When visiting Seattle, many tourists typically admire the Space Needle and the downtown skyline from the waters of Puget Sound.
Interestingly, it seems that a new pod of killer whales has opted for a similar sightseeing route.
Three previously unrecorded killer whales have been spotted in the Seattle area. Whale watchers have noted their presence near downtown multiple times over the past month, as well as along other coastlines in the region.
“People are definitely excited to see them,” says Hongmin Zheng, an amateur whale photographer. He drove for ten hours just to track down this elusive pod. “It was truly epic.”
Researchers maintain detailed tracking records of killer whales, often studying those in the Salish Sea by noting the distinct fin shapes and saddle patches—those grayish markings on their bodies.
The appearance of these three killer whales in Vancouver, British Columbia, this March surprised many. They are not listed in local whale databases.
Shari Tarantino from the Orca Conservation Group in Washington mentioned that researchers found images of this pod in Alaskan waters during their investigations last year.
This pod includes an adult female and her two likely youngsters, one of which is a sizable young male.
They are identified as T419, T420, and T421, where the “T” stands for “transient,” rather than “tourist.”
What sets these visiting killer whales apart is a circular scar they bear, marked by a shark’s bite. This injury suggests they’ve spent time in the open ocean, where sharks are known to reside.
“We don’t know their origins for certain yet,” Tarantino stated via email. “However, considering their appearance and that some of the Alaskan population roams extensively across the North Pacific, it’s likely they hail from Alaska, potentially the Aleutian region.”
Regarding their distance from home, Tarantino speculates that these whales might be on a “culinary adventure.” This pod preys on marine mammals, as opposed to resident killer whales, which focus on endangered salmon. The Salish Sea teems with harbor seals, sea lions, and porpoises.
“They’ve quickly become favorites among onlookers,” Tarantino noted. “Many people dedicate their lives to spotting killer whales, but this trio has certainly gone above and beyond.”
