8-11-14 They Aren't Just a Bunch of Whales in the Water

Monday, August 11th
...J Pod Group A, the J22s (aka J10s or the Cookies), and the K Klik (Cappuccino K-21, Opus K-16 and Sonata K-35) came down mid-morning and met up with the L12s...what an interesting combination...
...I learned that the rest of the whales had headed west in the Strait of Juan de Fuca...they must have gotten the memo from the Fraser River Panel "90% of the sockeye are coming down from the north, leaving only 10% to pass through these waters...
...we met the whales off South Beach area with lots of commercial fishing  and sports fishing vessels...but the whales are smart, very smart, they know how to weave their way through where ever it is they want to go...

...looks like she has marks on her dorsal fin but it's just seeing her through the net...

...three humpback whales were spotted near where the killer whales were!
...the mom and calf...

...a while later someone spotted a Pacific white sided dolphin...just one...
it rode the bow of the Peregrine...what a treat...

...the PWSD decided to stay with us!...maybe it liked the catamaran style...

...the whales took their time coming up island and when they got to Kellett Bluff some stalled out...difficult to capture in images but it looked like they were saying 'bye'...the L12s were getting ready to turn back down island, so the others were going to continue north?...perhaps they were deciding who was going with whom, and in the end the L12s and the Cookies group went down island together...the J14s and the J19s continued north to catch up to Granny, Onyx, the J16s, and the K Klik...

...they milled about, lining up briefly, going in circles, fascinating to watch...oh, to have been able to watch that from above, it would have been spectacular to see...some looking like they were leaving, then turning and coming back to the group, etc...
... Hy'Shqa J-37 and her offspring J-49 were being followed about by Mystery L-85 (earlier in the day it was Solstice L-89 who was following her around) - (mark your calendars for 17 months from now - ha)!!... 
...I was invited hop over to Legacy Charters for the last trip of the day... ...the L12s and the J22s took four hours to go about 5 miles!..and just about every mile was full of action!
...this is only one of several double spyhops as they went down island...

...her tear looks angular, but I can't see much detail...too far...

...Matia L-77 mom to Joy L-119 was offshore while this wild porpoising was going on...
...then L-119 left the group and porpoised her way out to meet up with her mom...I just love it!...they aren't just a bunch of whales in the water...and from these types of interactions among them it reveals that they really are 'the people of the sea'...

...Mega L-41 and DoubleStuf J-34 were traveling behind the others having their own fun times...

...we left them as they were going down island passing the lighthouse...

...I imagine they will be gone tomorrow...so this time the L12s are leaving (I think) with the Cookies...the Cookies are part of Group B, and the rest of them had already gone out the Strait of Juan de Fuca with the rest of the Ks and the other L pod whales...Confusing?  yes!

...at day's end...some went north, some south, and others had gone out...

This type of spread is not the norm.

The lack of salmon is becoming the norm.

And that is bad for the whales and the humans.