Southern Resident Killer Whales showed up on Christmas Day! J27 Blackberry, and J2 Granny (who is over 100 years old!) and about 16 Orcas were sighted heading southbound near Seattle near Shilshole Bay Marina and West Point/Discovery Park. The Southern Resident Orcas were traveling at a fast pace, moving at about 5-7 knots.
The next day, we received reports first thing in the morning of killer whales traveling across the shipping lanes from West Point toward Bainbridge Island. They continued north and Granny (J2) and Onyx (L87) were sighted traveling very close to shore at Point No Point. The rest of the pod was spread out east towards Whidbey Island. Here on San Juan Island, we were eagerly listening to the Port Townsend hydrophone for vocalizations to indicate that the whales might be heading out through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and into the Pacific Ocean. We heard them! However, to our surprise, the Southern Resident Orcas made a pass by the west side of San Juan Island in the middle of the night! Their vocalizations were heard on the Lime Kiln Lighthouse hydrophone around 10:00pm. It was a brief visit to the west side of San Juan Island, and then a quick turn around to travel out of the Salish Sea and into the Pacific Ocean.
Enjoy!
Brittany Office & Reservations Manager San Juan Outfitters
Southern Resident Killer Whales