Southern Residents return to San Juans
with new calf among 'em, August 19, 2007
photo by Dave Ellifrit, taken under MMPA permit #532-1822 and/or DFO license #2006-08/SARA-34.
J34 leaps from the water with J8 in the foreground, August 19, 2007, in Haro Strait.
photo by Dave Ellifrit, taken under MMPA permit #532-1822 and/or DFO license #2006-08/SARA-34.
From left: L100, L82, L77 (in background), L83 and L110. It's interesting to note: L82 is two weeks older than L83, and was observed traveling close to the new mother and her calf.
photo by Dave Ellifrit, taken under MMPA permit #532-1822 and/or DFO license #2006-08/SARA-34.
From left: L103, the new calf L110 and L7 surface together August 19, 2007.
photo by Dave Ellifrit, taken under MMPA permit #532-1822 and/or DFO license #2006-08/SARA-34.
L83 surfaces with her new calf, designated L110, in Haro Strait, August 19, 2007.
photo by Ken Balcomb, taken under MMPA permit #532-1822 and/or DFO license #2006-08/SARA-34.
A closer look at L83 and her new calf L110, in Haro Strait, August 19, 2007.
photo by Dave Ellifrit, taken under MMPA permit #532-1822 and/or DFO license #2006-08/SARA-34.
A detailed photograph of the dorsal fin and saddle patch of L110.
Encounter #048
August 19, 2007 J-pod, K-pod and L-pod Platform: Orca Departed Roche Harbor: 1:10 p.m. Begin Encounter: 2:18 p.m. Start Lat: 48° 22.828 N Start Long: 123° 09.064 W End Encounter: 3:40 p.m. End Lat: 48° 29.13 N End Long: 123° 07.43 W Returned to Snug Harbor: 4:08 p.m. Observers: Ken Balcomb, Dave Ellifrit and Kelley Balcomb-Bartok.
The entire Southern Resident Killer whale population was observed approaching the southwest coast of San Juan Island August 19, 2007. The whales were traveling in two tight groups: J's, K's and the L12's in the lead group; followed by the remainder of L-pod close behind. Several recent reports of a new calf sighted in L-pod — from reliable observers along the Southern coast of Vancouver Island — were confirmed by staff of the Center for Whale Research during the brief encounter. The new calf is officially designated L-110, and based on photographs taken during the encounter, Center staff are confident that L83 is the mother, based on her close proximity to the the young calf. The first-time mother L-83 is also a summer baby, born July 27, 1990.
With the addition of this new calf, the Southern Resident Killer whale population is currently 87 individuals as of August 19, 2007. There are 25 individuals in J-pod, 19 individuals in K-pod, and the new calf raises the total number of individuals in L-pod to 43.
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