Whale enthusiasts were treated to a special visit by all three pods of the endangered Southern Resident Orcas two weeks ago following a prolonged absence from Puget Sound.

 J and K pod, joined by many members of L pod, converged in the Salish Sea early Thursday with the first sightings reported and confirmed by Orca Network staff near Edmonds. The whales, obscured in a thick fog that blanketed the water, made their way toward Discovery Park in Seattle before changing direction and heading back north.

Challenging viewing conditions gave Orca Network sighting volunteers and staff last looks of the orcas near Possession Sound off the south tip of Whidbey Island.

 Friday morning proved lucky as the Southern Residents were again spotted near Edmonds before making their way northbound toward Whidbey Island. The pods traversed the west side of Whidbey, where many participants of the Whale Sighting Network  followed along the shoreline observing as the whales foraged and breached, and were treated with a close pass by Bush Point. Calm conditions and filtered sunlight made for ideal viewing as the whales continued northbound, passing Port Townsend with audible calls heard on the hydrophone before darkness.

 “The return of the Southern Residents is truly a special moment for researchers and enthusiasts alike,” said Howard Garrett, co-founder and board president of Whidbey-based Orca Network. “The joy of seeing the sheer number of Southern Residents today is beyond description and serves as a reminder that despite the excitement and fanfare of their return, these beloved whales are still in peril as Fraser River salmon stock numbers remain at record low numbers.

Restorative efforts of the orcas’ habitat, combined with momentum for the government to remove the four dams along the Lower Snake River, are critical to ensuring their wellbeing and overall future.”

 Given the few visits to inland waters during the summer, shore-based observations are of significance as the Southern Residents return to forage for their annual fall/winter forays into Puget Sound habitat. Their first trip into Puget Sound was by J pod, Sept. 12-13 which was also confirmed and documented by Orca Network, and initiated the Quiet Sound Admiralty Inlet Slowdown project of which Orca Network is a partner, which slows shipping traffic while whales are present.