With the boat freshly cleaned, the sun in the sky, and a report of whales headed southwest down Haro Straight, we departed from Friday Harbor at 1:30 on the dot. Shortly after riding through Cattle Pass, we spotted our first dorsal fins. We soon realized that we had A LOT of orcas with us, probably 40-50, likely some members of each J, K, and L pod. When multiple pods come together like this, it is very possible that it is a breeding event. As far as we know, the southern resident killer whales will mate across pods, but not within pods, and therefore avoid inbreeding.
How do they know who's in which pod, you ask? Orcas are the largest member of the dolphin family. That being said, they, like all dolphins, each have their own individual whistle, which play a huge role in identification.
With this many whales in one area, everyone on the boat could basically look in any direction and see dorsal fins breaking the surface. Everyone on the boat was delighted to see such a display of their sociality. After a nice long visit with these residents, we headed back to Friday Harbor.
Naturalist Alex
M/V Sea Lion, San Juan Safaris