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LISTEN: Orcas vocalizing in Puget Sound

Puget Sound Express whale watching captured footage of transient orcas vocalizing in Puget Sound.
Transient orcas in the Salish Sea have a new baby in the pod. Photos by Naturalist Bart Rulon of Puget Sound Express.

A whale watching tour found a chatty group of transient orcas near Hood Canal.

Puget Sound Express encountered the T65A orca pod, including a newborn calf. The transient killer whales are typically quiet during a hunt, but researchers were able to clearly detect their vocalizing through a hydrophone. Naturalist Renee Beitzel recorded the footage while gulls circled overheard for leftovers.

Transient orcas in the Salish Sea have a new baby in the pod. Photos by Naturalist Bart Rulon of Puget Sound Express.

The transient pod is well known in the Salish Sea. The orcas are flourishing, thanks to their diet of seals and sea lions.

Credit: Copyright 2018 Bart Rulon
Transient orcas in the Salish Sea have a new baby in the pod. Photos by Naturalist Bart Rulon of Puget Sound Express. 

Naturalist Bart Rulon photographed the orca calf from the Chilkat Express, which sails out of Edmonds.

Credit: Copyright 2018 Bart Rulon
Transient orcas in the Salish Sea have a new baby in the pod. Photos by Naturalist Bart Rulon of Puget Sound Express. 

The female leader of the transient orca pod was born in 1986 and has 5 offspring, which researchers acknowledge as an impressive rate of breeding. They anticipate she could have 2-3 more calves before the end of her breeding age at age 40.

Credit: Copyright 2018 Bart Rulon
Transient orcas in the Salish Sea have a new baby in the pod. Photos by Naturalist Bart Rulon of Puget Sound Express. 

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