Three transient orcas were spotted in Penn Cove early Thursday afternoon.

The group spent a little time around the mussel rafts before making their way out of the cove.

They could be seen and heard from Coupeville Wharf for a short time.

The orcas were reportedly hanging around Saratoga Passage the previous day and were seen making their way toward the cove.

Transient orcas differ from resident orcas in several ways.

While resident orcas feed on salmon, transient orcas feed primarily on sea mammals.

Transient orcas also generally form smaller social groupings than residents and roam over a larger area of coastal waters, making sightings less predictable.

Resident orcas have seemingly avoided Penn Cove after a group was cornered and captured in 1970 and seven young whales were taken, including Tokitae, now known as “Lolita.”

She was sent to the Miami Seaquarium and has remained there for the past 45 years.

She is one of the oldest orcas in captivity, according to the Orca Network.

This month it was announced Lolita is being added to the endangered listing for Southern Resident Killer Whales.

About 17,000 comments were submitted to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association in support of the decision, according to CNN.

The hope among Lolita advocates is that she’ll eventually be released back into the wild, if she can be rehabilitated to survive on her own after 40 years in captivity.