L90 with calf off Lime Kiln

Today was not the day we expected! After hearing all three pods on the Haro Strait hydrophones last night, we got up early and scanned the west side of San Juan Island from north to south without turning up any dorsal fins. A couple hours later, we got word of Southern Residents heading west from Sooke, and assumed they were all heading back out.

Then in the early afternoon came a report of an orca with young calf off Lime Kiln heading north. At first we assumed Bigg's, but thanks to back of the camera shots that were shared by Ashley Whitman, we realized the adult was L90 Ballena, a 31 year-old female who has not been documented with a calf before and who is the only surviving member of the L26 matriline.

We caught up with the pair at San Juan County Park. Just as surprising as the calf was perhaps the fact that there were no other whales in sight: it was just the two of them! Over the next five hours they went back and forth on the west side, and we were able to catch up to them at several viewpoints on shore.

While unexpected, it's not totally without precedent for new moms to take some space away from the rest of the group or for a single matriline, even a small one, to be in inland waters on their own. Thankfully the Center for Whale Research was able to get on scene and should have a more complete update in the days ahead.