3/18/23: Rare encounter with endangered SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES off the coast of Santa Cruz!
Photos taken by guest Samuel Boyce!
All photos of these Killer Whales were taken at a respectable distance and heavily cropped!
The Southern Resident Killer Whales we observed are part of the L pod and typically only seen in the Pacific Northwest. They were last seen in the Monterey Bay in March of 2019. They primarily feed on salmon, so it’s possible they traveled down here in search of food.
There were at least 12 individuals in this pod and we also observed 10 Gray Whales and a Humpback Whale during this trip.”
Southern Resident Killer Whales L pod (Photo by Samuel Boyce, 3/18/23)

Southern Resident Killer Whales L pod (Photo by Samuel Boyce, 3/18/23)
Southern Resident Killer Whales L pod (Photo by Samuel Boyce, 3/18/23)
Southern Resident Killer Whales L pod (Photo by Samuel Boyce, 3/18/23)
Southern Resident Killer Whales L pod (Photo by Samuel Boyce, 3/18/23)
Southern Resident Killer Whales L pod (Photo by Samuel Boyce, 3/18/23)
Southern Resident Killer Whales L pod (Photo by Samuel Boyce, 3/18/23)
Gray Whale (Photo by Samuel Boyce, 3/18/23)
Gray Whales (Photo by Samuel Boyce, 3/18/23)