J POD IS BACK!

J14 & calf J45
Haro Strait
May 4, 2009
Photo by
John Boyd


May 4
It was soooo great to finally get the news - J Pod was back in town. The last I heard was about 4:30 and they were in Active Pass headed North.
Capt. Jim Maya, Maya's Westside Charters

May 4
J-Pod is absent no longer!!! After 44 days of traveling hither and yon (don't ask me where "hither and yon" are, look them up yourself), J-Pod made a special appearance on the west side of San Juan! Luckily I was available this time, and took the opportunity to go out with Ivan in the new boat, Western Explorer. The whales were spread out from one side of Haro Strait to the other, and they would speed up for awhile, and then take their time and zig-zag around randomly (well, it appears random to us on the surface.) After hearing about new babies all these weeks, I was finally able to see with my own eyes J14 and her new calf J45 (see above photo)! He's (well, we'll use artistic license and say "he") sure was active as he'd surface so exuberantly! We also spotted J1 Ruffles off in the distance (about half a mile away and still so recognizable!) J30 is surely sprouting big time and it was so good to see everyone once again. I heard from Jeanne Hyde that K20 had been spotted earlier in the day, but we only saw J's in the afternoon. It did this naturalists' heart good to see familiar fins and saddles once again! Welcome back J-Pod, welcome back indeed!
John Boyd, Marine Naturalist, Western Prince

May 4
Leslie Veirs reported Southern Resident orcas off San Juan Island at Orca Sound hydrophones at 12:25 pm, heading north.

May 4
J pod came in past Clover Point to Haro Strait this morning, but it is too windy for us to go out, or even see them. Mallard got'em (see report below).
Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research

May 4
We received a call from Mark Malleson of Prince of Whales at 10:45 am reporting J POD heading NE past Oak Bay/Victoria B.C. toward San Juan Island! Another group of orcas was sighted by others south of Discovery Island, heading east in rough waters, but no ID's on them at the time.