This is T137A Jack, a 24 year-old adult male Bigg's killer whale

This guy has been getting a lot of attention of late, thanks in large part to his recent spree of breach fests! This is T137A Jack, a 24 year-old adult male Bigg's killer whale. I got to see him on Monday afternoon, when this photo was taken from the west side of San Juan Island. I thought it might be a good time to post a few details of his recent travels!

T137A has been seen primarily with T36 and the T36Bs. T137, Jack's mom, is thought to be the daughter of T36. That means he's been traveling with his grandmother, aunt, and cousins! He's also spent time alone and with other matrilines such as the T46B1s, T65Bs, and T77s. This is all typical behavior from a roving male. Jack has temporarily dispersed from his matriline before (famously during Jack's Summer Camp in 2023), but this is the longest stint he's been documented away from his mother.

So where are the rest of the T137s? Good question! They were last seen in the Salish Sea on June 9th. They're a matriline that, like many others, often takes a hiatus from visiting the Salish Sea in June, July, and/or August, though this year is one of their longer ones. Usually they are back by some point in September.

It will be very interesting to see when the T137s return, and also if it's still just the three of them! Both of Jack's younger sisters T137B (at age 20) and T137D (at age 14) are of reproductive age, so there's a chance there could be a new calf with the family. Sometimes, the birth of a calf seems to prompt an older family member to disperse.

While we wait to see how this story continues to unfold, you can learn more about the T137s on our meet the matriline page.