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Patch Returns
Some of the same gray whales visit the Puget Sound area each spring. Cascadia Research of Olympia, Washington, has been studying the Puget Sound “resident whales” for decades. One of them, Whale #49, is called Patch, and he was spotted again on March 24. This whale was first identified in Puget Sound in 1991. Patch is a favorite of many local whale watchers. They easily know him by the large white patch far back (toward his flukes) on his right side, and white patches on the underside of his flukes.

On April 11, 2010, Patch was attacked by a pod of transient killer whales. (These killer whales eat mammals and are different from the endangered Puget Sound orcas that eat salmon.) The attack was a gruesome and rare sight for whale watchers who saw it. Good news came a day later when Patch appeared to be OK when he was spotted swimming with other gray whales. He still comes back each spring. Welcome back, Patch!

Courtesy of Michael H. Smith

tA whale named Patch that is widely recognized in Puget Sount.

See Gray Whales of Washington State for information on Cascadia Research's photo ID studies of the Gray whales, as well as their Field Identification Guide.