July 11, 2023 – Earlier this morning two families of Biggs/Transient orcas known as the T36A’s and T37A’s had been tread milling against the flood current in Cattle Pass for a couple hours. We headed south in that direction taking the pass behind Turn Island where harbor seals rested and bald eagles patrolled. We ducked inside of Griffin Bay to find a back eddy. At Goose Island we noticed a bunch of speckled baby gull chicks – the first ones of the season. Cormorants sat by their nests.
The orcas had finally made their way out of the pass and at this point were passing Iceberg Pt. It took us quite a bit longer than expected to catch up with them, but we made it near the top of MacArthur Bank. The two families were spread out by about a mile traveling south. We had some fantastic views and then had to spin around to make tracks back to the harbor.
On our return we cruised by Salmon Bank and spotted a bunch of gulls circling with a minke whale lunging beneath them. As we got closer we spotted a second minke whale. The lunging minke is one we’ve known for years with a notch on the leading edge of the dorsal fin. The other is one we’ve seen twice recently who is surfacing in a peculiar manner by barely showing the dorsal fin. We’re not sure what is going on with it – could it be an injury? Boat strike related? A new whale to the area with scoliosis? Entanglement? Pregnancy related? At this point nobody knows, but if we see it again we’ll alert someone who can hopefully get out there to investigate it – hopefully using a drone.
Turn Island
Harbor seals hauled out south of Turn Island
Bald eagle flying by
Bald eagle with something in talons
Harbor seals on Goose Island and Cattle Pt Lighthouse
Goose Island – nesting cormorants and gulls
Gull chicks on Goose Island
Biggs/Transient orca T37A with youngest offspring T37A5
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Biggs/Transient orca T37A2
Biggs/Transient orca T37A4 with new nicks on dorsal fin
Biggs/Transient orca T37A
Biggs/Transient orca T37A5
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Biggs/Transient orca T37A2
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Biggs/Transient orca T37A2
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Biggs/Transient orca T37A2
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A’s
Minke whale surfacing oddly on Salmon Bank not showing dorsal fin
Minke whale surfacing oddly on Salmon Bank not showing much of dorsal fin
Minke whale on Salmon Bank with nick on leading edge of dorsal fin
Minke whale foraging on Salmon Bank
Minke whale surfacing oddly on Salmon Bank not showing dorsal fin
Minke whale surfacing oddly on Salmon Bank not showing much of dorsal fin
Minke whale foraging on Salmon Bank
Minke whale foraging on Salmon Bank
Minke whale surfacing oddly on Salmon Bank barely showing dorsal fin
Minke whale surfacing oddly on Salmon Bank not showing much of dorsal fin
Minke whale surfacing oddly on Salmon Bank not showing much of dorsal fin
Minke whale surfacing oddly on Salmon Bank not showing much of dorsal fin
Minke whale surfacing oddly on Salmon Bank not showing much of dorsal fin
Minke whale surfacing oddly on Salmon Bank barely showing dorsal fin
Rhinoceros auklets
Rhinoceros auklets coming in for a landing
Pelagic cormorants on Salmon Bank Channel Marker
Pelagic cormorant chick on Salmon Bank Channel Marker
Cattle Pt Lighthouse
Goose Island – nesting cormorants and gulls
Goose Island – nesting cormorants
Gull chicks on Goose Island
Gull chicks on Goose Island
Bald eagle perched near Goose Island
Fun family sailing adventure !
Harbor seals hauled out south of Turn Island
Harbor seals hauled out south of Turn Island
Route map 7/11/23