Encounter Summary:

Members of J and K pods headed north past CWR in the morning while K and L pods members had been sighted heading in toward San Juan Island behind them.  We delayed our departure to let a heavy rain squall blow through before heading down to Snug Harbor.   Dave left aboard “Orcinus” at 1130 and Ken left aboard “Chimo” a few minutes later with the intent of going to the whales off the south end of the island.  Giles would head out in the orca scat detection boat “Moja”.

“Orcinus” saw K43 heading south by herself off Pile Point at 1148.  The whales were very spread out in singles and small groups so the next group Dave encountered was J28, J46, and J54 at 1205 off of American Camp.  This threesome was in a tight group heading slowly southeast.  J28 and J54 were still looking very thin.  This group was understandably a bit evasive and “Orcinus” left them still heading slowly southeast off the north end of South Beach at 1225.  A little north of the J28s, J17 and J53 slowly headed southwest loosely spread apart.  About a quarter mile north of J17 and J53, L88 and J44 were briefly together as both of them traveled slowly southwest offshore of the north end of South Beach.  Another quarter mile to the north of L88 and J44 was a group that included the J35s, L54s, L72s, and L85.  This group was social as they moved south and offshore.

K21 was seen about 3 quarters of a mile northwest of the larger social group actively chasing a salmon before he too started traveling south by himself.  After seeing a few other random individuals and pairs, “Orcinus” moved out toward Hein Bank where a few groups were starting to form.  The L4s, minus the L82s, were in one slow moving group heading south and the K12s were tight together also moving slowly south about a quarter mile behind the L4s.  The L4s did a bit of milling but were still generally moving south or southwest.  The L22s and L82s were also milling in a loose group another quarter mile to the south of the L4s.  Another group could be seen to the east near the north Hein Bank buoy and this ended up being the L47s and L92.  “Orcinus” had one brief pass with this group before heading home at 1500.  Ken in “Chimo” stayed out a while longer.