‘Humpback Comeback’ Continues in 2021 as Whales Return to Salish Sea
Pop Tart, a sibling of Big Mama, lunge feeding at the surface. Nicknamed because he/she loves to "pop" out of the water and is known for lots of breaching ever since a baby. Pop Tart has a reputation for being mischievous.
Photo by April Ryan/Maya’s Legacy/PWWA
In Rare Event, Three Sibling Humpbacks Spotted Near One Another
FRIDAY HARBOR, WA and VICTORIA, BC (June 22, 2021) – Whale watchers are calling it a “Humpback Comeback” as hundreds of humpback whales now regularly return every year to the Salish Sea, including this year. Driven by the return of famed humpback whale “Big Mama,” as well as rare sightings of three of her calves in close proximity, 2021 has naturalists and researchers abuzz.
Since whale researchers first documented just a single humpback whale in 1997 the humpback whales that migrate each summer to feed in the nutrient-rich waters of the Salish Sea now number in the hundreds.
A pioneer and significant contributor to this population increase, Big Mama has given birth to six calves that have each returned to these inland waters at one time or another. Whale watchers reported seeing her traveling with her first calf in 2003. Big Mama has since had calves in 2006, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016. With so much breeding success, the nickname Big Mama has really stuck.
When Big Mama arrived in late April 2021, the whale watch community was extremely excited to see her return, as she often marks the beginning of the humpback whale watching season throughout the region. Dozens more humpbacks have arrived since then, and this past week, something happened that had the whale watch and research community abuzz.
THREE HUMPBACK SIBLINGS SIGHTED
Three calves of Big Mama were sighted feeding within a few hundred meters of each other in waters off Port Angeles, Washington last Saturday. Humpback whales are not known to have close family ties, leaving their mothers at less than a year old. The fact that three siblings were seen in such close proximity to each other has piqued the interest of humpback whale researchers. The three whales were identified by the whale watching community as Split Fin (2006), Tulip (2012), and Pop Tart (2016), her most recent calf.
“We arrived on scene to find three beautiful humpback whales actively lunge feeding in glass-calm conditions under the snow-capped peaks of the Olympic Mountains, just outside of Port Angeles,” said naturalist Samantha Murphy aboard the Island Explorer 5, based in Anacortes. “All three humpbacks were within close proximity to one another, but focused on foraging for bait-fish within separate current lines. As we visited each whale and started to gather ID photos, we were shocked and elated to realize that all three whales were siblings!”
“Not only did we get to witness the power and grace of these feeding giants,” added Murphy, “Pop Tart showed off how they earned their name by fully breaching right in front of us! To say it was a magical evening is an understatement. This trip will go down in the books for the 2021 whale watching season.”
BIG MAMA’S HISTORY IN THE REGION
To whale watching professionals, she is known as Big Mama; to passengers, she is a blow and a pair of flukes; and to the ecosystem, she’s a game-changer.
In 1997, Big Mama was sighted for the first time by Mark Malleson, a seasoned professional zodiac skipper with Prince of Whales Whale Watching in Victoria, BC. He didn’t know she was Big Mama at the time of course. She was simply one of the first humpback whales to be spotted in the Strait of Juan de Fuca in nearly 100 years.
When Mark’s friend, fellow whale watcher and photographer, Brian Glennon submitted a photo of the humpback to the Victoria Times Colonist newspaper, he was told they would not print it because they didn’t accept photoshopped photos. The photo of course,was unaltered, they just couldn’t believe that there was a humpback here. No one had ever heard of such a thing. Mark said “The very first humpback that I ever saw was Big Mama near Race Rocks in the fall of 1997. I saw her again in 1999 and then not again until 2003. She has not missed a year since then to return to these waters.”
In recent years over 500 individual Humpback whales have been documented and cataloged in the Salish Sea.
BIG MAMA’S OFFSPRING
Unnamed (b. 2003). Big Mama’s first known calf, and one of the first calves to return to the Salish Sea as a summer feeding ground.
Split Fin (b. 2006). (present Saturday, June 12) Presumed male since has never been seen with a calf. Nicknamed because he has a split down his dorsal fin likely from an injury. He has been matched to winter breeding grounds in Hawaii.
Canuck (b. 2010). Sadly presumed deceased after being entangled in 2011. Entanglement remains a significant threat to these beautiful, slow-moving leviathans.
Tulip (b. 2012). (present Saturday, June 12) Nicknamed for a mark on her tail that looks like a tulip. A known female, she gave birth to her first known calf last year which officially makes Big Mama a grandmother.
Beak (b. 2014). Not much known but still seen regularly in the Salish Sea.
Pop Tart (b. 2016).(present Saturday, June 12) Nicknamed because he/she loves to "pop" out of the water, and is known for lots of breaching ever since a baby. Has a reputation for being mischievous.
Whale Watchers Hit ‘Grand Slam’ Mother’s Day Weekend
Pacific Whale Watch Association Members Spot Four Whale Species On One Trip
Humpback mother “Slate” and her calf were seen on Mother’s Day as part of a “Grand Slam” of four whale species sighted on one whale watching trip.
Photo by Brooke McKinley/Outer Island Expeditions/PWWA
FRIDAY HARBOR, WA (May 11, 2021) – For professional whale watchers, hitting a “Grand Slam” is a rare treat that doesn’t happen often, but when it does it’s cause for celebration. A Grand Slam refers to sighting four species of whales during one whale watching adventure.
The Pacific Whale Watch Association announced that on Mother’s Day Sunday, at least two professional whale watching companies each hit a “Grand Slam,” sighting a minke and a gray whale in Rosario Strait, a humpback mom and calf near Waldron Island, and several Bigg’s killer whales in the area.
With the arrival of gray whales to the region in early Spring, an abundant population of Bigg’s killer whales throughout the area year-round, and humpback whales just starting to return from their winter migrations, the Salish Sea abounds with marine mammals this time of year.
“It doesn't happen often, but we had a Grand Slam whale watch today!” said Captain Matt Stolmeier of Outer Island Excursions. “A gray whale, minke whale, several matrilines of Bigg’s killer whales, and we wrapped it up with a perfect Mother's Day treat, a mom and calf humpback pair. It was a beautiful day on the water, and I even got to stop offshore at my parent’s house to wave and yell happy Mother’s Day to my mom.”
“This is my 15th season working on a whale watching boat and yesterday was only my 8th Grand Slam ever,” said Naturalist & photographer Brooke McKinley, “and we were elated to have BCX1210 ‘Slate’ and her new calf on Mother's Day. It was a glorious day, sunshine, flat calm waters and whales everywhere!”
In the past some whale watch companies have celebrated a Grand Slam by handing out trophies to the crew, while other crews take the plunge in the cold waters of the Salish Sea after their trip. Regardless of how individual whale watch companies celebrate a Grand Slam, the fact that there are so many whales to see this time of year in the Salish Sea is something to celebrate in and of itself.
Whale Watchers Report Easter weekend ‘Hopping’
White Orca ‘Tl-uk’ Among 56 Killer Whales Sighted Easter Weekend.
Rachael Dana Merrett, Orca Spirit Adventures/PWWA
“Chainsaw” Among 56 Killer Whales Sighted Easter Weekend.
Val Shore, Eagle Wing Tours/Shoreline Photography/PWWA
“Chainsaw” and White Orca “Tl’uk” Among 56 Killer Whales Sighted
FRIDAY HARBOR, WA and VICTORIA, BC (April 6, 2021) – The Pacific Whale Watch Association reports that the Easter weekend was a memorable one, with 56 killer whales spotted throughout the Salish Sea. Over the weekend, naturalists reported four different pods of Bigg's killer whales in the Strait of Georgia, Puget Sound, and San Juan Islands. J Pod, part of the salmon-eating Southern Resident killer whale population, were also seen this weekend.
At one point, naturalists reported pods of Bigg’s killer whales straddling the San Juan Islands in both President’s Channel and Haro Strait cruising north into Canada, Bigg’s killer whales along the south end of Lopez Island cruising east, along with a report of a small pod of the mammal-eating killer whales in south Puget Sound.
In addition to the presence of 32 Bigg’s sighted throughout the region Saturday, the Southern Resident Orcas of Jpod meandered slowly up the east coast of San Juan Island in what observers reported to be a resting pattern, swimming slowly in close social groups against the outgoing tide.
Making the weekend encounters even more special was the return of “Chainsaw” who made the headlines throughout the region last week due to his first appearance of the season in the Salish Sea. The distinctive male was sighted again Saturday traveling with his extended pod up Haro Strait, boundary waters between the US and Canada.
Also among the pods was another high-profile whale born in 2018 named “Tl’uk” who garnered a considerable amount of attention last fall when the whale was seen regularly traveling through Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands before being sighted in August 2020 along the shoreline of Kuiu and Kupreanof islands in Southeast Alaska. Due to his distinctive grey and white coloration the young whale has been named “Tl’uk” which translates to “moon” in the language of the indigenous Coast Salish people.
"It's a pretty fabulous day out there whenever we see whales,” says Val Shore, a professional naturalist and photographer with Eagle Wing Whale & Wildlife Tours of Victoria, “but to have multiple groups including two ‘celebrities’ (Tl’uk and Chainsaw) in the neighbourhood is an extra special treat. This is an awesome time of year to see Bigg's killer whales. I've been doing this for over 20 years and it never gets old.”
“It was a great first trip of the season for me,” says professional naturalist Rachael Dana Merrett of Orca Spirit Adventures in Victoria. “This is my twelfth season and it was an awesome way to get back out on the water, that’s for sure.”
According to researchers, the coastal Bigg's killer whale population numbered 349 individuals in 2018 and had been growing at roughly 4% per year through most of the 2010s. Over 200 Bigg's individuals are typically documented in the Salish Sea each year.
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Photos provided courtesy, photo credit mandatory:
Val Shore, Eagle Wing Tours/Shoreline Photography/PWWA
Rachael Dana Merrett, Orca Spirit Adventures/PWWA
Video (Dropbox link below) credit: Jeff Friedman, Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching/PWWA
https://www.dropbox.com/s/o5asd86o9ghtl1s/20210403.mp4?dl=0
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FUN FACTS ABOUT TL’UK:
What is the difference between albino and leucistic? Albinism is a condition in which there is an absence of melanin. Melanin is what is present in the skin and is what gives skin, feathers, hair and eyes their color. ... Leucism is only a partial loss of pigmentation, which can make the animal have white or patchily colored skin, hair, or feathers.
Tl'uk Visited Southeast Alaska Summer of 2020! Adding to his fame, Tl'uk and his pod traveled from Puget Sound to Southeast Alaska earlier this summer and were sighted off Petersburg, AK, August 6 to10, 2020. Tl'uk and his pod were then seen in the CampbellRiver area twelve days later on August 22, returning to theSalish Sea just days later. The distance between PetersburgAK and Seattle WA is over 775 nautical miles, one way!
Tl'uk is a Coast Salish word that means "Moon." Researchers nicknamed him Tl’uk,the Coast Salish word for “moon,” because of his lunar-like grayish-white color. He is a Bigg’s killer whale first spotted in November 2018.
Tl'uk is not the only white Killer whale: In 1970 a white Killer whale was captured in Pedder Bay, BC, and displayed at Sealand of the Pacific in Victoria BC. The white whale was named "Chimo" and lived at the seaside aquarium from 1970 until it's death in 1972.In April of 2020 a white Biggs mammal-eating killer whale was sighted off the coast of Monterey, California. The white orca whale, designated OCT050C1, is part of a matriline commonly sighted off the California coast.
Famous Whale “Chainsaw” Is In The House
Among the group of Bigg’s killer whales spotted was the adult male whale T063, fondly known to naturalists and whale researchers as ‘Chainsaw’ due to his distinctive dorsal fin.
Photo credit: April Ryan, Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching/PWWA
Distinctive Killer Whale Makes Rare Visit to San Juan Islands
FRIDAY HARBOR, WA (March 29, 2021) – The Pacific Whale Watch Association today announced sighting of a rare visitor to the San Juan Islands. “Chainsaw is in the house,” exclaimed Jeff Friedman, owner of the Friday Harbor-based whale watching company Maya’s Legacy. Friedman and his passengers got a first-hand look Monday at more than ten Bigg’s killer whales swimming slowly north through Haro Strait.
Among the group of Bigg’s killer whales Friedman spotted the adult male whale T063, fondly known to naturalists and whale researchers as ‘Chainsaw’ due to his distinctive dorsal fin.
According to Sara McCullagh, captain of the Sea Lion, a coast guard certified whale watch vessel owned by San Juan Safaris out of Friday Harbor, “It was a bit of a spread across Haro Strait with the T010s, T065 and T063 on the border pointed at Turn Point, the T036As and T049As cruising the Stuart Island shoreline, while the T071s were nearby on the Canadian side of the border.”
It was a beautiful day on the water to watch whales,” says McCullagh, “and it’s always fun to see Chainsaw. He’s a bucket-list animal for a lot of us in the whale watching community.”
Easily distinguished from other whales, Chainsaw’s dorsal fin has several large notches in the top third of his fin that gives the appearance of a large saw blade. At some point during his youth Chainsaw lost two large chunks in the trailing edge of his dorsal fin, possibly due to a bite from a seal or sea lion, favored prey of Bigg’s killer whales.
Accompanied by his presumed mother T065, along with the T010s and T071s, the killer whales left the visitors aboard several whale watching boats in awe of the experience as the whales swam north in Haro Strait. ‘Chainsaw’ is believed to have been born in 1978 and regularly travels with his mother T065 ‘Whidbey II.’
While not frequently seen in the inland waters, naturalists have come to expect that spring is when they might see T063 ‘Chainsaw,’ so Monday’s report was welcome news among the professional whale watching community. The distinctive adult male is also reported to travel up the coast of Canada as far as Southeast Alaska, where he is known as ‘Zorro’ to whale researchers and naturalists there.
Throughout the inland waters of Washington and British Columbia, there are nearly 400 Bigg’s killer whales that have been identified and catalogued in the region at one time or another. Bigg’s killer whales are increasing in numbers due to the abundance of prey such as seals and sea lions, unlike the endangered Southern Resident killer whales which are struggling due to declining numbers of their preferred prey, Chinook salmon.
Jpod Returns To Puget Sound in Search of Wild Salmon!
Presence of SRKW Directly Related to Presence of Fall Salmon
FRIDAY HARBOR, WA (October 16, 2020) – The return of Jpod to Puget Sound today is the second time this month this pod of beloved Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW)—also known as Orcas—have entered Puget Sound. The pod’s first foray into Puget Sound this fall occurred on October 5-6, as they briefly traveled through Puget Sound on the hunt for fall runs of wild Chinook, Coho, and Chum salmon.
With the recent wet weather the region has been experiencing, streams and rivers throughout the region are now primed for the return of wild spawning salmon, which in turn, brings the whales. These fall salmon runs are a critical part of the SRKWs diet and provide much needed sustenance to these spectacular marine mammals which require up to 300-400 pounds of fish every day to survive.
Fall visits to Puget Sound are nothing new. Southern Resident killer whales are generally regular visitors to our urban region every fall as they navigate the inland waterways in search of fall runs of Chinook, Coho, and Chum salmon which return each year to spawn in rivers and streams throughout Puget Sound.
What is new this year is two new additions to Jpod have recently joined the pod in just the past two months, so these forays into Puget Sound are particularly exciting for those who hope to get a glimpse of the baby whales as they pass throughout Puget Sound. The new Jpod calves, designated J57 and J58, were born on September 4 and September 24, respectively. Both babies were looking healthy and active when last sighted off San Juan Island October 7.
While the new calves will sustain themselves solely on mother’s milk for the first year, their nutritional needs make successfully finding salmon that much more important for their mothers, Tahlequah (J35) and Eclipse (J41).
The PWWA encourages boaters to follow our best-practices and professional guidelines by slowing to under 7 knots when within 1/2 mile of whales, remain 300 yards away from Southern Resident whales, do not cross or stop directly in the path of whales, respectfully enjoy their presence and enthusiastically support salmon protection and salmon habitat restoration efforts in your cities and neighborhoods.
More Good News! Second New Baby Sighted in Jpod!
Photo courtesy of Leah Vanderwiel/Orca Spirit Adventures/Pacific Whale Watch Association.
All photos were taken with telephoto lenses and are cropped for detail.
Photos courtesy of Talia Goodyear/Orca Spirit Adventures/Pacific Whale Watch Association.
All photos were taken with telephoto lenses and are cropped for detail.
PWWA Naturalists Thrilled to Witness New Calf's First Breath
FRIDAY HARBOR, WA (September 25, 2020) – Following the recent news of the birth of a new baby in Jpod, and the subsequent report that J57 is a boy, comes even more good news from the Salish Sea.
Expectant mother J41, aka Eclipse, gave birth to her newest baby Thursday afternoon just miles off the Victoria, B.C. waterfront. This is J41's second calf. Her first calf, J51, is a male born in 2015.
The birth of the baby was witnessed by professional naturalists Talia Goodyear and Leah Vanderwiel, along with everyone aboard the Orca Spirit Adventures vessel Pacific Explorer. The crew and guests came upon the lone female killer whale as they were returning from viewing one of the dozens of humpback whales that are regularly seen in the region all summer, and were on their way to Race Rocks to finish their tour viewing seals and sea lions when they happened upon J41.
According to Goodyear, "We spotted who we soon identified to be J41 just southwest of Race Rocks. She appeared to be alone at the time and stayed very close to the surface for a few minutes. After going under for several minutes, she reappeared, and this time it looked like she was pushing something with her rostrum. She surfaced like this 3 or 4 times."
"It took us a little while to really figure out what was going on," said Goodyear, "so it was a bit of an emotional roller coaster as we thought of all the possibilities. Although we thought we were certain this was an SRKW, we did question whether this was a Biggs killer whale with a seal, or if we were seeing a buoy and this was an entanglement, and then we were concerned we could be re-living the tragic situation with J35 and her deceased calf from 2018."
"She was aiding the baby up for a few breaths with her rostrum," added Vanderwiel, "at which point the little one started surfacing on its own. It appeared to be a rambunctious little bundle of baby, as every surface was exaggerated and playful. We watched as they continued to head off southwest from Race Rocks."
"It was an emotional time as we processed what was happening in front of us," said Vanderwiel. "It took a few minutes to realize what was actually happening, but then it was pure excitement realizing that it was a birth and the baby was very alive and boisterous."
While the majority of PWWA whale watching tours are focused on the thriving Biggs mammal-eating killer whales, abundant Humpback whales and other marine wildlife, occasional chance encounters with the world-famous Southern Resident Killer whales (SRKW) do occur. During these brief encounters naturalists educate their guests about the SRKW, their matrilineal social structures, their playful nature and life histories, and explain to their guests the challenges the beloved endangered SRKW population currently face for their very survival.
Following their brief encounter, and while the excitement was still coursing through their veins, Goodyear and Vanderweil alerted the PWWA and the Center for Whale Research about their observation, and provided their photos for analysis once they returned to shore.
While the trained professional naturalists were certain that the new mother was J41, and believe that they witnessed the calf's first breaths, their photographs were sent to whale researchers to confirm their identities and to hopefully determine their body condition based on the photos provided.
According to Ken Balcomb, founder and executive director of the Center for Whale Research, the photos of the mother are confirmed to be those of J41 and a brand new baby. "We're very pleased to see that J41 has had her baby," said Balcomb, "however, it's too soon to determine the status of the calf, and further observations are necessary before we'll make an announcement of the new baby's health."
As the PWWA remains cautiously optimistic for the health and survival of yet another beautiful new addition to Jpod, survival for the endangered SRKW population directly correlates with the health of Chinook salmon.
Dramatic declines over the past several decades of Chinook salmon throughout their critical habitat continues to be the biggest threat to SRKW recovery. Salmon stocks that the SRKW rely upon throughout the year primarily include Chinook salmon that spawn in the Fraser River, Columbia River, and Sacramento River systems.
In contrast, Biggs mammal-eating killer whales have produced over 80 new calves in the past ten years in the shared waters of the Salish Sea due to abundant marine mammal prey resources and are thriving throughout the region.
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PHOTO CREDIT MANDATORY:
Photos courtesy of Talia Goodyear/Orca Spirit Adventures/Pacific Whale Watch Association and Leah Vanderwiel/Orca Spirit Adventures/Pacific Whale Watch Association. All photos were taken with telephoto lenses and are cropped for detail.
PWWA Cautiously Optimistic for New Jpod Baby
Prolonged Absence, Lack of Critical Prey Remain Key Concerns
FRIDAY HARBOR, WA (September 6, 2020) – The Pacific Whale Watch Association and every one of our professional members are thrilled by the addition of a new baby orca in Jpod. We are proud and pleased to have been the first to spot the new addition, playing a significant role in alerting researchers to the calf’s presence and coordinating efforts to locate and identify the new baby.
"As we were watching the greeting ceremony between J and L pods unfold Saturday, it felt like a special day on the water,” said Sarah McCullagh, a professionally trained captain and naturalist for San Juan Safaris of Friday Harbor. “We first saw J35 and her son J47 off by themselves away from the main group, then as we watched we quickly realized that there was a very small fin tucked in next to them. We called the Center for Whale Research over to investigate and sure enough they confirmed that J35 had a new calf J57. I was obviously elated, so excited for J35 after the incredible loss she suffered a couple of years ago, but also for the Southern Resident community as a whole. I definitely cried."
Researchers from the Center for Whale Research confirm the new Jpod was born to 22-year-old mother J35, Tahlequah, who two years ago made international news when she carried her dead calf for 17 days throughout the Salish Sea, highlighting the plight of the Southern Resident Killer whales (SRKW) and the devastating lack of Chinook salmon, critical to their survival.
The PWWA community plays a vital role as ‘Sentinels of the Sea,’ providing real-time sighting and reports of whales to researchers, enforcement agencies, the maritime shipping industry, military vessels, ferries, and private boaters alike.
While the PWWA is committed to providing our expertise for the protection and public education of whales, we remain concerned that the SRKW are spending little to no time in what was once a significant traditional and historical summer fishing grounds here in the Salish Sea.
We are relieved to hear from research colleagues on the outer coast of Vancouver Island that the SRKW have been finding critical food sources off Swiftsure bank and Chinook salmon habitats to the north. Researchers are reporting that the whales are generally looking robust and healthy, finding food in areas outside the Salish Sea.
As we remain cautiously optimistic for the health and survival of this beautiful new addition to Jpod, we hope this news does not distract or detract from the real issues and threats these whales face in this region.
Although there have been significant increases in Humpback and Biggs mammal-eating killer whales in the Salish Sea in recent years due to prey abundance, this year there were no SRKW reported in their summer fishing waters during the entire month of May, June, and August. These are months that in the past were once filled with the presence of boisterous, happy, well-fed salmon-eating whales consuming Chinook salmon, now critically endangered themselves.
Chinook salmon stocks in this region, and especially in the Fraser River watershed, are crashing due to decades of commercial scale overfishing and dramatic reductions in critical salmon habitat throughout the region due to increasing human populations. Unless something is done to return Chinook salmon populations to their historic numbers we fear the continued absence of SRKW in the Salish Sea will continue.
With the new addition to Jpod, the PWWA remains unified with our partners at NOAA, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, Transport Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the research community in asking vessels to please keep their distance from the new calf and the critically endangered SRKW.
The PWWA has for over the past quarter-century developed and maintained world-class standards for whale-watching best practices, including: slowing to under seven knots at a half-mile from all whales; not crossing or stopping in the paths of whales; remaining at legally defined safe distances from whales; limiting vessel numbers when in the presence of whales; reducing viewing times with whales; and alerting private vessels —which account for nearly 90% of all whale harassment incidents—to the presence of whales.
The PWWA remains committed to the protection and restoration of Southern Resident Killer whales and the conservation and restoration of Chinook salmon populations they need to survive.
We ask the public to join us in our efforts to protect the whales and wildlife we all care so deeply about.