First in-person Bigg's 201 field trip of the class
This past Saturday (March 28th) we held our first in-person Bigg's 201 class, and the entire day was fabulous! A surprise group of ten Bigg's killer whales kicked off the morning, spotted from our ferry just outside of Friday Harbor. We could not have asked for a more fitting welcome!We spent the morning at the Center for Whale Research's Outreach & Education Center where OBI's Sara Hysong-Shimazu hosted an orca ID workshop, and Katie Jones and Dr. Michael Weiss shared research findings, drone footage, and historical context concerning CWR's work with Southern Residents and Bigg's killer whales.
Following the lecture series, we set out on the water to give participants a chance to collect behavioral data if the opportunity arose. As it turned out, we caught up with the T49As traveling with the T36A1s. T49A "Nan" recently gave birth to her seventh calf, and of course the "little" one stole all of our hearts with their quick and exuberant surfacings. The group traveled down Rosario Strait and along the south end of Lopez, cutting through some wind waves and exploring close to shore as they went. Students tested their ID skills in real time and practiced recording what they saw. Everyone was buzzing with excitement when we returned to Friday Harbor to wrap-up the day. If that wasn't orca-packed enough, those who caught the evening ferry back to Anacortes had a surprise THIRD Bigg's killer whale group to send them off--members of the T65As with the T36A1s who had departed the T49As shortly after we left to return to the marina. All we can say is WHAT. A. DAY.A HUGE thank you to Center for Whale Research and San Juan Safari's for hosting our group! Photos were taken by co-instructor Amanda Colbert.
