Canadians and Americans may be visiting each other less often these days, but don't tell that to the orcas in J pod. Or K and L pod either, for that matter. These resident killer whales torpedo their way back and forth across the 49th parallel in the southern Strait of Georgia more focused on the catch of the day than on any border imposed by Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany in 1872.

The three resident pods of giant dolphins have been busy doing more than chasing salmon and seals. They've also found time to make a little whoopee, as this year's census figures from the Washington state-based Center for Whale Research indicate. In July, the centre released an upbeat report on what it termed a "decent improvement" in numbers. At least six new calves helped swell the total populations of the three pods to 90, the highest since the late '90s.

On October 1, a naming ceremony for one of J pod's newest members, until now known simply as J40, was held at the Samish Nation's community centre in Anacortes, Washington, on the southern shore of Fidalgo Bay. As an elder explained during the ceremony, orcas are regarded as the record keepers of Samish families and guardians of their language. It was decided to name the new whale Suttles, to honour the memory of Wayne Suttles, an esteemed academic whom Georgia Straight columnist Terry Glavin describes as "a giant figure looming over Coast Salish ethnography and anthropology". Wayne Suttles, who taught at UBC in the 1960s, died in June, but his name lives on in the young Orcinus orca first spotted on December 21, 2004, and only recently identified as a female.

Orca Suttles didn't make a swimpast to honour the 100 or so guests gathered for the christening. By all accounts, Suttles and the rest of the 24-strong pod, led by J2, or Granny, were busy chasing coho off the west side of San Juan Island. One of the best places to spot them locally is on the southwestern tip of the Lower Mainland at Lighthouse Marine Park in Point Roberts.

When the Straight contacted park manager Ben VanBuskirk by phone, J pod had last ventured by Point Roberts at the end of September. He did report that this summer was an exceptionally good one, with daily sightings of all three pods throughout July and August. As the coho swing north over the next few weeks, he said he expects to see at least one pod every other day.

Such unpredictability means camping space at the nine-hectare park will be in high demand. As on-site manager since 1987, VanBuskirk is encouraged by the trend he's observed during the past several years. "Day use may be decreasing, but camping here is definitely on the rise as whale watchers are turning into bird watchers." Recent sightings of jaegers, turkey vultures, and this year's hot-ticket item, an albino barn swallow, have sent birders winging to the Whatcom County park.

Given Point Roberts's strategic location on the Pacific flyway, this is hardly surprising news. Still, it's encouraging to know that at least some Lower Mainlanders are not letting heightened border security stand in the way of exploring this intriguing locale.

Another reason to visit the windswept park is to view a gesture of transborder goodwill embodied in American artist David Barr's Sunsweep sculpture, a tusk-shaped slab of polished black granite set back off the beach on the west side of the park. This small installation is one of three such markers placed along the Canada-U.S. border in the 1980s as part of an international art project. Inscribed on the base of the marker are these words: "Aligned to the north star, solstices and equinoxes, portrays the path of the sun from east to west."

Sunsweep stands solidly in place, facing Vancouver Island in the western distance and Mount Baker rising above the waters of Semiahmoo Bay in the east. Two enormous anchors have been moved into position around the sculpture. They lend an air of rusty grandeur to the site.

Nearby, a three-storey observation tower rises above a small orca interpretive centre. Profiles of the three resident pods of killer whales are presented on murals. The distinctive dorsal-fin markings of some pod members, including 90-year old Granny, are displayed in a photographic exhibit inside the centre. Using these as clues, visitors can positively identify individual animals. Volunteers with the Vancouver-based Lifeforce Foundation are often present. They not only provide helpful insight on the behaviour and personality of individual orcas but also update information in the interpretive centre. Hands across the border, indeed. -

ACCESS: Take Highway 99 south through the George Massey Tunnel to the Highway 17 South exit (28). Turn south off Highway 17 South to Tsawwassen on Point Roberts Road (56th Street) and follow it to the Canada-U.S. border. You can leave your car on Wallace Avenue on the Canadian side and cycle or walk from there. By car, head south on Tyee Drive, then west on Marine Drive to reach Lighthouse Marine Park. Driving distance from Vancouver is 50 kilometres. Be prepared to show a passport or a birth certificate and a B.C. driver's licence or other photo identification with an address when crossing the border. For information on Lighthouse Marine Park, check out www.whatcomcounty.us/parks or call (360) 945-4911. To learn more about the Center for Whale Research, visit www.whaleresearch .com/. For information on the Lifeforce Foundation, call 604-669-4673 or visit www.lifeforcefoundation.org/. To learn more about the Sunsweep project, visit www.fdr.net/englishii/23park_sunsweep.html.

Jack Christie is the author of the best-selling guidebook 50 Best Day Trips From Vancouver (Greystone Books, $19.95).