Today we were lucky enough to encounter a superpod while on the water in Puget Sound with the @whaleresearch.bsky.social ! For now, we wanted to share an update on 2 of the Southern Resident orcas we get asked about the most: both L25 Ocean Sun and L87 Onyx were there! #whalesky #killerwhales

Have you ever wondered about the different roles on a research boat? We’d like to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what each of the six people on board from OBI & @whaleresearch.bsky.social are responsible for! Is this what you imagined? Which role would you most want to do? #whalesky #orca

We had a beautiful day on the water in Puget Sound today with the @whaleresearch.bsky.social and J-Pod. They were pretty quiet in the morning but started getting a little chattier in the afternoon. Here are a few photos from our encounter. #srkw #orcas #killerwhales #whalesky

As we near the end of our second week of field work with the @whaleresearch.bsky.social, here is a highlight clip which includes some drone footage and hydrophone recordings we captured just a few days ago of J-Pod, K-Pod, & L-Pod! Take a look and see if you can spot J45 snagging a salmon! 👀 🎣

Here's our October Salish Sea orca sightings map! Did it feel like there were fewer orcas around this October? If you thought so, you were right! Sightings were down for both Bigg’s and Southern Resident killer whales vs Oct 2024. Learn more here: www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/sightings-ma...

Fall Whale U courses are in full swing & our Bigg's 201 virtual cohort is getting acquainted with their Bigg's killer whale family groups in several ways, including a sketching component. Here are some drawings from our students: Maria, Zoe, and Jess! www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/whale-univer...

The 59 Js, Ks, and Ls were already leaving Puget Sound on the morning of 11/3, but we and @whaleresearch.bsky.social were able to catch up with them in Admiralty Inlet. Best of all, they were social and vocalizing! We hope they come back south soon. 🤞 #whalesky #orcas #killerwhales

We had our first successful day with Southern Residents in Puget Sound on 11/2. While out with our partners at the @whaleresearch.bsky.social , we were able to get the drone over vocalizing whales and collect our first data of this field season. Here are a few shots from the day! #orcas #whalesky

🔥Special discount on 50 Shades of Gray Whale class! Does the time change have you feeling gray? We have a fantastic offer for you to join our exciting, brand-new course! Learn more and register here: www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/whale-univer...

This is my 16th time of writing a Day of the Dead tribute to honor of the Southern Residents we have lost over the previous year. This year pays homage to K26 Lobo and unnamed calves J61 and J64.-MWS You can read this year's blog post at the link below. www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/day-of-the-d...

Last night, all 3 Southern Resident pods made their way into Puget Sound - amazingly, one year to the day since the last superpod down here! We saw some distant dorsal fins from shore this evening when the weather cleared, and are hopeful to have a successful day of data collection tomorrow! 🤞

🎃 👻 Happy Halloween! 👻 🎃 Who needs scary movies when you have whales like this roaming the Salish Sea? ⛓️🪚 Say his name three times and the legendary Chainsaw might make an appearance today 👀 #orcas #spookyseason #halloween2025 #killerwhales

Environmental writer Christopher Dunagan summarizes the current state of the Southern Residents and the fall chum salmon forecast for Puget Sound. Js and Ks are back in the Salish Sea, and we're hopeful they'll make their way south in the days ahead! 🤞 #orcas #killerwhales #whalesky

We saw our first whales of the Puget Sound research trip this afternoon from shore in Henderson Bay: members of the T38s, T99s, and T137s! We've tracked reports of whales in these southern inlets of Puget Sound for years but have not had many opportunities to see them here firsthand. #whalesky

15:30 K-Pod crossing Haro heading for the west side of San Juan Island #wssjis #orcas #srkw

Over the next 4 weeks, we will be in Puget Sound with @whaleresearch.bsky.social for our second season of pairing drone observations of killer whale behavior with localized hydrophone recordings. Here's a look at what a day in the field is like on this project, filmed last year! #whalesky #orcas

A brand new class for spring 2026: 50 Shades of Gray Whale! Through a combination of expert lectures and field trips we will dive into discussions on complex topics including the recent UME, friendly whales, subsistence whaling, and more. Learn more: www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/whale-univer...

Male and female orcas have different belly markings, but with high individual variation, it can still be difficult to sex them reliably! To demonstrate that, our Drawing and Painting Orcas instructor Sara compiled this collage she shared with our class last night. Can you tell them apart? #whalesky

Yesterday was my first time of the year crossing paths with the T37As! Shown here are mom T37A Volker with her oldest son T37A2 Inky and youngest daughter T37A4 Crinkle. I love how this shows how each one of them as a notch in the trailing edge of their fin. #orcas #killerwhales #whalesky

📢 Registration is NOW OPEN for our spring 2026 iteration of Bigg’s 201 - an adult research experience! -Collect whale behavioral data in the field -Learn to create visuals -Have access to 5 years of OBI's real-world sightings data More details below! www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/whale.../big...

Yesterday we got to catch up with the T49As on a beautiful (if a little chilly!) sunny October day. We saw them catch and share a seal and then dodge several BC Ferries in Active Pass. All part of a day in the life of a Bigg's killer whale in the Salish Sea! #whalesky #orcas

🧡 Are you ready for it… 🎉 It’s release day—for (sea otters and) that one shirt! 🦦👕 ✨ Re-released sustainably with Liberty Graphics, this throwback look supports our Sea Otter Program + ocean conservation. [1 of 4]

New Bigg's killer whale calf alert! 👀 This little one was seen today in the San Juans traveling alongside T36A2 Kailas. If she is confirmed as the mother, this is her first known calf at age 13. OBI's research assistant Alex got on scene while out with Maya's Legacy and sent along this photo! 😍

Why Do We Choose Music Over Natural Audio? We often receive questions about why we don't use natural audio in our videos instead of music. This video shows why we try to find music that pairs well with visuals, making them more impactful. Do you prefer the music or the original noisy audio?

Here are some highlights of the whales and wildlife we spotted during our trip to Northern Vancouver Island last August! We hope you enjoy them! 🎥 Filmed and edited by Jason Shields Join our YouTube channel to catch all of Jason's latest videos! #orcas #whales #wildlife youtu.be/HZx4l7aBMvM?...

Here is another look at our September killer whale sightings stats throughout the Salish Sea! Do any of these numbers surprise you? #whalesky #orcas

Here's our September Salish Sea orca sightings map! For once it was a busy month not just on the Bigg's killer whale front, but for both Southern and Northern Residents as well! Read all the details here: www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/sightings-ma... #whalesky

Before returning to our regular programming, we are enjoying our Release Party of a Showgirl weekend. Like many Swifties, we've been trying to figure out who each track on the new album is about, and I think we're on to something! 👀 Looking for a Salish Sea Tour shirt? forms.gle/idoF832YLh7A...

This Monday, October 6th at 6:30 PM PST we are hosting our final Patreon livestream chat in 2025! We’ll be listening in as Orca Behavior Institute’s summer interns, Elijah and Levi, share their internship projects. If you want to join us on Patreon, click here: www.patreon.com/orcabehavior...

Like life behind the curtain, life under the waves is one we're never, ever gonna know, but one thing's for sure: it's beautiful, it's rapturous, it's frightening. Salish Sea Tour shirts disappear like tiny bubbles in champagne, but get on the wait list for more here: forms.gle/Rn24dWFbHu1t...

This past weekend we got to meet the newest member of the Bigg's killer whale population, a new calf that has received the designation T46B1D! First seen on September 16th, this little one is the fourth known offspring to 22 year-old mom T46B1 Tread. #orcas #whalesky #salishsea

We are excited to announce our 1st sweatshirt: the "Whale U" hoodie, which celebrates Whale University (all the educational classes we offer). Another exciting addition to our online store is the “Indy-pendent” sticker featuring T65A5 Indy, plus sticker 4-packs. www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/shop

11:40 orcas in Friday Harbor (9/28) #wssjis #whalesky

You’ve heard of backlit blows, but how about glitter whales? 🤩 Last week we saw the T90s and T101s in Wasp Passage in the San Juan Islands and Jason’s video was so stunning it deserves to be a standalone clip. Enjoy! ✨ #orcas #whalesky #salishsea

16:30 T46B1s approaching Lime Kilm northbound #wssjis #whalesky #orcas

Here are the video highlights of our visit with Northern Resident orcas in Howe Sound near Vancouver, British Columbia last weekend! Filmed and edited by Jason Shields. youtu.be/s-Z70j77kLY #whalesky #killerwhales #salishsea

8:30 report from viewers on the ferry of 2-4 orcas between Upright Channel and Friday Harbor aiming towards San Juan on 9/26 #wssjis #whalesky

33 Bigg's killer whales vs. 28 Southern Residents, all in the Strait of Georgia at once! Who would you favor in that match-up? Get the full break down including reactions from both coaches and fans in the stands in the latest edition of Monika's Play-by-Play. #whalesky #orcas #sportsbroadcasting

🎶 Oh what a night! 🎶 Stay tuned for tonight's edition of Monika's play-by-play to hear how it unfolded, but the way it ended was with a T-Party of 33 Bigg's killer whales in Rosario Strait. Present were the T36A1s, T63, T65, T65A5, T75Bs, T90s, T99B, T100s, T101s, T123s, T124Ds, T137s 🤯 #whalesky

Epic evening on the water with 33 Bigg's killer whales. We'll offer a full recap tomorrow, but for tonight, enjoy this shot of two Salish Sea legends: T123A Stanley and T63 Chainsaw. #whalesky #orcas

A few more photos from last weekend's visit with Northern Resident killer whales in Howe Sound, British Columbia! The A25s, A42s, and A94 (12 whales) made an early season trip south, and we couldn't believe that weather and timing aligned for us to be able to see them! #orcas #salishsea #whaelsky

Over this past weekend, we saw more than 50 different individual orcas from three different populations, all within the central Salish Sea! We have so much to share, we will have to take it in pieces. For starters, here's our weekend's "Bigg's Backlit Blows" series 🤩 #whalesky #killerwhales

A peek above the waves from the newest member of J-Pod: this little three-day-old calf traveling next to presumed mother J42 Echo this evening off the west side of San Juan Island. #orcas #killerwhales #srkw #whalesky

16:20 J-Pod Cattle Point heading up island #wssjis #orcas #whalesky

14:20 T65A5 Indy heading north up Presidents Channel off West Beach #wssjis #whalesky #orcas

Today we met up with some Northern Resident killer whales in Howe Sound near Vancouver, BC! 🤯 It was amazing to see members of the A25s and A42s this far south in the Salish Sea, much earlier in the year than they typically visit. We'll have more photos and videos to share soon! #whalesky #orcas

T75Bs and T65A5 northbound past Friday Harbor 17:30 #wssjis #whalesky #orcas

J-Pod has been in Puget Sound for a full week, and it has been an excitement filled visit including the birth of a new calf and a rare trip south of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge! Read more about it here: www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/orca-updates... #orcas #whaleky #srkw

While J-Pod is making an early season extended visit to Puget Sound, we've had no shortage of Bigg's killer whales in the central Salish Sea. Yesterday we got on the water with over a dozen whales from four different family groups: the T36A1s, T60s, T99s, and T123s! #orcas #whalesky

It’s the last week of Wednesday Whale Wordle! Test your skills one last time by guessing this week's word. 🐋 We hope you had a great summer playing this fun game! Good luck, and let us know how you do in the comments! mywordle.strivemath.com?word=bzlnp