SRKW Annual 2021

Here's one more visual of the Southern Resident killer whale Salish Sea data for 2021: a sightings map with a breakdown by season.

I'm surprised there as many green dots representing spring as we see here, as all these data points were J-Pod in March and the first 10 days of April before they departed for their 100+ day absence.

The yellow dots depict the summer shift away from the core of the Salish Sea, with all three pods being seen most often out at Swiftsure Bank or venturing partway in the western Strait of Juan de Fuca, making only a small number of visits to what used to be considered their core habitat.

Fall (Sep-Nov) is now the season when the Southern Residents are here the most, utilizing the entirety of the Salish Sea from the southern reaches of Puget Sound to the central Strait of Georgia. This pattern continues into the winter but is made up primarily of J-Pod, whereas in the fall we see more of Ks and Ls as well.