That giant 40 foot Gray Whale that has been beached and unbeached 3 times in the past week, or so, on beaches near Everett and the Tulalip Reservation, just can not catch a break.The beached Gray Whale successfully got off the beach, with human help, on the Tulalip Reservation, with Tribal Police guarding the struggling whale.
But, after the Gray Whale was back swimming in Puget Sound it was on its own, no Tulalip Tribal Police to look after it.
A Tulalip resident who lives on a bluff over looking Puget Sound witnessed a pair of Orcas (also known as Killer Whales) ramming the Gray Whale repeatedly.
To escape the ramming Orcas, the Gray Whale swam to shallower water.
Was the escape successful? Is the Gray Whale beached again, yet to be found? A big whale can not survive repeated beachings.
I wonder if those bullying Orcas are what was the cause of the Gray Whale beaching itself?
I've always found Orcas to be very polite. Well, actually, I've only had one encounter. Fishing with my mom and dad out in the San Juan Islands, by Orcas Island, appropriately, we found ourselves surrounded by an Orca Pod. Including 2 babies. A couple of the Orcas got very close to the boat, as if to check us out.
This Orca Pod encounter was just about the coolest thing I ever experienced on Puget Sound. An encounter that pre-dated digital cameras and the omnipresent ability to get a picture, should something picture worthy occur. So, sadly, no photos exists documenting my one and only encounter with an Orca Pod.
I wonder if that giant Gray Whale did something to make that pair of Orcas mad?
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