J Pod and K Pod spent three consecutive days in Puget Sound, traveling the length of East Passage with confirmed IDs including K37 Rainshadow and J27 Blackberry.
J Pod and K Pod
J Pod and K Pod spent three consecutive days in Puget Sound this week, January 6th through 8th. The pods were first detected on hydrophones in the predawn hours of January 7th before appearing visually in Admiralty Inlet. They traveled the length of East Passage, passing Point Robinson multiple times with confirmed IDs including K37 Rainshadow, K47, J27 Blackberry, and J44 Moby. The whales showed extended surface activity and vocalizations throughout their visit before exiting north through Admiralty Inlet on the morning of January 8th.
January has historically been one of the most reliable months for Southern Residents, with J Pod appearing every January and K Pod showing up in significant numbers in 2020, 2021, and 2025.
T36s, T36Bs, T37s, T37Bs, T37As, T19s
A large mixed group of Bigg’s orcas, the T36s, T36Bs, T37s, T37Bs, and T37As including T37A1, made two extended trips through Puget Sound this week on January 7th and 9th. The group of 12-plus whales traveled as far south as Budd Inlet near Olympia before turning north. Confirmed IDs included T36 Flapjack, T36B Tattertip, T36B1 Bhotia, T36B4 Auk, T37B1 Lance, and T37B3 Slice.
Separately, the T19 family, T19 Nootka with sons T19B Galiano and T19C Spouter, conducted an extended sea lion hunt in Haro Strait on January 10th off Victoria, BC. All three whales participated in the hunt with T19C breaching twice after the kill.
Bigg’s orcas remain active throughout inland waters with multiple family groups moving through the region. The Southern Residents exited Puget Sound northbound on January 8th and have not been reported in the area since.