By Julie McIntire Corey
Author and Journal contributor
Exitement filled the air on the sunny afternoon of Sept. 19. Southern Resident Killer Whales Ballena L-90 and her newborn calf L-128 were still in Haro Straight, heading south near Henry Island.
The pair had been sighted around the island’s waters for about a week. This particular afternoon the San Juan County Park’s parking lot quickly filled with photographers and SRKW enthusiasts. A line of marine fog in the middle of Haro Straight was not breaking up, and the waves made it difficult to spot the telltale black dorsal fins or exhaling blows.
Still, everyone on shore was scanning the water in anticipation. It was easier to see the NOAA with its bright orange hull which served as a beacon on the dark blue water. NOAA did a fantastic job protecting L-90 and L-128. If any boat was heading in the whale’s direction, they quickly approached and prevented any interaction. Mother and Calf worked hard to navigate the strong currents and winds.
As L-90 and L-128 were crossing Haro Straight, the whale watcher’s conversations involved speculation: maybe mom and daughter were moving closer to their family? L-Pod was reported to be in the Swanson Channel. They were recorded on the Lime Kiln State Park hydrophone on Saturday, Sept. 14.
Official researchers have been with L-90 and L-128 since they were originally sighted away from other Southern Residents, working hard to protect and collect information on the whales, and public updates will be forthcoming.
For those out on the water, this also serves as a reminder to be cautious about marine wildlife. To learn more about boating guidelines visit https://media.fisheries.noaa.gov/dam-migration/5192017_final_sr_bewhalewise.pdf.
Every new Southern Resident Killer Whale birth is a celebration. Feelings are intense, filled with hope and concern because only 75 SRKWs are in the Salish Sea, down from nearly 100 in the 1970s through the 1990s. Many many iconic orcas have been lost, so every new baby seems like a possibility for a return to that higher population.
L-90, Ballena, is thirty-one years old. She belongs to her mother’s, L-26, or Baba, matriline. The Whale Museum’s Orca Adoption Program Documentarian /Storykeeper Jeanne Hyde explained:
“When first seen in the Southern Resident Community, each orca baby is given a Pod designation. It is a letter and number referred to as their alpha-numeric designation. The new Orca baby designation is L-128. The L stands for the Pod they were born into; the number is how many orcas have been born into that Pod.”
Baba formed a sub-family group of her children and grandchildren. Some orca matrilines now have great-grandchildren. Baba’s family tree looks like this:
L-26’s Subgroup
Baba L-26 – Matriarch – female
Offspring
L-60 female deceased / L-52 (sex unknow, deceased) / L-71 male deceased / L- 90 female / L-128
Offspring Offspring
L-81 male deceased L-128 new calf
L-92 male deceased
Researchers suspect Ballena had a miscarriage after a strange occurrence on Aug. 26, 2011. On this perfect sunny summer day, there was much activity on the water, purse seines, private and commercial boats. Also, Sound Watch Boater Education and the Center for Whale Research were present to observe and protect the whales. The SRKW community has a behavior termed “the West Side Shuffle.” That day, the SRKW were spotted south near Cattlepoint and then traveled north up the island’s Westside. The pods arrived at Lime Kiln State Park, turned around, and headed south; that is the West Side Shuffle. The large group of whales traveled slowly and steadily south down the Westside. They were leaving L-90 Ballena behind because she stopped swimming and was resting on the surface with some diving. This behavior lasted for several hours. Then she started swimming south. Mother Baba L-26 was seen with daughter Ballena L-90 throughout the rest of the day.
Every SRKW new orca calf is a sign of hope. L-90 and L-128 are proof of that. While some of their behavior is unusual, hope springs eternal.
Besides Jeanie Hyde, information for this article was also provided by The Whale Museum’s Interum Exectutive Director Jennifer Smith and Sound Watch Program Director Alanna Frayne. To learn more about The Whale Museum visit https://whalemuseum.org/ .
