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orcabehaviorinstitute.org
Orca Behavior Institute
@orcabehaviorinstitute.org
2K followers 90 following 580 posts
A non-profit based on San Juan Island, Washington with the mission of inspiring conservation of wild killer whales through non-invasive research, bold advocacy, and science-based education.
www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org
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orcabehaviorinstitute.org
Yesterday was our 1st Whale U trip of 2026, as our 50 Shades of Gray Whale class went to Whidbey to look for some the Sounders. We lucked out with sunshine and CRC53 Little Patch feeding right off the Langley sea wall!

🐋🎓 Learn more about Whale U here:
www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/whale-univer...
A photo collage including members of OBI's Whale University class 50 Shades of Gray Whale around a gray whale statue in Langley on Whidbey Island; images of CRC53 Little Patch foraging close to shore; and some Valentine's Day themed whale tail cookies.
February 16, 2026 at 5:53 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
In honor of Valentine's Day, we want to know: who is your orca crush? 😍 Let us know in the comments below!

We're also offering a last chance deal on our heart-themed sticker packs: they are $12 today only! After today, they'll be gone.

www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/product/2026...
A pink-themed graphic asking Who Is Your Orca Crush? with photos of T63 Chainsaw, T46E Thor, and J27 Blackberry, three popular killer whales in the Salish Sea. There is also a last chance deal on a heart-themed sticker pack from the Orca Behavior Institute with 3 stickers for $12 today only in honor of Valentine's Day.
February 14, 2026 at 6:17 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
10:00 report of at least 3 orcas heading NW from Turn Island towards Friday Harbor

#wssjis #whalesky #salishsea
February 13, 2026 at 6:03 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
Who was at Point Robinson on November 2 when J-Pod, K-Pod, and part of L-Pod went south on an warm autumn afternoon? If you were there, can you find yourself in this photo?

Here was the view from the water while we were out with the CWR for our first Puget Sound encounter of the field season.
February 13, 2026 at 5:12 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
We're excited to share that we have a new OBI Board member: Mollie Segall! This rapid fire Q&A between Mollie and Monika gives you a chance to get to know her including her goals for OBI, favorites whales, and perhaps most importantly, what she thinks of the T60 brothers 😏

Welcome Mollie!!
February 12, 2026 at 7:13 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
We are thrilled to announce that for the second year in a row, we will be attending the Tortuga Music Festival in Florida on April 10-12!

🎸🌊 Whether you live in Florida or are making the trip to hear music from the likes of Post Malone, Kenny Chesney, and Riley Green, we hope to see you there!
February 12, 2026 at 1:53 AM
Reposted by Orca Behavior Institute
kayamalie.bsky.social
Whale evolution makes me uncomfortable
A diagram of the evolution of whales, from land dwelling mammals to the ocean giants we know today.
February 9, 2026 at 7:48 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
‪In the WA state legislative session, bills must leave their house of origin by 2/17, so now is a key time to let your elected officials know how you would like them to vote.

Our BOLD action guide summarizes the bills and provides links to comment:
tinyurl.com/boldactionfe...

#salishsea
An infographic from the BOLD Action Coalition urging residents of Washington State to let their elected officials know their stance on key environmental bills at the mid-way point of the legislative session
February 11, 2026 at 2:02 AM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
8:00 report of 2 male orcas heading west through Peavine Pass

#wssjis
February 10, 2026 at 4:28 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
Western Washington sure is an amazing place. After spending the night in Seattle, we were up in the snow of Snoqualmie Pass the next morning. We then made a detour on the way home and got to see killer whales in Puget Sound in the afternoon! 🗻🌊

#orcas #whalesky #salishsea
One of the T124A2s, a family of Bigg's killer whales, celebrates a likely sea lion kill in Puget Sound on February 8, 2026
February 9, 2026 at 10:11 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
Valentine’s Day is coming up and we've got a special deal just for Valentine's week!

We’ve added the Total Eclipse Sticker featuring J41 and J62 to the Valentine’s sticker pack.

🎁 Grab your sticker deal today through this link!

www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/product/vale...
February 8, 2026 at 12:08 AM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
You've seen the map, but here's another look at how our January 2026 Salish Sea orca sightings stacked up!

This is a brand new version of our monthly graphic, so let us know what you think! Is there anything else you would like to see on these recaps?

#orcas #whalesky
A summary infographic of January 2026 killer whale sightings in the Salish Sea, including the number of reports by population for 2024-2026, the number of OBI field research encounters, a few highlights, and a photo of the month
February 7, 2026 at 12:47 AM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
Southern Resident killer whales are audible on the Haro Strait hydrophones this morning as of 8:30!

live.orcasound.net/listen/orcas...

#orcas #whalesky
Orcasound - Orcasound Lab
live.orcasound.net
February 6, 2026 at 4:31 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
January whale-watching in the Salish Sea? It's a thing! Monika joined @afterthebreach.bsky.social host Jeff and @sjiwhalewatch.bsky.social naturalist April to talk about last month's orca encounters around the San Juan Islands for this podcast episode.

Take a listen via the link below!

#whalesky
Episode 49 - January Whales in the Salish Sea | After the Breach Podcast
There were a lot of whales here this January and the winter months are a great time to see them in the Salish Sea. On this episode we talk about our January encounters and who has been present in the ...
www.afterthebreachpodcast.com
February 5, 2026 at 11:43 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
How is it we have already completed the first month of 2026? Here's the January killer whale sightings map for the Salish Sea!

Check out the full report written by Monika on our website to learn more about it:

www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/sightings-ma...
A map of the Salish Sea depicting unique reports of different groups of killer whales throughout January 2026. Blue dots are for Southern Residents, yellow dots for Northern Residents, red dots for Bigg's killer whales, and gray dots for groups that were confirmed to be orcas but were not identifiable to ecotype. Data were verified and compiled by the Orca Behavior Institute.
February 4, 2026 at 11:18 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
Treat yourself to a "killer" Valentine's Day with this fun orca sticker set 💞

Snag this limited edition pack here:
www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/product/2026...

#orcas #whalesky
A fun Valentine's Day themed sticker pack from the Orca Behavior Institute featuring three killer whale-themed holiday stickers
February 4, 2026 at 6:02 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
It was a wild morning on the west side of San Juan Island! J-Pod calls were clearly audible on the Orcasound hydrophone in Haro Strait, but we couldn't find a single dorsal fin!

In case you missed tuning in live, here's a clip of the vocalizations we heard.

on.soundcloud.com/XEviyKtdayGD...
February 3, 2026 ~ Js on the Orcasound hydrophone in Haro Strait
It was a wild morning on the west side of San Juan Island! Between 7 and 9 AM J-Pod calls were clearly audible on the Orcasound hydrophone in Haro Strait. I scanned from several locations on shore and
soundcloud.com
February 4, 2026 at 2:01 AM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
J-Pod audible on Orcasound hydrophone 8:39

live.orcasound.net/listen/orcas...

#wssjis
Orcasound - Orcasound Lab
live.orcasound.net
February 3, 2026 at 4:39 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
When you hear about whale encounters, you probably hear terms such as tail slaps, spyhops, pec slaps, logging, or cartwheels used to describe their actions. This clip shows you a few of these behaviors to give you a visual for what these terms mean!

ℹ️Link to the full 4K video in the comments below!
February 3, 2026 at 2:28 AM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
On 1/25, our Bigg's 201 virtual student Jess from Western Australia got the chance to connect with our researcher Sara! 😍

The two of them went out with Naturaliste Charters to see the orcas of Bremer Canyon, the first time Jess ever got to see killer whales! The whale photos are hers.

#whalesky
A collage of photos of Bremer Canyon killer whales taken by Jess, pictured in the bottom right with OBI researcher Sara
February 2, 2026 at 6:42 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
We’ve got some KILLER new items to introduce and we’re especially excited for this unique sticker pack pulled together with Valentine’s Day in mind. Gift them to a “dorca” in your life or treat yourself!

Browse these items and more at our online store here:
www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/shop
February 1, 2026 at 7:01 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
After sharing our annual Salish Sea orca sightings maps earlier this week, we thought it would be a good time to share some additional comparisons between 2025 and 2024.

Given these numbers, does it change any of your predictions for what we might see unfold in 2026?

#whalesky #orca #killerwhales
January 31, 2026 at 8:04 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
📢 Reminder! Comments on the revised Chehalis Dam proposal are due on 2/4!

We summarize the issue, provide suggested talking points, and link to the comment portal in our BOLD Action guide, which you can find here:
www.canva.com/.../DAG.../p...

Please join us in taking this action for the SRKWs
January 30, 2026 at 12:01 AM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
Our teams at OBI and CWR are grateful to share that the @seadocsociety.bsky.social & Rock The Ocean are supporting the continuation of our collaborative research project, fully funding the next season of our collaboration in 2026.

Thank you to the Sea Doc Society & Rock the Ocean for your support!
January 28, 2026 at 11:00 PM
orcabehaviorinstitute.org
📣 LAST CALL to register for Whale U spring 2026 courses! We still have some space available in both Book Club and our brand new 50 Shade of Gray Whale course.

You won't want to miss these courses, and with their start dates in early February, if you'd like to join us you'll need to register soon!
January 27, 2026 at 4:42 PM