An Orca Pod is Touring the Seattle Area Off Alki Point

A small pod of Orcas, possibly members of the L-Pod, were spotted off Seattle's Alki Point yesterday.

I do not think there is a sight on the Puget Sound more amazing than seeing an Orca pod.

It seems appalling now, the fact that years ago, in the 1960s, that Orcas, then more commonly known as Killer Whales, were being hunted and trapped in Puget Sound, primarily due to the efforts of a guy named Ted Griffin.

Griffin bought a 22 foot long male Orca that was caught in a floating salmon net near Namu, British Columbia. Hence the name of the most famous Orca ever. Namu.

Namu was brought to Seattle where he quickly become a popular attraction of the Seattle Aquarium, living in his floating pen in Elliott Bay. Ted Griffin soon captured another Orca, a female, named her Shamu and shacked her up with Namu.

Namu and Shamu did not get along. Namu survived just a little of a year in Killer Whale Prison, found dead in his cell on July 9, 1966.

Shamu continued in captivity, eventually being sold to Sea World in San Diego. I believe eventually, Shamu, or another Orca bearing that famous name, was sold to the landlocked Sea World in San Antonio, Texas.

In quickly growing numbers, residents of Washington wanted an end to the inhumane treatment of their fellow mammals. Soon the state legislature put a stop to Ted Griffin's Orca Operations.

I have seen an Orca Pod pass through Deception Pass.That was an impressive thing to see.

But, my most impressive Orca Pod encounter occurred out in the San Juan Islands, off Lopez Island. I was fishing for salmon with my mom and dad. Suddenly we were surrounded by an Orca Pod, including two babies. A couple of the Orcas got very close to the boat, looking right at us, as if to say "hello." The Orcas acted very playful, sort of like Dolphins. And then just as suddenly as they'd shown up, they were gone.

This Orca Incident pre-dated digital cameras. And I had no old-fashioned camera with me. But, from that day forth I vowed, as best I could remember, to never be without a camera again.

Two Orcas Ram Struggling Gray Whale Back Towards a Beach

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?

Two Gray Whales Wash Up On Skagit Shores

Two dead Gray Whales washing ashore on Skagit County beaches? That can't be good.

One was found near Deception Pass on Whidbey Island, at least I assume it was on the Whidbey Island side of Deception Pass, but it could have been on the Rosario Beach side, on Fidalgo Island.

I have seen a giant Gray Whale moving slowly, barely off the beach, at Rosario. It drew a lot of onlookers, many perplexed as to what the huge whale was doing so close to shore, worrying that it was sick. Most assumed the whale was just feeding really close to shore.

You see something like a giant Gray Whale, in the saltwater in which you've swam, and it changes how you think about getting in the water. Not that the Gray Whales have any record of hurting humans, they are fellow mammals, after all.

The other dead Gray Whale was found beached on the north shore of Samish Island. It was approximately 42 feet long. That is a lot of whale. The tidal flats of the north shore of Samish Island make for rather shallow water. I wonder where along that beach the whale died?

Necropsies will be done to the whales to try and learn what did them in. Some reports are saying the whales were unnaturally skinny. I hope they are not like parakeets in a mine, a dire warning that something has gone really badly wrong in the Puget Sound.

But, salmon runs have been doing real well. There should be plenty of whale food in the water.

There have been 4 reports of Killer Whale (Orca) attacks on Gray Whales, with one caught on video, with the attack happening on Sunday, to a Gray Whale named Patch, who has been tracked visiting the Puget Sound for 20 years.

I hope there is not something in the Puget Sound that is riling up the Killer Whales. One of my most memorable life experiences was fishing out near Lopez Island in the San Juans, with my mom and dad, and finding ourselves surrounded by a big Orca Pod, including 2 babies. This pre-dated the digital camera era. No pictures were taken. One of the Orcas came right up to the boat, as if both curious and as if to say Howdy.

I have trouble imagining an Orca being a bully to a Gray Whale. There is quite a size differential, with the advantage going to the Gray Whale by a long shot.