Harsh screechy J pod calls

May 4, 2011

Acoustic analysis

southern resident

Just after Jane Cogan observed orcas southbound at Kellett Bluff (at 11:30) today, clicks and (S1, S2, +) calls began to be automatically detected at the Orcasound hydrophones (first at 11:38). Jane noted in the on-line listening log that “Time approximate (within 5 minutes or so). I started hearing faint calls on the OrcaSound hydrophone, and within a few minutes, spotted orcas southbound near Kellett Bluff. Heard an assortment of calls for an hour or so as the orcas trickled past, slowly headed south.”

Here are all the automatic detection recordings:

10 Detections

2011-05-04 11:53:19

node=os dB=101 trigger=PWR

2011-05-04 11:54:54

node=os dB=96 trigger=PKT

2011-05-04 12:00:25

node=os dB=96 trigger=PKT

2011-05-04 12:03:26
node=os dB=95 trigger=PKT

2011-05-04 12:10:08

node=os dB=98 trigger=PKT

2011-05-04 12:15:56

node=os dB=98 trigger=PKT

2011-05-04 12:25:08

node=os dB=95 trigger=PKT

2011-05-04 12:25:23

node=os dB=94 trigger=PKT

2011-05-04 12:36:47

node=os dB=95 trigger=PKT

2011-05-04 12:37:36

node=os dB=95 trigger=PKT

About 20 minutes after the first auto-detections at Orcasound, detections began at Lime Kiln and continued for about 45 minutes. Some of the recordings included S1, S10, and other calls. A few contained abundant clicks, and many captured a long screechy call that I haven’t heard before. Here are a couple examples of the call which in some cases seems appended to a short S10.

https://www.orcasound.net/wholistener/lk/detections/raw/2011/05/04/PWRAveDb_100_05_04_2011_12_10_57.mp3

https://www.orcasound.net/wholistener/lk/detections/raw/2011/05/04/PKTAveDb117_05_04_2011_12_11_07.mp3

Jeanne Hyde was at the lighthouse and observed some unusual porpoising behavior. Check out her great photos and synopsis of the transit of J pod through Haro Strait. She also emailed these details about picture timing:

I was at Lime Kiln as the whales passed by there 1st picture taken at 11:52 as the first ones were approaching the light. at 12:10 by my camera, the one in front began high speed porpoising. there were three others, all spread out behind him, doing the same thing… they went a long distance under the surface between each surfacing… in total 13 to 15 whales passed by…the rest seemed to be about 2+ miles from shore. my last picture was taken at 12:50.

Here is a table of all the Lime Kiln detections: