Southern Resident J Pod Orcas chase Biggs Orcas T34's, T37's and T65A's

March 28, 2023 – We were sailing North from Friday Harbor towards Pender Island to see the Biggs Orcas identified as T65A’s, T34’s and T37’s who’d been hunting and socializing along the South Pender Islands shoreline for four hours or so. By chance just before we arrived we saw Southern Resident J pod orcas heading East in Boundary Pass and coming towards the Canadian shoreline. As the J’s passed us most of the Biggs were ahead of us and seemed to be in slow travel East towards Saturna shore.

We noticed some of the Biggs, who looked to be of the 65A matriline, were still offshore milling in the J’s path. I was thinking it was rather antagonistic as surely they were aware of each others presence. As the gap between the two ecotypes decreased to a couple hundred yards the presumed T65A’s started porpoising towards the other Biggs. The Southern Residents turned as a tight group in the same direction, formed as parallel line and porpoised in pursuit. The porpoising as a tight parallel group continued several times at high speed into the distance.

We continued our sail to Java Rocks eventually seeing the Southern Residents again with the Biggs about 2 miles ahead and by East Point. The Biggs continued quickly Northeast while the Residents were slow South East.

This is the third time in the past 8 years we’ve seen the Southern Residents cross the path of Biggs and it follows a similar pattern where the all the Residents group together, young ones, too, and charge towards the Biggs who porpoise away at speed without stopping. We have photos of the other 2 encounters that come to mind.

Every day is different! You never know what you’ll see in the Salish Sea.

Note: We use an 800mm lens equivalent and crop photos so as to maintain required distance regulations.