In One Ear: Killer whale season
“Did you know that there is a killer whale season along the Oregon Coast?” the Seaside Aquarium posted recently on their Facebook page. “Well, there is and it has just begun. Reports of groups entering Tillamook Bay and Coos Bay have already come in ... On the northern Oregon Coast, they have been known to come into Nehalem Bay and Tillamook Bay.”
The Oregon Coast Killer Whale Monitoring Program Facebook page is an excellent place to watch for killer whale sightings. In fact, one poster saw a killer whale just outside the Columbia River on April 20.
The Facebook page was started by marine ecologist Josh McInnes, of the University of British Columbia, Yachats News reported. The site has over 10,000 members, who regularly post orca sightings, locations and photos, which are essential for identification. For example, in the photo shown, taken April 12 by Jeffrey Vanderlinde, of Coos Bay, McInnes was able to spot members of the T068B family.
“We are amassing a huge amount of data that helps us understand how killer whales behave up and down the Oregon Coast,” McInnes said. “And having so many eyes on the water is a big, big part of allowing us to accomplish that.”
