ORCAS AGAIN, & A FEW NICE WHALES
Our week 2 guests hailed from Washington DC, Virginia, and California
For the second consecutive week our first day brought an orca encounter.
That in itself is highly unusual.
This encounter included 17 orcas in 4 groups that coalesced into 3 groups.
As the images will show this was a fabulous encounter with a lot of time spent
in very close proximity to some very curious orcas. They are amazing animals
and to see so many of them in such calm seas was a thrill for everyone. All these
orcas were traveling south, and there was no hunting or feeding observed in the few
hours we spent with them.
A short note about the newly named Bello whale. It is about time to honor our dear friend,
board member, and super champion of our world's oceans Max Bello. Having a blue whale
named after him is overdue, so now we have and will always remember the Bello whale.
A report on the life history of this whale will be forthcoming as the data becomes available.
Otherwise, the sea is a cool 67F, and clearer and not as productive as usual. So the whale numbers are low, and every single blue whale we have seen has only been seen once. They are coming here and are clearly not content with what they are finding, so they then depart for more productive areas.
Dolphin numbers are also very low.
Weather is cooler than normal and winds are more or less average.
Please stay tuned for next weeks report.
~Michael
Images are of in order:
This easily recognizable blue whale with bold white spots has been named the "Bello" whale
This curious orca checks out our underwater pole cam - By Delphi
A stunning shot of a female orca with a fabulous view of her healthy-looking teeth - By our guest Charlotte Ferenbach
A rare view of the eye of an orca - By Delphi
Orcas on the move - By Delphi
First fin whale ID of the season
6 orcas moving south, to only they know where
Base notch, a well-known orca, and another female, with a spouting calf between them - By Charlotte