Originally published March 28, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified March 28, 2007 at 2:02 AM
Orca pod shows off newest member, named L109 for now
For now, let's keep it formal. Welcome, L109. The newest member of an orca pod that swims Puget Sound won't get a cute name until surviving...
By Seattle Times staff
For now, let's keep it formal. Welcome, L109.
The newest member of an orca pod that swims Puget Sound won't get a cute name until surviving a critical first year.
But the killer-whale calf, likely just a month or two old, already has made its media debut after being photographed with the L-pod last weekend in Monterey Bay, Calif.
The baby and her pod were playful, breaching and zipping around a whale believed to be her mother, said Nancy Black, a marine biologist who photographed L109.
"They were here all day Saturday feeding on salmon," Black said.
Kelley Balcomb-Bartok, a researcher at the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor, said L109's mother appears to be either L55 (Nugget) or her daughter, L82 (Kasatka).
"Typically, no cute name is given for a year, to allow the baby to survive a year. If it does, we'll go into that," Balcomb-Bartok said.
If L-pod sticks with its historical travel pattern, L109 should be in Puget Sound in early June.
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
Lake Union fireworks fun based on a blast from the past
Merchant Marine veterans fight for recognition
Walk the deck of a restored schooner
Lake Washington's sockeye run may hit a record low
Oxygen loss tied to sky divers' crash

Tribal Fireworks Rivalry
The Fourth of July marks a long-standing fireworks rivalry between two clans of a Native-American family in Suquamish.
Entertainment | Top Video | World | Offbeat Video | Sci-Tech
nwjobs

Post a comment

Michelle Goodman blogs about work/life balance.
Tax tips for new independent professionals
Post a comment
nwautos

Choosing a new truck? Weigh the impact of your choice on your wallet and on the planet.
Post a comment
nwhomes

Find a new home or condo that fits your lifestyle.
Search New Developments
Builder Directory
- Yakima teacher reprimanded for sending 5-year-old student home with bag of feces in backpack
- Palin resignation leaves questions on 2012 run
- Fire sends service providers scrambling
- 6 jurors swear a cop's wife swayed panel in Kent civil rights case
- Going to Gas Works Park? Good luck
- Bicyclist killed Wednesday night is identified
- Mariners Blog | Mariners, Angels have serious trade deadline advantage over Texas Rangers
- Powerful sedative found in Michael Jackson's home
- It's a blank slate now but will the Othello station fulfill plans for high-density shopping area?
- Franklin Gutierrez gives Mariners a spark in 8-4 win over Yankees
- Palin resigning as Alaska governor
528 - Seattle Mariners at Boston Red Sox: 07/04 game thread
342 - Obama's own party worried health plan lacks votes
248 - Yakima teacher reprimanded for backpack feces
86 - Recession wipes out 9 years of job gains
85 - 6 jurors swear a cop's wife swayed panel in Kent civil rights case
70 - Obama's practical immigration-reform approach: Legalize status of illegal workers
67 - Global warming may impede eelgrass growth
66 - Eyman initiative looks likely for November ballot
55 - Woman accuses Sounders FC player Nate Jaqua of sexual assault, seeks more than $10 million
54
- Going to Gas Works Park? Good luck
- Liven up Fremont's attempt to break a world record for a 'zombie walk'
- Lynnwood's City Bank gets tighter scrutiny
- Yakima teacher reprimanded for sending 5-year-old student home with bag of feces in backpack
- Fire sends service providers scrambling
- Oregon woman obsessed with rabbits back in jail
- Retail Report | Pet-supply shops grow while other retailers fade
- Palin resignation leaves questions on 2012 run
- Police: Teens mishear sex screams, beat man
- Recession wipes out 9 years of job gains








