The summer of 2017 has certainly been the summer of Killer Whales in Kachemak Bay!
Killer whales are normally only occasional visitors in the bay, but this summer, they have been extremely regular and sighted very often. On July 16th, we encountered AP pod and part of AX27 pod near McDonald Spit for the second time in a week with Rainbow Tours on the M/V Rainbow Connection.
Individuals I could identify with certainty were the female AP3 and male AX85. They were fairly spread out and seemed to be focused on foraging, but a small group of females and juveniles stopped chasing salmon and began socializing and playing.
The highlight of the encounter was when a newborn calf flew completely out of the water, did a 180 degree twist, and was totally upside down. That jump revealed the belly markings, showing that she is a female!
-Emma
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