the ID photos, check out the Facebook page of Sooke Coastal Explorations.
By the way, nobody has come up with new words to my proposed song, “L-54, Where Are You?”
