Orca Super pod
Southern Resident Killer Whales everywhere today… We saw a super pod all three pods: J,K and L, right off of Henry Island. It was amazing. At first they were a little spread out, and appeared to be fishing. Some orcas were very close to shore; some were slapping their flukes, maybe to stun the fish. The Southern Resident Orcas eat fish and they really seem to prefer Chinook salmon. They seemed to be working together. There were a couple big breaches and even some spy hopping. The orcas then began moving north, toward Stuart Island; it wasn’t till then that we realized we were witnessing a super pod. After moving off Henry Island they began to change their behavior, they seemed to synchronize their breathing and began moving closely together. They also slowed down. This behavior is known as logging or resting.
After leaving the orcas we headed to the Cactus Islands, they are north of San Juan Island. We spotted a couple bald eagles and some harbor seals with their pups. The pups are super cute. We also got some great views of Mouflon sheep on Spieden Island. And just when we thought our trip was over, the harbor porpoises showed up.
Another great trip with San Juan Safaris on the Sea Lion…
Naturalist Jeannette
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