Two pods of orcas — about 40 in all — have been hanging out in Puget Sound today. They swam by Alki in West Seattle late this morning, and then they were spotted briefly near Golden Gardens around 2 p.m.

This is a shot from KING-TV’s chopper (video) near Bainbridge. We ran down to Golden Gardens, but all we could find were families enjoying the sunshine.

It’s rare for orcas to visit the Sound in the winter. Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research says that they may be in search of salmon.