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The whale activity in Fritz Cove has lessened, but I did spot FalseButterfly in the area along with several sea lions. It seems as though Flame has left the area. I wonder if she left for Hawaii or if she is still near Juneau? The two whales briefly swam and dove together. The sea lions were once again feeding along side the whales. As I was walking along the road, I found a small fish laying in the street. It was about the size of my middle finger. My best guess is that an eagle dropped it as it was flying across the road (I have seen eagles feeding in the same areas as the sea lions and whales). I cannot help but wonder if this is what the whales and sea lions have been feeding on. I am not sure, but I believe the little fish is a herring. I have been spending a lot of time checking Fritz Cove for our two winter whales. I expect them to be gone every time I go there, but am always happy to see they are still in the area. I once again found Flame and False Butterfly feeding, along with many sea lions. I did a quick check of Fritz Cove and found two humpbacks in the area. I was able to get a photo of SEAK-2136, False Butterfly.
I was headed to Fritz Cove when I heard that there were orcas in the area. I quickly got out there and immediately found them right next to shore just off from the road. They had a group of sea lions pinned against the shore, although I believe that is a defensive tactic for the sea lions; move into shallow water. We could see the bottom where the sea lions were. That is how close they were to shore and the orcas were just out from them. It was quite the sight. However, I made the mistake of getting out of my car and attempting to follow them along the road on foot. They were moving way too fast for me to keep up. By the time I made it back to my car and attempted to catch up with them, they were gone. The orcas I photographed have been identified as the T064s. There was a larger group that passed by that I was unable to get photos of. Judging from a video I saw that a friend had taken, there were at least ten orcas in the area. I was able to get photos of three. I did notice at least two humpbacks in the area; however, I did not get any photos of them. I did a quick check of Fritz Cove to see if the humpbacks were still in the area. I immediately noticed two whales swimming together. I was shocked that it was Flame and False Butterfly. I have never seen Flame swimming with another whale other than her calves. I have found her in the same area with other whales but never swimming with them. She has always struck me as a bit of a loner. I am not sure how long they remained together, but it was interesting to see. From shore I found Flame and False Butterfly still near Fritz Cove. I spotted another whale closer to Coghlan Island. It was too far away to identify. From shore I observed Flame and False Butterfly along with dozens of sea lions. This is the first time I have seen False Butterfly without Twin Peaks. |
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