Orcas swim past a Washington State Ferry. Experts say Southern Residents usually follow salmon into Puget Sound in October, making it a great time of year for sightings.??? Image Credit: Photo Courtesy Of Orca Network
Experts expect Orcas to be in Puget Sound October
Orcas swim past a Washington State Ferry. Experts say Southern Residents usually follow salmon into Puget Sound in October, making it a great time of year for sightings.??? Image Credit: Photo Courtesy Of Orca Network
Hot on the tails of spawning salmon, experts expect orcas to be in Puget Sound this month.
After spending most of the summer in the San Juan Islands, Southern Resident orca pods venture into Puget Sound for the fall and early winter months, Orca Network announced in a news release this week. They typically travel down Admiralty Inlet to south of Vashon Island chasing chum salmon runs, which start around Oct. 1.
Southern Residents should not be confused with the mammal-eating Transient-type orcas that are often seen year-round in Puget Sound.
Orca Network, a Langley-based advocacy group, has added a new online map of north and central Puget Sound to make observing whales from land-based viewpoints around Puget Sound easier. It includes descriptions of over 100 public viewing locations and directions to help find them.
The new map is available at www.orcanetwork.org/Viewpoints.html.
“We are very fortunate to live in a place where we can look out from nearby shorelines and see those majestic black fins parting the waters,” said Howard Garrett, president of Orca Network’s board. “We are thankful for the hundreds of citizens who report sightings each year, providing valuable data to help in recovery efforts for the endangered Souther Resident orcas.”
Since the Federal listing of the Southern Resident Orcas under the Endangered Species Act, Orca Network has been assisting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association Fisheries and the Center for Whale Research to help track the winter travels of the Southern Residents both in Puget Sound and along the outer coast.
The public can help by reporting whale sightings immediately, so land-based observers can get out to see and photograph the whales as well. To make a report, call 1-866-ORCANET, email [email protected], or post on Orca Network’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/OrcaNetwork.
Whale sightings from the public provide critical information about travel patterns, and timely reports enable Orca Network to alert researchers who can then obtain photo identification and fecal samples from the whales during their visits to Puget Sound.
Reports should be as detailed as possible, including location, time, direction of travel, approximate number of whales, and if there are any adult males, which have large 5 to 6-foot dorsal fins. Also include any witnessed behaviors, such as breaching, spy-hops, feeding, etc. Photographs are welcome and can be emailed to Orca Network.
All sightings are in turn shared with researchers, agencies, and the public through our Whale Sightings Email list, Orca Network website and Facebook and Twitter pages.
The Whale Sighting Network and Orca Network website and Facebook Page also provide up to date information on the latest research and issues related to orcas, salmon, other cetaceans and their habitats, along with federal whale watching regulations and Be Whale Wise guidelines for viewing marine mammals.
To join the Whale Sighting Network Email List and receive whale sighting information, sign up at www.orcanetwork.org.