L Pod arrives with a possible new calf alongside a 49-year-old mother — one of the rarest sightings of the year.
J Pod, L Pod (greater L4s)
J Pod and the greater L4s, the inshore subset of L Pod, came through Haro Strait together on February 16 with a neonate calf traveling alongside L55. L55 is roughly 49 years old, and while late-40s pregnancies are documented, live births at that age are rare. Her two reproductive-age daughters were nearby, so maternity remains unconfirmed.
This is genuinely unusual: L Pod has only appeared in February three times in the past six years. Hydrophones picked up J Pod calls at Lime Kiln late that night, with L Pod vocalizations joining around 2–3 AM. J Pod surfaced again off eastern Gabriola on February 19.
T124A2s, T109Bs, T02B, T100Bs, T100E
The T124A2 family spent Valentine’s Day moving up Saratoga Passage from Sandy Point to Long Point, pausing for a hunt near the green buoy. The T124A2s have been February regulars since at least 2021, and earlier in the week they had been in Puget Sound near Tacoma.
The T109Bs and T02B were spotted southbound in Haro Strait on February 14, and the T100Bs traveled with T100E in Burrows Bay the same day.
L Pod’s presence this early in the year is worth tracking, especially if we get more confirmation on the new calf’s mother.