Episode 52 - The Mystery of the T419s & March Whales

There were a lot of whales in the Salish Sea during the month of March, including a few new calves to some familiar Bigg's killer whales. The story of the month, however, is the appearance of a mystery group of three killer whales who have become known as the T419s. Sara and Jeff are joined by frequent guest (third host?) Monika Wieland Shields from Orca Behavior Institute to chat about the recent calves, the T419s and other sightings from the month.

The T419s first showed up in Vancouver in March. They made their way to Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and other areas in Puget Sound. The mystery started when photos from the first encounters in Vancouver did not match any existing ID catalogs. There was a match however to a single sighting in Anchorage, Alaska from March of 2025. Bay Cetology has given them the designations of T419, T420 and T421. Who are these whales, where did they come from, and are they associating with any of the killer whales frequently present in the Salish Sea?

Listen to episode 52 for more on the story of the T419s and other sightings from the month. Special thanks to Monika for the outro music in homage to these whales.

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Photos from this episode:

T419. Photo by Jeff Friedman

T420. Photo by Jeff Friedman

T421. Photo by Jeff Friedman

 

T49A7. Photo by Jeff Friedman

T46B8. Photo by Jeff Friedman