MOUNT VERNON — Endangered southern resident orcas from J pod were seen last week in Puget Sound.
Initially the dense fog in the area made it difficult Oct. 4 for Orca Network Whale Sighting Network staff to confirm the number and type of whales.
Orca Whale Sightings Network Coordinator Alisa Lemire Brooks said she met the whales near Shilshole Bay Marina in Seattle to get a clear count and confirmed they were members of J pod.
Up to seven were seen together, but Lemire Brooks was able to see whales spanning up to two miles, which meant it was likely all of J pod.
“It’s always a gift to say hello in person to familiar orcas as they travel this urban part of their home range in search of food they are dependent upon,” Lemire Brooks said.
Southern resident orcas move into Puget Sound during the fall and early winter months to follow the winter salmon runs. The salmon, mainly chinook, make up 80 percent of their diet.
During the warmer months, the pod travels throughout the Salish Sea, visiting Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands and Georgia Strait.
J pod swam as far south as Bainbridge Island before heading north and staying in Puget Sound overnight. On Wednesday, the pod made its way up to Admiralty Inlet and early on Thursday was seen west of San Juan Island.
J pod is one of three southern resident pods found in the area. A census done July 1 by the Center of Whale Research counted 73 orcas between J, K and L pods.
In 2021 there were 74 whales in the three pods.
For the next few months, whale watchers can see J, K and L pods from Whidbey Island, the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas, the inland shore of Puget Sound and while on ferries.
The public is asked to send whale sightings to sightings@orcanetwork.org, message the Orca Network Facebook page, call 360-331-3543 or visit the Orca Network website.
“The anticipation in the local community this time of year is palpable,” Lemire Brooks said in a news release. “We are so fortunate to live in such a remarkably beautiful place with a plethora of nearby shorelines to watch these majestic, intelligent, social beings.”
