A Perfect Spring Day with the T99s in Saratoga Passage
Story and Photography by Sara Montour Lewis
We had a perfect day with the T99s yesterday, who have been keeping a strong presence in Saratoga Passage this week.
This little family is made up of:
T099/Bella — the matriarch of the family, born in 1984 — and her four offsping:
T099B/Holly — a female, born in 2007
T099C/Barakat — a male, born in 2009
T099D — a suspected male, born in 2015
T099E — an adorable, playful little one, born in 2021
Another cool fact about this family is that it’s suspected that Bella’s mom, T036/Flapjack, is also the mother of T137/Loon, another favorite Bigg’s matriarch frequently seen in Puget Sound.
If you want to do a deep dive on the family structures of the Transients/Bigg’s Killer Whales in the Salish Sea, we put together a massive list over here.
*All photos were taken from shore with a telephoto lens.
T099/Bella, the matriarch of the T99s
T099E, the youngest orca in this family, tailslapping next to her mom, T099/Bella
T099C/Barakat, male whose dorsal fin has started sprouting, growing into that characteristically tall, male dorsal fin
T099B/Holly, seen with her telltale nicks in her dorsal fin, along with T099E and T099/Bella
T099/Bella and T099E
Photobombing orcas, clearly, like to steal the show 😉
T099E
T099/Bella, T099E, T099D
Ready to learn more about the killer whales of Puget Sound? Explore these posts next!
