Another beautiful day in the neighborhood!
Early this morning, J pod returned to Friday Harbor, heading in towards the west side of San Juan Island- very spread out and lazily passing Hannah Heights. The orca whales have returned! We went to the lighthouse and sure enough, had a wonderful pass very close to shore.
A pod of whales is actually an extended family containing maternal groups composed of mothers and their offspring. Some of these family units have as many as four generations traveling together. The resident killer whales in the San Juan Islands have three pods: J, K, and L. J Pod is presently composed of 25 individuals. One of the oldest matriarch orcas, Granny (J-2), is in J Pod. (courtesy of the Whale Museum)
Of interest, Faith, also referred to as L-57, has been traveling with J Pod for the past week or so. Faith was born in the late seventies and is a strapping 30 year old male. He is a stand out in the southern resident community and is easily recognized due to a slight tilt at the top of his dorsal fin. This morning, he was traveling with a few of the younger J pod males and Polaris, J-28, who is a female born in 1993.
There are plenty of keepsakes to commemorate your visit to the San Juan Islands available! Please click on an item below or visit Zazzle to see all the great photos of the southern residents!!
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