May 28, 2024: T124As | San Juan Island

May 29

Date: May 28, 2024
Location: San Juan Island, WA
Weather: Cloudy, 57 degrees Fahrenheit, with 7mph winds from W
Tide: Ebb to low
Pods/Individuals: T124As and T124A4s
Total whale count: 6
Behaviors: Traveling
Boat Count: ~6
Observer: Tamara Kelley

*T124A4 Sabio with T124A1A (Photo by Tamara Kelley)*

With reports of J Pod coming into the Salish Sea the day prior I met up with Orca Conservancy volunteer ambassador Silver Huble to take a day trip to San Juan Island in hopes of seeing J Pod. We met at the Anacortes ferry terminal and carpooled on an early ferry.

Upon our arrival we headed for the west side of the island and began scanning. The day started out a bit drizzly with low visibility in the strait, but eventually the fog lifted. After a few hours of looking, listening to hydrophones, and checking reports, we had yet to see anything and decided to check out other locations. We made a brief spot in Roche Harbor when a report of a group of orcas came through. The report indicated the orcas were traveling north through Cattle Pass.

From our location we had a short window of time and limited locations we could go, so we set off in hopes of intercepting the whales at Turn Point County Park. At the time the ID of the group had not been confirmed, but we suspected based on the location and group size these were Transient killer whales. We arrived just in time to catch the whales passing Turn Island and identified them as the T124As and T124A4s.

Traveling with the group was the new calf T124A1A, believed to be the first calf of the lone female T124A1 Bonapartes (relative to the 124As and A4s). T124A1A was notably missing from the group as her presumed calf was traveling in the echelon position of T124A4, sister of A1. This was one of multiple sightings of the calf with A4 leading researchers to question the maternity of the new calf. During its time traveling with presumed mother T124A1, the calf’s health was deteriorating quickly indicating the calf was malnourished. Once the calf began traveling with T124A4 it began to fill out and appeared much healthier. Researchers are not clear if T124A4 is the actual mother, or if A4 may have still be lactating from her previous calf and adopted the calf. Once researchers review the maternity it is possible that T124A1A may be assigned a new alphanumeric ID.

Visibility at Turn Point County Park is limited, and after a few surfaces, the whales left our range of sight. With there being no public access on most of the northeast side of the island, we decided to make our way to Reuben Tarte County Park in hopes the group would make their way north through San Juan Channel. This was a pretty wise gamble as the family had been circling San Juan Island for the past few days, and we were correct in guessing their direction. After waiting for over an hour, the group slowly made their way toward us, and we got a great close pass.

After they left our sight, we figured they would continue their pattern and made our way to County Park where we waited for another hour or so before they continued their slow travels to us. By this time the clouds were starting to clear and the wind was picking up making overly bright and choppy viewing conditions which were slightly more challenging than our previous passes. Once they passed County Park, we set off for Land Bank where we saw them a last time where they picked up speed and were starting to push off shore.

After circling the island with these whales it was time to go home and so we made our way back to Friday Harbor to catch the ferry back to the mainland. As an anecdotal note, this was my third time setting out to see Southern Residents only to be surprised to find one of the 124 family groups. During this encounter, I even joked, “I swear every time I look through my viewfinder it’s always the 124A families!” I lovingly call these groups the “traveling daycare”, and suspect the amount of young whales in the group contributes to their often slow travels.