Strait of Juan de Fuca entrance

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January 12, 2010
I came across Transient orcas T097, T093 and T124C in the afternoon east bound off of East Sooke Park (S Vancouver Island). I left them entering Race Passage at 1550hrs still east bound against a strong ebb current.
Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales, Victoria


In the gloomy afternoon light and hugging the westcoast shoreline near East Sooke Park, Mark Malleson’s 1pm Zodiac suddenly came across a distant, disappearing dorsal fin. We watched for a while and three dorsal fins eventually showed. These three were traveling together, two big males and a female. They were heading east along the shoreline for a while and then headed out toward the south. At one point they did appear to be hunting something, based on their behaviour. The center for Whale research along with Mark later IDd the three as BC, Transients. T124C, and T93 AND T97.
Marie, Orca-Magic .POW. Victoria BC


Another great winter trip today as Mallard found 3 Transients off of Secretary Island this afternoon. At Approximately 1440 hrs., I arrived on scene 0.5 nm South of Beechey Hd. (East Sooke Park) to find two large males, T-93 and T-97, respectively being escorted by a single female (T-124C). The group of three were travelling consistently to the East at a good clip (4-6 kts.) During my stay with the animals, we saw two seal kills which T-124C made. All business and no play for this group; as we did not see any play behaviour or hear any vocals after they made the kills. We left the group at 1545 hrs. still headed East just inside Race Passage. Conditions today were foggy with light rain showers coupled with flat calm seas.
Jeff Lamarche, Eagle Wing Tours, Vctoria B.C.


January 5, 2010
I had (Transient orca) T103 westbound past Sooke at 1400. The conditions were great for spotting and no sign of any others around.
Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales, Victoria B.C.


December 24, 2009
Ken Balcomb spotted a pair of east bound Killer Whales in the morning south of Victoria through the Big Eyes. After Ken scoured the area to the south east of Constance Bank, I covered the area west of his search area and came across his probable pair headed west south of Race Rocks. Dave Ellifrit has tentatively ID’d the bull as a California animal known as CA166. I’ve sent off some shots to Alisa Shulman-Janiger in hopes of confirmation.
Mark Malleson
Confirmation of Dave Ellifrit’s ID of the California male Transient Mark Malleson photographed as CA166:
Mark Malleson’s nice photo is definitely CA166. I’m not sure who this female is, but she was previously photographed with CA166 on April 8, 2009 off Washington, in a sighting that Brad Hanson (NWFSC) on the McArthur II had reported to Orca Network.
Alisa Schulman-Janiger, California Killer Whale Project ACS/LA Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project: Director


December 11, 2009
On Friday four killer whales were sighted at the north end of Makah Bay in the evening. The whales were sighted too late at night to take photos. There was one young sprouting male in the group. Light conditions were too poor to be sure that no more killer whales were in the area. The killer whales were seen at 48 degrees 18.03 minutes North, 124 degrees 45.69 minutes West and were seen at 16:54. The whales were not really headed in any direction. They were generally oriented to the east by southeast to go further into Makah Bay.
Jonathan Scordino, Marine Mammal Biologist, Makah Fisheries Management


June 8, 2009
Gray whale west of the Sekiu River were here last evening, out a bit farther, and not enough remaining light for a photo.
Martha Ellul


June 6, 2009
We were fishing out of Neah Bay, first sighting was Humpbacks 11 miles out near J bouy. This is the east end of Swiftsure bank, there were 4 together and we saw them in a feeding pattern for many hours. One very large one did a full straight up breach and rose to about the rear hump, maybe 75 yards from us – very impressive! We thought that sharing the water with the humpbacks had made for an epic day and on our return about two miles west of Tatoosh Island a pod of orcas came in sight! Very actively feeding while we paralled them for a good period and made note the largest male had a dorsal that was turned over in a very tight curl at the top (right to left curled). I guess there were six or seven in the group with one small one probably half the size of the rest.
Greg, Mike, Shannon and Brett (the reporting group!)


June 4, 2009
We were thrilled to see a pod of orcas as we approached the Strait of Juan de Fuca at 1441. We observed them for about an hour from a distance of 1/4 mile or so. Pictures are attached (see above). We were at 48° 03.3’ and 124° 54.0’ (west of Lake Ozette, ). It is estimated that there were 8 orcas, 3 of them adult males, traveling SE. There may well have been more than 8. As we sail to the Queen Charlotte Islands, along the west coast of Vancouver Island, and in September, back home to Oregon, we will send our observations of Orcas and other cetaceans.
Fraser Pierson & Jeff Hubbell, SV Storm Petrel
My best guess for the last photo (shown here) is L41 with L77. It would make the best sense since we had them on June 2nd headed that way.
Mark Malleson, Victoria B.C.


July 12, 2008
We heard a third-hand report that orcas were in- bound in the Strait of Juan de Fuca late Saturday afternoon.
Susan & Howard, Orca Network


July 6, 2008
Unfortunately, overnight some fishermen encountered the entangled whale and saw the trailing marker buoys we had attached and removed them thinking this would help the whale. This still left the whale entangled as before but eliminated our ability to track the whale and work with it more easily on 6 July. We had difficulty locating the whale although we did sight it once early in the morning but lost it near Slip Point. After unsuccessfully searching for the whale the rest of the morning, we suspended efforts pending new sightings of the whale and improved conditions. Any sightings of the animal are encouraged to contact Cascadia (1-800-747-7329)
John Calambokidis, Cascadia Research
More photos at Cascadia Research website


July 5, 2008
Efforts to save an entangled young humpback whale were started on 5 July 2008 off Sekiu, Washington. The whale was reported earlier in the day and a response by Makah Fisheries and Cascadia Research in collaboration with NOAA were initiated. The young animal that was the size of a calf (but no mother present) and had multiple crab lines attached around the pectoral fin, mouth and trailing back to the fluke had scars indicating it had been entangled for quite some time. Efforts on 5 July were successful in attaching some marker floats and a tracking radio tag but were unable to free the lines close to the body of the whale, essential for the survival of the whale.
NOAA Fisheries had received a call on June 30th of a possible entangled whale north of Waldron Island, heading west. The species of the whale was not known, but it was trailing orange crab pot floats, so was possible an earlier sighting of this humpback – but no further reports of an entangled whale came in until this whale was observed near Seiku – S&H


June 27, 2008
Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research encountered J,K, and L pods off the coast of Port Renfrew, Vancover Island, B.C. early Friday morning, 7:10 a.m. (48° 33.9071 N, 124° 38.79.71 W). The whales were spread out in small groups traveling west. A few grey whales were also sighted in the same area, as well as several Steller sea lions. The encounter ended at 5 p.m. with the whales still traveling west at 48° 33.032 N, 124° 42.862 W.


Eagle Wing Whale Watch saw J’s, K’s and L’s headed west, out the Strait of Juan de Fuca past Otter Point, BC, Friday afternoon.


May 26, 2008
Orca Network forwarded photos from a report of a pod of orcas off Wadah Island near Neah Bay, WA to Dave Ellifrit of the Center for Whale Research, who replied:
One of the the bulls, I think, is T102.


Orca Network received a report from Sarah Miller of 30 to 40 orcas - appeared to be a very large, spread-out pod, 1/8 mile east of Snow Creek on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, approx 200 yards off beach, traveling west, approx 2 p.m. They seemed to be playing – lots of breaching, tail- lobbing, spy-hopping, at least one was a large adult male.


Orca Network received a report from Gerg Barcello, reporting 15 orcas off Wadah Island, near the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, milling and heading west to Neah Bay, from 3-4 pm.


Jpod coming back East at 1730 off Sooke.
Ron Bates, MMRG, Victoria B.C.


Just letting you know that we left J pod at 1940 , and they were about 5 miles south of the entrance to Victoria Harbor, heading east. They were all within a 1/2 mile of each other, travelling slowly east. Seems as though they turned around at about 1400 and headed back east along the coast of southern Vancouver Island. Perhaps we’ll see them back around San Juan in the morning. It’s 0030 as I write this but I’m not hearing anything on the hydrophones.
A few minutes later: Just as I sent that previous email through I began to hear J pod calls on the Orca Sound hydrophone! It’s 12:39am Tues 27th May and I can just hear them over the cargo ship going by.
Tim Hunt Orca Spirit Naturalist/former Beam Reach student


J Pod heading back in! They made it to Sheringham Pt. before turning around. Should be near San Juan late tonight! (Later) Hearing vocals of J’s at 11:30 PM!
John Boyd (JB) Marine Naturalist, Western Prince


Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research relayed a report of J pod off Sheringham Pt. (So. Vancouver Island), heading west out of the Strait of Juan de Fuca at about 1:30 pm.


May 19, 2008
Scott Veirs called in a report of observing one gray whale in the kelp out side the entrance to Neah Bay the morning . They also observed at least 100 feeding pits in the sandy beach in front of Hobuck Resort, half way down Makah Bay.


May 9, 2008
Orca Network received a call from Eric (?) reporting 3 – 4, possibly more, orcas 400 yards off Bowman Beach, between Neah Bay & Clallam Bay, at 5:30 pm. They were heading west, there were 3 males.


March 25, 2008
Report from the NOAA Ship McArthur II: Weather chased us in to the Straits of Juan de Fuca, early AM when we picked up J pod inbound off Neah Bay on the towed array. They turned NW near the Sekui River and we followed them over to near Port Renfrew and then west to Pachena Pt –
Brad Hanson, NOAA Fisheries NWFSC


Report of a Humpback Whale near Beechey Head area (between Sooke and Race Rocks) about 1400.
Ron Bates, MMRG, Victoria B.C.


January 29, 2008
A pod of about 6 to 9 whales (orcas) came by our house today, 10:00 AM. One mile west of the Sekiu River, WA state about 1/4 mile offshore heading west. I saw 2 juveniles.
Paul Blake

We sent Paul’s photos to Dave Ellifrit of the Center for Whale Research, & he has ID’d them as L pod!
It’s L pod! Whales appearing in the photos include L47, L55, L86, L90, and L26. Others are there too. Very cool since J pod decided to come in.
Dave Ellifrit, Center for Whale Research


January 14, 2008
Janet Cummings called a little after noon, to report that a pod of 8 – 12 orcas had just passed 1.5 miles west of the Sekiu River in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, heading west at a fast pace. They were cruising among the kelp beds, 1 male was present in the pod.


Mary Jane Brown called at noon to report a pod of 8 – 9 orcas off mile post 8 outside of Sekiu (assume they were also heading west, as in above report).