Our tours today spent time with T11 & T11A. These Transient (mammal eating) Killer Whales are a mother and son team. T11 is a 50 year old female and her son, T11A is 35 years old. Although this pair looks almost identical to a Southern Resident Killer Whale, there are many differences. Residents are fish eaters (feeding mainly on Salmon in our waters), Transients are mammal eaters. Residents are quite vocal under the water yet Transients are stealthy hunters that typically stay quiet. Residents regularly have “open” saddle patches (the grey mark behind the dorsal fin) Transients only ever have “closed” saddle patches and Residents are “resident” to our waters between April and October every year whereas the Transient Killer Whales roam our coasts from Alaska to California all year round! Check out our photo of T11A heading straight for Race Rocks Lighthouse and Ecological Reserve where he and his mother will hunt Seals & Sea Lions until they are ready to move on!