May 26th 10:30 AM - T-party by Nanoose!
We heard of a report of whales traveling north near Nanoose and found the T101’s and T049A2 Jude traveling slowly northbound before our other vessel found the T-party just south of this group.
The T-party consisted of:
T086As (4)
T123s (4)
T071Bs (3)
T063/065 (2)
T124Ds (3)
T124As + A1 (6)
T086A matriarch, Eider (34 years old), and her 3 daughters
T123 matriarch, Sidney (37 years old), and her 3 offspring
T065 Whidbey II (at least 54 years old!) with her son T063 Chainsaw (44 years old)--his silhouette is in our logo! Can you spot him in our photos below?
T071B matriarch, Hood (22 years old), and her two offspring recently left her mother, Bonkers, and her brothers and sisters to form a pod of her own with her children. Unlike resident orcas, transient orcas hunt in smaller pods to make it easier to sneak up on their intelligent prey. Despite hearing the mighty roar of the Steller sea lion (which sounds more like eructation and flatulence!) yes, they are significantly more intelligent than salmon! Transient orca, in an effort to stay more stealthy, use more of their eyes and ears to hunt prey. Their calls can be heard up to 12 kilometers away, and other pods can tell exactly which pod it is from 12 kilometers away. Seal are able to hear their calls and echolocation and at least get a heads up that there may be a predator around. Indeed, the price of life for them is eternal vigilance.
T124A matriarch, Kittiwake (38 years old) is traveling with her 4 children and 2 grandchildren (her child and grandchild were both born in 2021!) and her eldest daughter (T124A1 Bonapartes). Orca spend about 13% of their time socializing with other pods. Sometimes they are happy to see one another and use the opportunity to encourage the orca population to flourish. The gestation period for orca is 15.7-18 months, with an average of 17-months, making the T124AS pod's recent arrivals likely Covid-babies! It was 75% quieter on the water during the first year of Covid, equivalent to the Salish Sea sounds of the 1980s. It must be so much fun to grow up with someone else the same age: to learn and explore the majestic wasters of the wild west coast together! No wonder these little black-and-tans are so exuberant!
T124D matriarch, Field (26 years old) and her two offspring. Both Field and Bonapartes were also born in the same year (1996) and they have a child/grandchild relationship like the T124As. Bonapartes, despite her age, has not had a child of her own. But, Field is one of the few who have already given birth this year, and so the tiniest and most-tan black-and-tan baby is the youngest of the T-Party today! See if you can spot them in our pictures below!
Enjoy these pictures by our naturalists Beka Pirker and Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo of a T101 male (left) and T049A2 (Jude) by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo of Bonapartes and a youngin’ by Beka Pirker.
Now that’s a lot of whales! Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo of Stanley by Beka Pirker.
Photo by Beka Pirker.
Photo bald eagle by Beka Pirker.
Photo of Steller sea lions by Beka Pirker.
Photo of Steller sea lion by Beka Pirker.
Photo of swimming Steller sea lions by Beka Pirker.
Photo of Steller sea lions by Beka Pirker.
Photo of Stanley by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Janine Van Der Linden took a photo of Eider (left) and her daughter, Tyndall (right)
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Janine Van Der Linden took a photo of Stanley.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden. Hood (T071B) is in the foreground.
Photo by Janine Van Der Linden. field and newest baby
Photo of harbour seals by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo of Steller sea lion by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo of swimming Steller sea lion by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo of relaxed Steller sea lion by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo of relaxed Steller sea lion by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo of sea lions on Entrance Island by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo of sea lions on Entrance Island by Janine Van Der Linden.
Photo of breeding adult pelagic cormorant carrying material for their nest by Janine Van Der Linden.