A popular pod of Southern Resident killer whales has returned to their feasting grounds off Southern Vancouver Island.
For the first time in two months, a large pod of the killer whales has returned to interior waters after a decrease of salmon may have driven them further south to Washington State off the San Juan Islands. The 24 whales make up J-Pod, which thrives on large amounts of fish to sustain them.
Earlier this month, staff at the Center for Whale Research at Friday Harbour confirmed that incoming whales west of Sheringham Lighthouse were Resident killer whales after a period of absence from the area. They say the whales seemed to be in good health except for some of the youngest in the pod who seemed to be in some nutritional distress due to recent poor salmon years in the Salish Sea.
For several weeks, there had been reports of killer whales coming in off Jordan River, but those were identified as Transient killer whales.