Whale researchers have spotted a large number of exotic whales venturing into the inland waters along the U.S.' Pacific Northwest.

Most of the sightings have come from around Vancouver Island in British Columbia and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, said Ken Balcomb, of the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island.

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The whales are called exotic or outer-coastal orcas. They belong to a subgroup that's frequently seen off the coast of California. The exotic orcas have not been seen in Puget Sound, where the resident orcas are mainly salmon-eaters.

Since September, Mark Malleson from the Victoria-based Prince of Whales Whale Watching told the Times he's spotted the outer-coastal orcas five times. It's more than he's ever seen in his 18 years in the business.

According to Brad Hanson, a wildlife biologist for the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, researchers don't really understand what's drawing the animals in.

"Frankly, we don't know a lot about the movement of these whales on the outer coast," he added.

He said the population increase of transient orcas could be driving the shift and it could a boom in the number of seals and sea lions the whales prey on.

Malleson knows most of the local orcas by sight. He can easily recognize the exotic orcas because he's also familiar with some of the transients that habitually travel through the region.

"They have a little bit of a different look to them. They're just a little fatter and sassier," said Malleson.

Hanson said the salmon-eating orcas are usually found in the region don't interbreed with the exotics. He added they don't pose a danger to resident whales, but the number of resident orcas has dwindled for other reasons.

TagsExotic whales, exotic orcas, whale killer, whales, outer-coastal orcas, salmon-eaters, Seals, sea lion