We met up with members of the Southern Resident Orca Community off the south end of Lopez Island today. I was immediately able to identify Raggedy (or K40). She is easily identifiable because of her "raggedy" dorsal fin. The orcas appeared to be fishing. They were very spread out, traveling in no particular direction, and taking longer dives than usual. We traveled with the animals as the headed toward Cape San Juan. Some of the orcas were traveling in a tight-knit group off the coast of South Beach (on San Juan Island) and spent some time porpoising collectively. Porpoising is when cetaceans propel their bodies out of the water in order to pick up speed. We saw this behavior in full force amongst this group! It was a beautiful day out on the water. The seas were calm, the wind gentle, and the orcas as amazing as they always are!
Until next time,
Ashley
Naturalist