OnBoard Tours Whales

September 18, 2009

A gorgeous autumn day showed J’s and L’s in Rosario Strait off of Lawrence Point on Orcas Island, from 2:25pm to 3:14pm. The whales spread across the strait in several small and large groups, as they foraged south against a strong flooding current. L-22 Spirit in the lead, passed close to the Orcas shoreline, leaving us wondering where her ‘boys’ were. J-8 Spieden, J-19 Shachi with J-41 Eclipse, passed a little further offshore. That’s when we noticed L-22’s son L-79 Skana, in hot pursuit of J-31 Tsuchi! Hot as in there was rolling, lunging, and splashing going on with L-79 showing his ‘pink floyd’! The encounter went on for about 10 minutes, when L-79 headed east and J-31 continued south. Our impression was J-31 was rebuking L-79’s advances! Maybe 15 to 18 months from now will tell a different ending?!