November 2006

Click here for Map of November 2006 whale sightings.

November 28, 2006

Land based reports of at least 5 Humpbacks off Victoria by Noon today.
Ron L. Bates, MMRG, Victoria

November 27, 2006

Well, the snow broke this morning long enough for us to see L pod (corrected) heading south very close to shore (near Lime Kiln Pt.) approx 8:20 am. They were tightly grouped and are moving very slowly.
Sandy Buckley, San Juan Island
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The identifiable whale looks like L73, and the others look like L’s as well.
Ken Balcomb, Senior Scientist, Center for Whale Research

November 25, 2006

You will probably hear from the Canadians, but apparently some T’s are off Trial Island this afternoon.
Ken Balcomb, Senior Scientist, Center for Whale Research
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A good number of Transients headed SE past Discovery Island,toward San Juan Island, last group seen passing approx 3:10pm.
Sandy Buckley, San Juan Island
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We had about 10 Transient orcas just south of Trial Island heading NE this afternoon. There was what looked like a very young baby with them. I am sending photo's to Ken for ID's. Update: Ken just emailed me some of the ID's on the T's: T104 and T103 were present, along with T49B and her NEW calf T49B1.
Jami Nagel, Naturalist, Island Adventures
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Transients off Victoria am, maybe as many as 15. T103, T104 and T49,s and others, last seen going East.
Ron L. Bates, MMRG, Victoria

November 23, 2006

Laura of the BC Ferry Queen of Burnaby called to report a sighting of a female orca with a calf at 4 pm during the crossing to Westview, off the northern tip of Texada Island, BC, 2 miles so. of Rebecca Rock. 49 46.87N 124 41.14W.

November 22, 2006

At least 5 Humpback whales South of Victoria.
Reports from Mark Malleson.
Ron L. Bates, MMRG, Victoria

November 21, 2006

At least 5 Humpback whales South of Victoria.
Reports from Mark Malleson.
Ron L. Bates, MMRG, Victoria

November 20, 2006

While driving west across the Hood Canal Bridge yesterday afternoon, my partner was quite startled and delighted to see the cherubic mug of a single orca on the north side of the bridge, teeth glistening, eager maw agape, and happily snacking about in its watery buffet!
Nancy Slick
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There was a minke logging on the surface just south of Deadman Bay, San Juan Island at 12:50 p.m. First time I have seen that. It began moving slowly north. There were a lot of birds in the area a little farther north, so there may have been good feeding opportunities for the minke.
Sharon Grace,San Juan Island

November 19, 2006

I found the orcas off Lagoon Pt. & watched them pass by heading NW from 3 - 3:30 pm. There were whales spread out all the way across Admiralty Inlet, & they just kept coming - looked like all three pods again, this time heading out. I saw J1/Ruffles, & at least 3 - 4 other males, plus a young calf doing multiple breaches. We received reports from others at Lagoon Pt. that whales were still going by heading north at around 4:30 pm. Susan Berta, Orca Network, Whidbey Island
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Spotted a pod of orcas at 0915 off Pt. No Pt. Sunday. I was heading south, they were going north. Approximately six with at least one large male. They seemed to be traveling, no playing or feeding.Very nasty day out there.
John Davidson S/V Tie 'er Loose
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Elsa Leavitt of Bush Pt. called at 2 pm to report orcas off Bush Pt, west Whidbey Island, milling & heading slowly/generally north. They were very spread out, and closer to the Whidbey side.
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Orcas going north toward Bush Pt, sighted 1:45 -2:00 from the end of Adams road, lots of swimming in current, about 1/3 out in the passage; big pod, both males and females present a dozen or more Orca, swirling, splashing, fin slapping. Heading north.
Christina Baldwin & Ann Linnea, Whidbey Island

November 18, 2006

On a family boating trip to Cape Sable, FL on the Gulf of Mexico side we observed 2 Killer Whales. We were just outside of Big Sable Creek about .25 miles when we spotted the two orcas. Moments later a pod of approx. 5 Bottle Nose Dolphins appeared. The Dolphins appeared to be agitated. After a few minutes 1 killer whale reappeared and the a huge commotion occured. Instantly everything was gone; dolphins and orcas were gone. We fear that one of the dolphins was eaten. This occured during small craft conditions in about 11 feet of water. The time was 3:00 p.m.
Walter R. Hoffman
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We first saw the So. Resident orcas in Admiralty Inlet between Foulweather Bluff & Point No Point, closer to the peninsula side of the Inlet at around 9:30 am. We went to Scatchet Head on S. Whidbey & watched as they continued south, doing some foraging behavior, breaches, tail lobs, & traveling VERY spread out between Point No Point & Apple Cove Pt, north of Kingston, from 10:15 am - 11:15 am. Some of the whales then began heading north, there was much milling, & finally they all had turned & were heading north slowly, still spread out over miles, whales everywhere we looked! We watched them head north until 11:50 am, observing 4 - 5 males & an estimated 40 - 60 whales, in an area of approximately 45 small fishing boats. NOAA Researchers were out with the whales to obtain ID shots & hopefully do some prey & fecal sampling, & had ID'd J, K & L pod whales present. At about 1:15 pm we took another look, & found the whales between Double Bluff & Point No Point, still heading north slowly, with lots of milling about. The researchers left the whales north of Double Bluff at 4 pm, heading north.
Susan & Howie,Orca Network, Whidbey Island
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Jim from the Victoria Clipper called to report seeing 30+ orcas south bound in the northbound lanes between Double Bluff & Foulweather Bluff at 8:50 am. They ID'd some J pod whales, but no ID's on who was with them.
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We sent a Zodiac out today at 1:00 and saw 5 humpbacks and assume that there were a few others in the area, as there were 8 a couple days ago. There were at least 200 Steller Sea Lions at Race Rocks, 1 brown pelican, and a Peregrine Falcon on the lighthouse tower.
Scott Murray, Prince of Whales Whale Watching, Victoria BC
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Still at least 5 Humpbacks South of Victoria and 2 Pelicans at Race Rocks got a shot of 1.
Ron. L. Bates, MMRG, Victoria BC
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John Herman called at 8 am - he was watching the orcas, still just south of Bush Pt & heading south. He counted at least 30 blows.
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Elsa Leavitt called at 7:47 am to report a large number (20+) of orcas off Bush Pt, close to the Whidbey side, spread out & heading south at a fast pace. There were several adult males among them.
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Sylvia Stinson called at 7:43 am to report a large pod of orcas heading south off Bush Pt, west Whidbey Island.

November 17, 2006

2pm, south of trial island victoria, 2 groups orcas approx. 20-30 animals, direction unclear.
John Owen
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Off Victoria this afternoon, J's, K's and L's inbound at Seabird Pt. Discovery Island about 1430, J's in the lead. 6 Humpbacks at least south of Victoria.Whale ids from Mark "Mallard" Malleson.
Ron L. Bates, MMRG. Victoria
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Sandy Buckley of San Juan Island called at 3:45 pm to report at least 3 orcas including 1 male & 1 calf, heading south 1 mile south of Lime Kiln Pt. She called again at 5 pm to report 14 orcas slowly heading north at the north end of Hannah Heights.

November 16, 2006

Well, the waters south of Victoria are still producing this afternoon with 7 and maybe an 8th Humpback.
Ron L. Bates, MMRG, Victoria

November 11, 2006

The water off Victoria still has Humpbacks and others. 5 Humpbacks and 6 transients. Among the transients were T49B and what would seem to be T49B1 a very young and colored calf. Mark Malleson "Mallard" was able to get some photos despite the heavy rain.
Ron L. Bates, MMRG, Victoria

November 10, 2006

Shane Aggergaard of Island Adventures relayed a report of humpbacks off Constance Bank, BC.

November 7, 2006

Just wanted to let you know that a single orca was sighted around 10am about 100 yards offshore of the Bremerton ferry terminal heading in a north east direction. Did not spot him again. Salmon are migrating back to local streams so that may have brought him/her in.
Colby Swanson, Kitsap Transit
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As the (WSF) boat was sailing to Kingston, two Orcas breached simultaneously along side the ferry!
Brenda Bole, Eaglemount, WA

November 6, 2006

Just talked to Kenny Rich, who lives kitty-cornered from me. He said he watched some orcas for about 30 minutes this afternoon. They were right off Bush Point, between the point and center channel, feeding on chum salmon—so going every which way. He saw 1 adult male for sure and perhaps another. Hard to tell how many in total.
Elsa Leavitt, Bush Pt, Whidbey Island

November 5, 2006

We saw two orcas from the park just north of the ferry dock (I believe this is called Bracket’s Landing) in Edmonds at about 5pm. They were quite far out but we were there to look at birds and had a powerful spotting scope. One of the orcas had a huge dorsal fin, very tall and thin. They were making their way south. We lost sight of them once they passed behind the ferry dock.
Fred Higgins
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The Orcas passed our home, mid-way between Langley and Clinton, about 11:30 am. They were spread out across the bay, heading south. There appeared to be up to 20.
Frances Wood, Langley
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It was wonderful to wake up at about 10:00am to seeing Orcas !! There was a pod of about 15 that we saw from our high bank house at Whidbey Shores (East Point) overlooking Saratoga Passage. They were traveling South towards Langley and seemed to be both traveling and playing (some breaching). There was one large male.
Ginger Miller, Fox Spit Rd., Langley, WA
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My family just saw quite a few Orcas between our house (Whitehorse Lane) and Hat Island (11:30 AM). I believe there were at least 12 of them ,one seemed very small. We were so excited we quit counting and just watched them.
Mary Lynds, East of Langley
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At about 10:45 a.m., my husband and I saw a pod of Orcas in the Saratoga Passage, swimming Southeast, toward Hat Island. Our house is located about a mile Southeast of Langley - a little North of Sandy Point, facing Camano Head. We saw at least 6 Orcas, including at least one male – larger with big fin – and a couple of smaller Orcas, perhaps calves?
Mary Hawkins Key & Barry Key
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We received a call reporting orcas in Saratoga Passage at 9:30 am, heading south past Bell's Beach toward Langley.
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Orcas, orcas, orcas in Saratoga Passage directly west of Mabana Shores, south of baby Island at 9:15 am......7 to 9 with a youngster. Closer to Whidbey than Camano....
Dodie on Camano
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Windwalker Taibi called at 9 am to report a pod of orcas spread out between East Pt, Whidbey Island & Camano Island, breaching.

November 4, 2006

We observed at least four orcas slowly swimming north towards Pebble Beach (SW Camano Island) this afternoon at 4:15. They, fortunately for us, didn't seem to be in much of a hurry.
Peg Boley, South Camano Island
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We just returned from watching the orcas heading south off Sandy Point (so. of Langley, Whidbey Isl) then east into the mist off the north end of Hat Island -- maybe the same pod traveling north along Camano turned south?
Julie Buktenica, Langley
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Barbara Anderson of Camano Island called at 1 pm to report a pod of orcas heading north past Pebble Beach, SW Camano Island, close to the Camano shore.

November 3, 2006

We observed approximately 7 Orcas off of the east side of Blake Island at 10:30 am heading North. They were in pretty close to our jetty.
Paul Ruppert, Park Ranger
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Shane Aggergaard of Island Adventures called this afternoon to relay a report from Jeff Lamont of members of L pod off the south end of Bainbridge Island between noon & 12:30 pm, northbound, very spread out.
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The residents are definitely J's---now headed N, well up the island, 10:55 am.
Sandy San Juan Island
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Jeff Hogan of Killer Whale Tales called with an update on the orcas off N. Vashon Island - at 10:10 am they were very spread out north of Vashon, ID'd as K & L pods, they were heading north.
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I live on Vashon Island and whales are always exciting to see. I recently moved to a home on the beach at the northern tip of Vashon Island (Point Vashon) near the ferry dock. We just saw our first Orca pod of the season, ~10 am.
Tania Kinnear Vashon Island
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We observed approximately 7 Orcas off of the east side of Blake Island at 10:30 am heading North. They were in pretty close to our jetty.
Paul Ruppert Park Ranger
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Southern Residents milling about!!! They hung out approx 30 minutes very close to shore, just off of Hannah Heights (west side). They turned at 8:45---headed south at a fast pace.
Sandy
San Juan Island
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Amy Carey of Vashon Island called to relay a report of orcas off the north end of Vashon heading south at 8:35 am - not sure yet which side of Vashon they were heading.
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Ryan Johnson on the Tug Wah called in a report of a pod of ~6 orcas just north of Alki Pt, milling at 8:25 am.

November 1, 2006

The Northern residents are being a bit ghost like at the moment. The A30s and the A12s just "disappeared" on the evening of October 28th and we have not heard anything since! Other groups, the A36s and several G clan groups also vanished heading eastward in Johnstone Strait a few days before the 28th. However, there are still humpbacks around and some very growly Steller sealions certainly provided enough atmosphere for Hallowe'en.
Helena
OrcaLab,Hanson Island
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Update at 2:40 pm: Very soon after writing to you the A12s and possibly the A30s as well have shown up in Johnstone Strait!
Helena
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I heard on the VHF that residents were spotted at Race Rocks heading EAST towards San Juan Island.
John Boyd (JB), Marine Naturalist On Shore
San Juan Island