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• How You Can Help the Orcas

• Issues Affecting the Southern Resident Orcas

• Whale Watching in the San Juans

Annual Monthly Arrivals & Departures from the Salish Sea

(J Pod spends some of its time in the Salish Sea every month of the year)

Year JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
1976 ? ? ? J & K J       J, K & L       ? J
1977 ? ? ? ? ? ?    J, K & L            
1978 J J J & K J J J    J, K & L       J J
1979 J J J J J       J, K & L       J & K J
1980 J J J J J       J, K & L       J J
1981 J J J J & K J       J, K & L          J
1982 J J J J J J & K    J, K & L    J & K J J
1983 J J J J J       J, K & L        J & K J
1984 J J J J J J & K    J, K & L    J J J
1985 J J J J J J & K    J, K & L       J J
1986 J J J J J & K       J, K & L    J J J
1987 J J J J J       J, K & L       J & K   
1988 J J J J J & K       J, K & L       J J
1989 J J J & K J          J, K & L       J & K   
1990 J J J J          J, K & L       J J
1991 J J J J J & K       J, K & L    J & K J J
1992 J J J J          J, K & L            
1993 J J J J J & K       J, K & L    J J J
1994 J J J J J       J, K & L    J & L J J
1995 J J J J          J, K & L    J J J
1996 J J J J J       J, K & L       J & K J
1997 J J J J J       J, K & L       J & L J
1998 J J J J          J, K & L       J & K J
1999 J J J J J       J, K & L            
2000 J, K & L J J J J       J, K & L            
2001 J, K & L J, K & L J J          J, K & L            
2002 J, K & L J, K & L J J       J, K & L           
2003 J, K & L J, K & L   J   J   J       J, K & L           J & K
2004 J, K & L J J   J   J & L J & L J, K & L    
2005 J, K & L J? J J J & L   J, K & L         J & K
2006 J? J J, K & L J, K & L
2007

J-Pod=    J&K-Pod=    J&L-Pod=    J,K & L-Pods=   

This graph shows what months each of the three resident pods (J,K, and L) of the Southern Resident Community were detected in the inland waters east of Race Rocks on Vancouver Island and Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula.

The years 1976 to the present run down the left, and months run across the top. Colors represent the different pods or pod-combination in the record.

The information for this graph is derived from the historical sighting archive at The Whale Museum (Osborne, 1999; Osborne et al, 2001). This archive is a compilation of all available sightings and publications on the identity of resident and transient pods called into the Museum's WHALE HOTLINE (800-562-8832), the B.C. Whale Hotline (800-665-5939) maintained by the Marine Mammal Research Group in Victoria, reported over Sea Coast Expeditions' pager network, printed in the Orca Network listserve, or reported directly to the Museum by individual researchers and experienced observers.

Of interest in this figure is the indication that the pods have changed how early they arrive and how late they depart in the spring and fall from one year to the next, and the fact that in recent years all three pods have only been gone from the area for 2-3 months, instead of 5-7 months.

References:

Osborne, R.W., J. M. Olson, and R.E. Tallmon, 2001. "Southern Resident Killer Whale Habitat Use at Different Time Scales Using Sighting and Photo-Identification Records." Abstract of a paper presented to the 14th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Vancouver, B.C.

Osborne, R.W., 1999. "A Historical Ecology of Salish Sea 'Resident' Killer Whales (Orcinus orca): with Implications for Management." Doctoral Dissertation, Department of Geography, University of Victoria, B.C., 262 p.

 

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