Last call: our 2026 T-shirt fundraiser ends tonight! Each year, people request these shirts after the fact, but they print to order. That means today is your last chance to grab one before they're gone for good! All proceeds support our work. Snag yours here: www.customink.com/fundraising/...

Yesterday T65B2 live stranded on a beach near Minor Island, south of the San Juans. Thankfully, he was able to self-rescue on the incoming tide a few hours later. It was a relief to see all four of the T65Bs together in Spieden Channel this evening. T65B2 appeared to be behaving normally!

Reasons to get a T-shirt: ✅ Show off your love for the Southern Residents ✅ Encourage a youth artist who participated in Orca Action Month ✅ End up twinning with members of Team OBI ✅ Support our ongoing research, education, and advocacy efforts Snag yours here: www.customink.com/fundraising/...

The T123s were seen for 25 days throughout the month of June. This map takes a more in-depth look of everywhere they were documented, including a particular prevalence for Bellingham Bay that many observers noticed! Orcas will stick a bit longer in a place where the eating is good. #whalesky

We are 1/3 of the way to our goal for our 2026 T-shirt fundraiser! There are just 6 days left, and once the fundraiser ends, these T-shirts featuring L110 Midnight will no longer be available. Be sure to grab yours before it's too late! tinyurl.com/382tsr7m

The T46Bs have been around the San Juan Islands and their family group composition has looked a little different. Recently, T46B3 & her 2025 calf T46B3A Munro have split off, but what we did not foresee was that T46B3 would take one of her younger sisters with her! Read more: tinyurl.com/3hcr2dk7

Did no one sign up for Jack’s Summer Camp this year? 🥺 T137A was on his own in the San Juans yesterday, but we have some candidate enrollees for him! These three juveniles have all been seen roaming away from their natal matrilines of late. Jokes aside, dispersal is endlessly fascinating! #orcas

A look at more June orca sightings stats in the Salish Sea: -Biggest T-party of the year (44 whales) spotted near Sooke on June 2 -A record high of 260 Bigg's killer whale sightings for the month -The T123s were the most commonly seen group for the 2nd month in a row, documented on 25 days

Here is our June 2026 Salish Sea killer whale sightings map! While Bigg's killer whales keep painting our monthly maps red, the Southern Residents (J-Pod & the Greater L4s) came back after >60 days for a short 48h visit with a brand new calf, L130! Read our full recap: tinyurl.com/June-2026-Map

This weekend we were keepin' it 💯 on the land, the sea, the sky All thanks to T100 Hutchins, seen here porpoising down San Juan Channel last night with the peak of Mt. Baker visible in the background over the Lopez Island shoreline. #orcas #whalesky #salishsea #killerwhale

Thanks to everyone voted, we are happy to present our 2026 Firecraker award to T19B Galiano for having the best breach! (Take a look at the video from yesterday if you missed it!) T19B is a fitting recipient. Most adult male orcas don't breach too often, but Galiano is a regular! #whalesky #orca

We think the best kind of fireworks are whale fireworks! 🎆 🎇 Who do you think did it best? Add your vote in the comments below! #orcas #killerwhales #salishsea #4thofJuly #whalesky

We are back with the second matchup in our fun photo-ID challenge series! Jason (Board Member and Videographer) & Andoni (Webmaster and Social Media Assistant) will be challenged with flashcards featuring both Bigg's and Southern Resident orcas. Can you ID any of these whales as you play along?

While on vacation in Alaska last month, we had the incredible luck of seeing a group of ~20 uncatalogued resident killer whales, rare enough that they haven't been given pod designations, some of them never before photographed. It was a stark reminder of how wild and remote the North Pacific is!

We're wrapping up Orca Action Month 2026 with this short but beautiful tribute to the Southern Resident killer whales that inspired the creation of the Orca Behavior Institute. Please let us know what you thought of our #OBIArtForOrcas project via this short survey: forms.office.com/r/VybWQeNA60

We've provided different resources on our website to help you learn about the endangered Southern Resident orcas and some of the biggest issues they face. If you're wondering what else you can do as an individual, learn more and find additional resources via the link below. tinyurl.com/2mn7hrx3

The impressive brothers T128 Flotsam and T125A Jetsam made their way through the San Juan Islands this evening! We were lucky enough to catch up with them in Wasp Passage and San Juan Channel. #whalesky #orcas #killerwhales #salishsea

Today we want to highlight Urban ArtWorks artist, Yasmine Kaner. Yaz shares the story behind the mural she created for our Orca Month community art project. You can find her mural representing Southern Resident killer whale, L110 Midnight, displayed at the Washington State Southworth Ferry Terminal!

One of our goals for Orca Action Month is to strengthen the connection between people and the Southern Resident killer whales. Today we are excited to highlight one of our artists, Christine Fowler, and her inspiration behind choosing J27, Blackberry. Learn more: tinyurl.com/J27-OBIArt

Here's another look at our May orca sightings stats in the Salish Sea: -The T123s spent half of the month in the Salish Sea & a T-Party of 34 whales was spotted near Campbell River. -Whale U students saw a total of 42 different whales, including Bigg's killer whales, humpback whales & gray whales!

Here is our May 2026 Salish Sea killer whale sightings map! While Bigg's killer whales were present all 31 days of the month for the sixth consecutive year, the Southern Residents were not seen at all in May for the fifth time in the last ten years. Read our full recap here: tinyurl.com/OBI-Map

Our goal for Orca Action Month is to raise awareness about the plight of the Southern Resident killer whales. If you're inspired to learn more, we invite you to get a copy of the book "Endangered Orcas", written by OBI's director Monika Wieland Shields. Get your signed copy: tinyurl.com/SRKW-Book

Last night we got to catch up with the T2Cs in San Juan Channel! It's been nearly 3 years since we've seen them. It was our first time meeting the youngest member T2C6 Yukon, seen here between mom T2C Tasu and brother T2C1 Rocky. #salishsea #orcas #whalesky #killerwhales

OBI helps track orca presence in the Salish Sea, including the shifting patterns of the Southern Resident killer whales. Learn more about our three main research projects focused on the SRKW involving behavioral monitoring, habitat usage, and acoustic communication: tinyurl.com/SRKW-Research

If you want to take action and help the recovery of Southern Resident orcas, we have provided a summary of what we consider some of the biggest ticket issues that could be game changers. You can learn more and find additional resources via the link below or on our website. tinyurl.com/SRKW-Actions

On June 14, Southern Residents returned to the inland waters of the Salish Sea for the first time in 62 days. It was more than 40 whales: J-Pod and the Greater L4 sub-group. Today, the CWR announced that a new whale, L130, was spotted with L-Pod on that same day! Read more: tinyurl.com/OBI-Blog

We'd like to highlight one of our artists, Stephany Clouatre-Groleau, who is Algonquin from Kitchi Sìbì, the Great River, in what is now known as Ontario. On 6/14, she presented her artistic representation of K42 Kelp at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery in Vancouver, BC. Learn more: tinyurl.com/OBI-Art

We are halfway through Orca Action Month, and all our fins will remain on display throughout the PNW & beyond until the end of June. Thanks to our collaboration with WSF, you can find some of our 75 Southern Resident fins—one for each living whale—at various ferry terminals in Puget Sound. (1/6)

As we approach the third week of Orca Action Month, we are excited to share another resource on our website that supports & enriches this year’s community art initiative: "20 Years Endangered," a multi-part series on the Southern Residents from the After the Breach Podcast. tinyurl.com/SRKW-Podcast

While on vacation, we've been lucky enough to see both Alaskan transient and Alaska resident orcas while out on the water with Northern Latitude Adventures in Seward. We can't wait to share more from these encounters after we're back home! #killerwhales #whalesky #resurrectionbay #gulfofalaska