J-Pod made their way south in Haro Strait

Watching orcas in the Salish Sea is often a study in contrasts, and this morning was no exception. J-Pod, in two tight groups, made their way quickly south in Haro Strait while the cargo carrier M/V Swift Arrow went north on its way to Richmond, BC. A few facts to put all this in context:

➢ Js, having first gone into Puget Sound, then going north and spending a few days in the Strait of Georgia, followed by heading south via Spieden Channel, have seemingly taken up their "winter" habits early this year. Usually they don't go that far north or south during the summer, and transiting through the San Juans is usually a winter thing as well. Hopefully that means they'll continue to be around a lot as September unfolds!

➢ A study on regional ocean noise contributors found that during the summer, the underwater soundscape in the broader Haro Strait region is dominated by ferries, bulk carriers, and container ships (MacGillivray et al. 2025).

➢ The Port of Vancouver's ECHO Program runs a voluntary large vessel slow-down in Haro Strait and Boundary Pass from June through November, and, more recently, in March due to shifts in SRKW travel patterns. As of 2025, they report seeing an ~85% participation rate, reducing sound intensity up to an estimated 50%.