Meet J-Pod

J-Pod is the "most resident" of the three Southern Resident pods, spending by far the most time in the inland waters of the Salish Sea. They have been and continue to be regularly seen during all 12 months of the year, though there have been definite seasonal changes to their presence. In recent years, J-Pod will spend most of the fall and winter in the Salish Sea, ranging from Puget Sound to Campbell River. At some point in the spring, they typically depart for the outer coast of BC, then proceed to make periodic visits back to inland waters from May through August depending on prey availability in a given year.

J-Pod is made up of six matrilines that as of the beginning of 2024 total 25 individual whales. A matriline is defined as a female and her descendants, and is named after the female that is the "glue" that links all family members together, even if she is deceased. As such, the current J-Pod matrilines are known as the J11s, J14s, J16s, J17s, J19s, and J22s.

J-Pod's most common call types

The most iconic J-Pod call is the S1, a three part descending vocalization that is commonly heard whenever J-Pod is present. Some of their other common call types – such as S3, S7 S12, are similar in structure, with multiple descending notes.

Another common J-Pod call, often characterized as sounding like a sheep or a goat, is the S4. Other pods to occasionally make this call too, but if you hear a bunch of S4s, it’s almost certainly J-Pod.
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S3, S7, S12

S12

J-Pod’s most common call (S1)

(S3 Spectogram image) Similar in structure, with multiple descending notes

If you hear a bunch of S4s, it’s almost certainly J-Pod

Days Present in the Salish Sea in 2019-2023

J-Pod is likely to be seen during all 12 months of the year, though their seasonal patterns have changed dramatically from historic trends. They used to be in the Salish Sea daily from April through August, but those are now the months they are more likely to be off the western Strait of Juan de Fuca or on the outer coast of BC. In September through March, Js rarely leave the Salish Sea at all, spending time in the fall in Puget Sound to feed on chum salmon and spending much of the winter in the Strait of Georgia.

J-Pod Audio Recordings

A few hydrophone clips featuring J-Pod vocalizations. If you enjoy these, you can check out some of other favorite recordings over the years on our Soundcloud.