J Pod

Wednesday morning started off with exciting sightings of SRKW off the west side of San Juan island. They were visible from the Lime Kiln Livestream, and we knew it was going to be a great day. At 8:55 AM, Giles, Jim, Aisha, Imani, and Preston prepared to boat for a day of surveying. It was sunny with a slight breeze in the harbor. We arrived on scene at 10:01 AM on the west side with J27 and family. It was reported that J pod was there, and we certainly saw dozens of whales spread from Eagle Point, stretching all the way to the lighthouse and further north.

We saw a perfect example of the “westside shuffle”, with whales spread along the westside going up and down throughout the day. As they were flipping, they were exhibiting foraging behaviors. We saw many high-arch dives and rapid movement and direction change, which Giles noted as whales chasing fish. The whales spent all day changing directions and hunting. The whales traveled in small groups or alone, with our largest group being 5 whales, including a calf. Many of the large males spent time offshore further into Haro Strait. The Center for Whale Research team reported many of them playing and socializing in the morning.

In the afternoon, the weather changed, and conditions were more optimal north of the lighthouse. We saw a couple of breaches, but mostly, the whales continued foraging. We were happy to see all the whales foraging and enjoying the west side.