Southern Resident orcas spotted swimming in Puget Sound near Kingston
Southern Resident orcas were spotted Tuesday afternoon swimming in Puget Sound near Kingston.
The orcas are members of J-Pod, according to the Orca Behavior Institute.
The Southern Residents even gave visitors to the Bush Point Lighthouse on Whidbey Island a show earlier in the day.
KING 5 viewer David Haeckel sent in video of the whales seen swimming off the shore near the lighthouse.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/southern-resident-orcas-spotted-swimming-in-puget-sound-near-kingston/ar-AAOdRJj
New sightings record set after nearly 30 orca whales seen over Labor Day weekend
Nearly 30 different Bigg’s orca whales were spotted over the Labor Day weekend in the Salish Sea, which includes the Puget Sound, Strait of Georgia, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the San Juan Islands, The Pacific Whale Watch Association reported.
According to the Orca Behavior Institute, Bigg’s killer whales have set a new sightings record in the region, with 793 unique sightings as of Monday with more than four months left in 2021. The previous record of 747 unique sightings was set in 2019.
Killer whales are identified using markings on their dorsal fins and backs.
“Unlike endangered Southern Resident killer whales that feed primarily on declining populations of Chinook salmon, Bigg’s killer whales hunt seals, sea lions, and porpoises,” a news release from PWWA said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/new-sightings-record-set-after-nearly-30-orca-whales-seen-over-labor-day-weekend/ar-AAOe92r