On a recent whale & wildlife tour with the Western Prince we encountered K25 feeding. K25 is a male member of the K-Pod, one of the three families making up the Southern Resident Killer Whales. K-pod is the smallest pod. Since the mass captures of the 60ties and 70ties, when the pod was reduced to just 16 members, their numbers have only increased by three whales. K-pod prefer Chinook Salmon and are dependent on strong salmon runs for their survival.

This photo was taken by JB (John Boyd), naturalist with the Western Prince. JB, originally from Texas, has been active in the local whale research community since the 1990’s and is a charter member of the Salish Sea Association of Martine Naturalists. He is not only knowledgeable and passionate about the Black Fish, he is also one of the funniest tour guides you can wish for on a whale watch tour.