Killer whales spotted off HMB

A large group of killer whales has been spotted off Half Moon Bay. It’s not unheard-of, but it doesn’t happen very often, reports the Chronicle.

"It’s exciting for us because they traveled so far to get to California, which means they can travel farther than people thought to find food," said Nancy Black, a marine biologist and whale expert for Monterey Bay Whale Watch. "Before, it was just transient (orcas) that have been seen in Bay Area. This is something unusual."

Ken Balcomb, senior scientist and founder of the Center for Whale Research, which has tracked the pod in Washington for 30 years, said the whales, including a mother and calf, were positively identified through the photos as members of a family group called "K-pod."

Based on observations made a little over a week earlier off Half Moon Bay, Balcomb believes that members of "L-pod" are also in the vicinity. If they are, it would mean that as many as 63 whales could be spread out over 30 miles around the Farallones.

The appearance of the whales this far south suggests that their supply of salmon in their usual habitat is shrinking.

There’s also a report with photos (no film) of the whales on the KCBS website.