Several orcas were seen yesterday swimming back and forth in Hale Passage between the Lummi Peninsula and Lummi Island. One person said it appeared to be a pod of at least 6 orcas (killer whales).
The Whatcom County Department of Public Works posted on twitter the following photo taken of some of the orcas as they swam near the Lummi Island ferry, Whatcom Chief.
Whatcom Cheif Lummi Ferry passengers have a 'whale of a tale' to tell their friends and family today! #whatcomcheif #lummiferry pic.twitter.com/ZKAsJT3efD
— Whatcom County PWA (@WhatcomCoPWA) July 31, 2017
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Photographer Leo Solomon took this picture of the pod while they were in Hale Passage between Portage Island and Lummi Island.
According to Bellingham-based whale watching cruise operator San Juan Cruises, “Unlike resident orcas, which primarily feed on salmon, transient orca whales [aka Bigg’s] feed on larger prey such as harbor seals. The large population of harbor seals in the San Juan Islands has resulted in more transient orcas being ‘less transient’ this summer.”