New Calf in L Pod Confirmed! - Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Our guests are enjoying the company of some of the youngest members of the Southern Resident Orcas out near Cattle Pass! Stay tuned for the exciting news of L111 from Naturalist Kate Janes!
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Just An Itch (Steller Sea Lion)
Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes
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Fresh Catch (Nugget L55 with Salmon)
Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes
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Two Mouth Fulls (Nugget L55 & Racer L72 both with Salmon in their mouths)Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes
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Curious Youngster (L109)Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes
"We left port under blue skies and a quickly warming day! At the end of Guemes Channel we encountered fog that lingered with us until Cattle Pass when the hard working sun lifted the fog! As the fog lifted we began to see the black dorsal fins of Southern Resident Orcas!! When we came on scene with the whales they were inshore milling, then quickly they all began coming off shore. This back and forth between onshore & offshore continued as we sat and watched the "dance" which was unfolding before us! Marina (L47), Moonlight (L83), Muncher (L91) and little L110 broke away from the milling and began heading northward. This gave us a great opportunity to parallel the group giving our guests great photo opportunities! We left the whales as a majority of them were still milling out in the Strait of Juan de Fuca! As we ventured back towards Anacortes we found a small Minke Whale near Whale Rocks! How appropriate! We also found the first Steller Sea Lion of the year! Reminding us that September is just around the corner! The evening brought us back into the Strait of Juan de Fuca and as we entered we found 2 Brown Pelicans sitting on the water! This was only the start to a fantastic evening! As we grew closer to the Orca Whales news traveled over the radio that Marina (L47) had become a mother for the 6th time, having given birth to L111 in the last 24 hours!! Marina has not only had six calves but is also a grandmother to her eldest daughter, Moonlight (L83), who gave birth to her first calf L110 this time last year! We found a portion of L pod near Eagle Point milling about in a very playful and curious manor! Racer (L72) & Nugget (L55) appeared off our stern both with a salmon in each of their mouths!!! Then little L109 appeared closeby as we witnessed possible foodsharing between Racer, Nugget and the calf! Little L109 made a huge spyhopp off our stern exposing its salmon stained chin!! Playing about nearby was Fluke (L105), Racer's first born, who spyhopped 6 times!!" - Naturalist Kate Janes
Marina (L47), L111, Moonlight (L83), & Moonlight's calf L110** It wasn't until further inspection of the photos taken from the morning trip that tucked in between Marina & Moonlight was a very small calf, L111!! In the photo you can barely see a very small dorsal fin wedged between its mother and older sister! Its birth was confirmed by our evening trip!
posted by Island Adventures Whale Report @ 10:59 AM
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