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2018 Encounters

Encounter #52 - July 24, 2018
J44 and K35

J44 and K35

Photo by Michael Weiss

J47 taillob

J47 taillob

Photo by Michael Weiss

J17 and J46

J17 and J46

Photo by Michael Weiss

K35s fluke

K35s fluke

Photo by Michael Weiss

K35 taillob

K35 taillob

Photo by Michael Weiss

K16 and K35

K16 and K35

Photo by Michael Weiss

J47

J47

Photo by Michael Weiss

K35

K35

Photo by Dave Ellifrit

inverted K35

inverted K35

Photo by Dave Ellifrit

pec wave

pec wave

Photo by Dave Ellifrit

K35 aerial scan

K35 aerial scan

Photo by Dave Ellifrit

J44 spyhop

J44 spyhop

Photo by Dave Ellifrit

K16 and K35

K16 and K35

Photo by Dave Ellifrit

J53 and J46

J53 and J46

Photo by Dave Ellifrit

we can 
TOGETHER
HELP

The Southern Resident orcas need your help like never before.

For these 75 whales to survive, and for their community to grow, they need us to be their voice.
BECOME A CWR MEMBER; 
together we will be a strong collective voice for the whales.

Date: 24-jul-18

Sequence: 1

Encounter Number: 52

Enc Start Time: 12:10

Enc End Time: 15:50

Vessel: Orcinus

Observers: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss, Flora Miles

Pods or ecotype: J, K Pod

Location: Strait of Juan de Fuca and Haro Strait

Begin Lat/Long: 48 24.45, 123 13.30

End Lat/Long: 48 29.60, 123 06.36

 

Encounter Summary:

We received reports of residents on the westside of San Juan Island and inbound from the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the morning. Mark Malleson reported that the inbound whales were the J17s, and that they may have a new calf traveling with them. We left the dock at 11:30 and headed across Haro Strait to this inbound group to try to document the calf. We found the whales off Discovery Island. We first saw L87, traveling separate from the rest of the group. Ahead of him, we found the bulk of the J17s traveling together, without J35 or J47, but did not observe a new calf. After quickly photographing this group, we went back to find these remaining two whales.

We found J35 and J47 traveling several hundred yards behind the rest of the group, with J35 surfacing in an unorthodox manner. After a few surfacings, it became clear that she was carrying something on her rostrum. After several more surfacings, we confirmed that it was a deceased neonate, which we assume she had given birth to earlier that day. She continued to carry the neonate, often taking long dives, apparently to retrieve the neonate when she dropped it. We followed this pair as they headed towards San Juan Island. We briefly dropped a hydrophone, but no calls were heard from this pair. We left them at 1340 at Pile Pt, and at this point J35 was still carrying the calf.

We found another group of whales further north along the island, composed of the J22s, J14s, K16s, K21, and the rest of the J17s, fighting the flood tide as they moved south. We observed frequent foraging from this group, and focused on getting ID shots of K16 and K35, two whales that are seen less regularly than J pod whales. These whales later met back up with J35 and J47. J35 was still carrying the neonate. J47 and J44 spent their time socializing with older male K35, while the rest of the J17s spread out around them foraging. We ended the encounter at 1550, at which time J35 was still pushing her calf.

Photos taken under Federal Permits

NMFS PERMIT: 21238 / DFO SARA 388

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