After the Breach Podcast

After a busy few months on the water, Sara, Monika, and Jeff are finally back behind the microphones to catch up on the 2026 whale season. They compare this year’s sightings with previous seasons, discuss which Bigg’s killer whale families were seen more—or less—often, celebrate several new calves, and reflect on the continuing decline in summer visits from the Southern Residents. A highlight of the season were a few unforgettable all-day trips into the western Strait of Juan de Fuca, where the group encountered extraordinary gatherings of hundreds of humpback whales. They share what it is like to be surrounded by blows in every direction and to witness these incredible events. They also look ahead to upcoming research projects, Orca Behavior Institute's Whale University 2027 Year of the Whale program, and the February 2027 Silver Bank humpback expedition. If you are enjoying listening to our podcast, please share this with your friends, follow/subscribe, and leave us feedback/reviews wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you’d like to join Jeff and Sara on a whale watching tour in 2027, please check out to Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching to book!  You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. Please send feedback or questions to [email protected]. And remember, stay safe out there. Links from this episode: Whale University Year of the Whale Class: https://www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/whale-university-classes/year-of-the-whale All Day Humpback Tour video: https://youtu.be/mFhQRaxQMiA Maya's Legacy Whale Watching: https://sanjuanislandwhalewatch.com/ For information about the February 27–March 6 Silver Bank trip, email [email protected]  

A new bill in Congress would dramatically expand the killing of seals and sea lions in Washington waters in the name of salmon recovery. We’re joined by Casey McLean, executive director and veterinary nurse at SR3, to examine the history and science behind pinniped culls—and why removing predators from a complex marine ecosystem could have serious unintended consequences. We discuss the lack of current pinniped population data, the many human-caused pressures affecting salmon, the absence of clear monitoring and measures of success in the proposed legislation, and the overlooked dietary needs of the growing Bigg’s killer whale population. We also explore where the bill stands and how listeners can make their voices heard. If you are enjoying listening to our podcast, please share this with your friends, follow/subscribe, and leave us feedback/reviews wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you’d like to join Jeff and Sara on a whale watching tour in 2026, please check out to Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching to book!  You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. Please send feedback or questions to [email protected]. And remember, stay safe out there.   Links from this episode: H. R. 9621: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9621/text To amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow for the taking of pinnipeds on the Columbia River, its tributaries, and the waters of the State of Washington to protect species of salmon listed as endangered species or threatened species and other nonlisted species of fish, and for other purposes. H. R. 9621 Sponsors: Rep. Baumgartner, Michael (R-WA-5) Rep. Randall, Emily (D-WA-6) Save the seals.  Congress is trying to shoot its way to salmon recovery  Take Action: Oppose Culling of Sea Lions and Seals Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Chair Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) Vice Chair Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) Rob Wittman (R-Va.) Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-American Samoa) Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.)  Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) Jen Kiggans  (R-Va.) Celeste Maloy (R-Utah) Addison McDowell (R-N.C.) Jeff Crank (R-Colo.) Troy Downing (R-Mont.)  

Gray whales have long been considered one of conservation's greatest success stories, recovering from the brink of extinction after commercial whaling. But today, the species is facing new challenges. In this episode, we sit down with marine mammal researcher John Calambokidis, co-founder of Cascadia Research Collective, to explore the fascinating world of gray whales and discuss the troubling decline currently affecting the eastern North Pacific population. John shares insights from more than four decades of whale research, including the remarkable story of the "Sounders"—a unique group of gray whales that have learned to feed in the Salish Sea — and what their behavior may teach us about resilience and adaptation in a changing ocean. We discuss: What makes gray whales unique among baleen whales The history and discovery of the Sounders gray whales in Puget Sound How researchers identify and track individual gray whales over decades The surprising connections between eastern and western North Pacific gray whales The ongoing decline in gray whale numbers and calf production How climate-driven changes in Arctic feeding grounds are impacting whales today Ship strikes, entanglements, and other human-caused threats Reasons for hope and what people can do to help protect whales Learn more about Cascadia Research Collective and their work: https://cascadiaresearch.org If you are enjoying listening to our podcast, please share this with your friends, follow/subscribe, and leave us feedback/reviews wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you’d like to join Jeff and Sara on a whale watching tour in 2026, please check out to Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching to book!  You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. Please send feedback or questions to [email protected]. And remember, stay safe out there.

Part 3: Twenty Years of Action: Where Do We Go From Here In this third episode of our multi-part series on Southern Resident killer whales, we take a look at some of the best things that have happened, some not necessarily driven by SRKW recovery as well as topics that need to be addressed, challenges with our current political climate, and what people can do.  We are planning to have additional episodes focused on other aspects of SRKW recovery to keep these conversations going. It is a marathon, not a sprint. If you are enjoying listening to our podcast, please share this with your friends, follow/subscribe, and leave us feedback/reviews wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you’d like to join Jeff and Sara on a whale watching tour in 2026, please check out to Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching to book!  You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. Please send us feedback or questions at [email protected]. And remember, stay safe out there.

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. -------------------- Please share our podcast with your friends, subscribe to our podcast, and leave us feedback/reviews wherever you listen to podcasts! If you’d like to join Sara and Jeff on a whale watching tour, please check out Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching for more information and book a whale watching tour!  You can also find After the Breach Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. If you would like to send us questions, topic ideas, or any feedback reach out at [email protected]. And remember, stay safe out there.   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

We had some some incredible winter adventures during our short offseason and although not all of them were with whales they are worth sharing on this episode of After the Breach podcast. We have some cool videos to share on this episode, so check out the show notes on our website to view them.  Sara was in Bremer Bay, Australia for her fourth year in a row to spend time with the Bremer Canyon killer whales. We have discussed this unique population of killer whales in depth on episodes 21, 22, 23, and 38. This year Sara captured an incredible encounter with a Bremer killer whale, "Blade," that she captured on video, which you can view in the show notes. She also talks about her encounter with 100+ sperm whales! While Sara was in Australia, Jeff was on a Hawaiian adventure where he encountered a humpback whale that has been documented feeding in the waters off Kamtsjatka, Russia. He also talks about his night snorkel with manta rays and being on Kilauea to witness a massive lava fountaining event. You can check out videos from these adventures on our website as well, in the show notes. Please share our podcast with your friends, subscribe to our podcast, and leave us feedback/reviews wherever you listen to podcasts! If you’d like to join Sara and Jeff on a whale watching tour, please check out Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching for more information and book a whale watching tour!  You can also find After the Breach Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. If you would like to send us questions, topic ideas, or any feedback reach out at [email protected]. And remember, stay safe out there.   Photos from this episode: Humpback whale off Kona, Hawaii that has been documented off off Kamtsjatka, Russia. Photo by Jeff Friedman.    The beginning of Kilauea fountaining event episode 42 on February 15, 2026. Photo by Jeff Friedman.   Videos from this episode:  

Part 2: Twenty Years of Action: What We've Tried, What it Cost, and What it Changed In this second episode of our multi-part series on Southern Resident killer whales, we take a look at the last twenty years of effort that has included new vessel regulations, salmon habitat restoration, contaminant monitoring, and the formation of a high-profile task force. Hundreds of millions to billions of dollars have been invested since NOAA first published the SRKW recovery plan. On this episode we discuss what we have actually done in the twenty years since the SRKWs were listed on the endangered species list, and what has it changed? Coming up in Part 3 of this series we will get into what we can do over the next 10 years to turn things around for the Southern Resident killer whales. If you are enjoying listening to our podcast, please share this with your friends, follow/subscribe, and leave us feedback/reviews wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you’d like to join Jeff and Sara on a whale watching tour in 2026, please check out to Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching to book!  You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. Please send us feedback or questions at [email protected]. And remember, stay safe out there.   Links mentioned in this episode: NOAA Fisheries Recovery Plan for Southern Resident Killer Whales (2008): https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/recovery-plan-southern-resident-killer-whales-orcinus-orca The Relationship between Vessel Traffic and Noise Levels Received by Killer Whales: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0140119 Recommendations from the Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force: https://orca.wa.gov/progress/all-recommendations/ State of Salmon in Watersheds: https://stateofsalmon.wa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ExecSummary-2024.pdf

There were a lot of whales here this January and the winter months are a great time to see them in the Salish Sea. On this episode we talk about our January encounters and who has been present in the Salish Sea this winter. We also discuss how this was not always the case in the Salish Sea and how the old information persists that whale presence is predominantly May - September. But with the increase in both the Bigg's killer whale and humpback populations, and the changing patterns of Southern Resident killer whale presence in the inland waters, whales can be seen in the Salish Sea year-round. While Sara was in Australia with the Bremer Canyon killer whales in January, Jeff is joined by frequent guests Monika Wieland Shields from the Orca Behavior Institute and April Ryan, a marine naturalist and captain with Maya's Legacy Whale Watching.  We also announced special, limited availability collaborative whale watching tours with the Orca Behavior Institute and Maya's Legacy Whale Watching. These tours will be available on limited dates in July, 2026.  Designed for those who want to experience, learn about and support whale research, this unique tour will give you the chance to learn directly from a killer whale scientist. This tour follows the same half-day format as Maya's Legacy Whale Watching's daily half-day tours, with an added research perspective on board. A guest naturalist from the Orca Behavior Institute will share how scientists observe whales in the field and how observations made on the water contribute to long-term research efforts.  These tours are limited in availability:  Friday, July 3 — 4:30 PM Friday, July 10 — 3:30 PM Friday, July 17 — 3:30 PM Friday, July 24 — 3:30 PM Wednesday, July 29 — 4:30 PM If you are interested, you can contact Maya's Legacy Whale Watching to reserve seats. We also responded to several listener emails regarding the music at the beginning and end of each episode. Shout out to Other Animal who created original music for After the Breach Podcast. Curious which of our listeners knew there were whale vocals in there? Anyone interested in hearing the full version of the music? Hit us up by email. If you are enjoying listening to our podcast, please share this with your friends, follow/subscribe, and leave us feedback/reviews wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you’d like to join Jeff and Sara on a whale watching tour, please reach out to Maya's Legacy Whale Watching to book!  You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. Please send us feedback or questions at [email protected]. And remember, stay safe out there.   T19C, "Spouter," breaching during a sea lion hunt in January mid-day lighting. Photo by Jeff Friedman, Maya's Legacy Whale Watching.

Part 1: How We Got Here In this first episode of our multi-part series on Southern Resident killer whales, we step back to look at the full historical arc — from the pre-capture population, through the capture era, to the endangered listing that shapes recovery efforts happening today. This episode sets the foundation for the entire series. Before we can talk about recovery strategies and efforts, we need to understand how the Southern Resident killer whales became endangered in the first place. We discuss what we know about the pre-capture population, the capture era and its lasting impacts, recovery and then decline, risk factors and the endangered species listing. Coming up in Part 2 we will dig into actions that have been taken over the last 20 years since the endangered species listing, how much it has cost and the results (or lack of) for Southern Resident recovery. If you are enjoying listening to our podcast, please share this with your friends, follow/subscribe, and leave us feedback/reviews wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you’d like to join Jeff and Sara on a whale watching tour in 2026, please check out to Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching to book!  You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. Please send us feedback or questions at [email protected]. And remember, stay safe out there.   Links mentioned in this episode: Endangered Orcas: The Story of the Southern Residents: https://www.orcabehaviorinstitute.org/product/endangered-orcas-book NOAA Fisheries Recovery Plan for Southern Resident Killer Whales (2008): https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/recovery-plan-southern-resident-killer-whales-orcinus-orca

Returning guest Jared Towers from Bay Cetology joins us on this episode of After the Breach Podcast to discuss a paper he co-authored in the Journal of Comparative Psychology, "Testing the Waters: Attempts by Wild Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) to Provision People (Homo sapiens)." Before getting into the paper, we talk a bit about the recent release of the updated Bigg's killer whale identification catalog! This is the first updated catalog since 2019 and hosts Sara and Jeff talk with Jared about the release. We move into the discussion about Jared's paper, which made international media when it was published earlier this year. What does it mean to provision people? What populations of killer whales are doing this? Why might they be doing this, what are possible motivations? What types of prey are they sharing? We discuss these questions and more with Jared, and we all share some examples of this from of our own experiences on the water with killer whales.  If you are enjoying listening to our podcast, please share this with your friends, follow/subscribe, and leave us feedback/reviews wherever you listen to podcasts! And if you’d like to join Jeff and Sara on a whale watching tour in 2026, please check out to Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching to book!  You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. Please send us feedback or questions at [email protected]. And remember, stay safe out there.   Links from this episode: Testing the Waters: Attempts by Wild Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) to Provision People (Homo sapiens): https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2026-29805-001.html Photo-identification Catalogue and Status of the Coastal Subset of the West Coast Transient Population of Bigg’s Killer Whale in British Columbia, Canada: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/398258949_Photo-identification_Catalogue_and_Status_of_the_Coastal_Subset_of_the_West_Coast_Transient_Population_of_Bigg's_Killer_Whale_in_British_Columbia_Canada Bay Cetology: https://baycetology.org/ Finwave: https://finwave.io/