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Whale Watch Report for 2006 Saturday, Sept. 16 As we headed out to Haro Strait, we took the scenic route. We went right through the middle of the islands. It's very beautiful and a great way to see all the little coves and bays. We had heard that there were some transient orcas close to Victoria, B.C. It's a long way out there, but we decided to go for it! As we were getting closer, we found out through some other boats that the orcas were speeding out the Strait of Juan de Fuca. If we could have caught up with them, we might have had five minutes with them and then returned at ten o'clock at night. It just wasn't feasible, but we had given it our best shot. On the way back we came across some Dall's Porpoise. We circled around hoping to entice them into playing with our boat wake, but they seemed to be traveling with a purpose. (That wasn't meant to be a pun on words!) We saw quite a few Marbled Murrelets, Common Murres, Turkey Vultures, Great Blue Heron and various species of gulls. There were a lot of Harbor Seals swimming around and hauled out on the rocks. Our 2006 whale watching season has been one of our best. We have only missed seeing the whales two times. The very first time we went out in mid May, we knew where the whales were, but they were too far north for us to go up and see them. This time we also knew where they were, but they were too far West. Our guarantee is that if you come out with us and don't see Orca Whales, you can come back with us at any time for free. We stand by our guarantee, and we invited everyone on board (76 passengers) back for a free trip next year. If they can't make it next year, then the year after. We had people this year using "No Whale" tickets from 2001! Everyone still had a good time on this trip, because the sightseeing is beautiful and there's lots of wildlife to see besides the whales. However, we want them to have a time that they will never forget. See you in 2007! Saturday, September 9 What a day! As we headed out we heard that J, K, and L pods were quite a way out in the Straits. But we've had luck all summer, and they've come back in on the tides and we've been able to see them. This time, they just kept heading west, way too far for us to go on a day trip. We knew where some transient orcas were, and though they were pretty far away, we decided to go for it! It paid off when we came across 14 transient orcas. There was a very large male with a six foot dorsal fin and a calf about a year old. To see this many transients together is unusual in this area. They usually stay in pods of 2 to 8 orcas. They also don't usually come too close to the boats. However, today all fourteen of them came right up to the boat and under the bow in a slow swim. We could watch them under the water, and they all came to the surface next to us so we could get a good look. What a treat! We have now seen orcas on every trip since our first trip back in May. An unprecedented record. Our last trip for the season will be on Saturday, September 16. Sunday, September 3 As we left Bellingham, we heard that the orcas were off of the west side of San Juan Island. We headed through Peavine Pass and then Pole Pass, a very scenic route. It's a really nice way to see the San Juan Islands, as it goes right through the middle of them and slowly wends through narrow passes so that we get an up close view. When we came out into Haro Strait, there were the whales! Once again, there were all three pods, what is known as a Superpod! We slowly went south down the west side of San Juan Island to observe all ninety whales. The first one to pass us was J1, also known as Ruffles, the oldest male in the clan. Then as we went on for miles, the rest of them swam by, with some spyhops, breaching, tail lobbing, and pectoral slapping. We also saw a newborn, it looked like K22's, as it was so small. Hers is the newest baby. On the way back we saw some Harbor Seals lying around the rocks, and many Harbor Porpoises. Saturday, September 2 This was an interesting day. We heard that there were some orcas on the west side of San Juan Island. We also heard that the Superpod, all ninety whales, were heading north. We assumed that they would go through Active Pass and come out into the Strait of Georgia, so we headed north. It's not the most scenic route, but we wanted to see our Southern Residents. It turned out to be one of the best shows we've had all summer. We arrived as the whales were coming out of Active Pass. There was tail lobbing, spyhopping, breaching, summersaults, and cartwheels. One of the whales breached right off of our bow about twenty feet away. We saw all three of the calves born this year. One of the newborns breached seven times in a row. (That is when they propel themselves right out of the water). Just as it was getting time to leave, J19, known as Sachi, swam right under the boat with her year old calf. She seems to do that whenever we are in the area. She's been doing that since last year from the time her calf was only a day old. It turned out that while we were watching the whales up in the Strait of Georgia by ourselves the rest of the whale watching fleet were looking at nine transient orcas off of the west side of San Juan Island. We went out on our lucky hunch and it turned out to be the best! So far this year, we have seen orcas on every trip except for our first trip in Mid May. Sunday, August 27 What a great season! We've seen orcas on every trip except for our first time out in mid May. We went out of Bellingham Bay and cruised through the islands, taking in the scenery along the way. We went behind Castle Rock on the south end of Lopez Island and slowly went among the kelp beds and bays to look at Harbor Seals and the birdlife. We saw Pigeon Guillemotts, Rhinocerous Auklets, Turkey Vultures, Common Murres, and a Great Blue Heron. Then we proceeded to go out to Haro Strait where the Superpod was. A superpod is all three pods together. That's ninety whales! We could see the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island and to the east there was San Juan Island. We saw two of the newborns. The whales were in a resting mode, but as they began to wake up, there was some breaching and tail lobbing, some pectoral slapping and a few rollovers. Just as we were getting ready to leave, sixteen year old Moonlight, L83, was swimming across the bow. We could see her under the water. She did a turnabout and then right up to the boat and came up to take a breath. She then swam the length of the boat for everyone to get a good look. Another amazing day out in the San Juans. Saturday, August 26 We went out to Haro Strait and saw L pod off of Hein Bank southeast of Victoria, British Columbia. We watched them forage for fish and some tail lobbing and breaching. Then we heading back east and watched J and K pods. Once again, we saw all three newborns. Then Georgia, K13, (estimated birthday 1933) came right alongside of the boat. Georgia is named after the Strait of Georgia, one of the numerous channels of water in this area. Many of the passengers took some really good pictures. We saw a lot of birdlife, Harbor Seals, and Harbor Porpoise. It was another beautiful day with all three pods, which we call a superpod. Friday, August 25 The weather this year has been just great. Sunshine days and calm waters. Once again, just like last weekend, we saw all three pods together, a superpod. They were off of San Juan Island foraging for fish. There was some breaching and tail lobbing. A group came right up alongside the boat and everyone got a close up look. It's so beautiful to see them under the water as they go under the boat. We also saw Harbor Seals, Harbor Porpoise and numerous birds. There was a Bald Eagle on Lummi Island who watched us go past from its perch up in a tree. Another great day! Sunday, August 20 We saw all three pods today! A superpod is what that is called. The good news is that K 22's newborn calf was spotted. It was missing for a couple of days. Since a calf sticks to it's mother all the time, we feared that it might have died. Sekiu (K 22) was seen without her calf for a day. This is her second calf, her first is five year old Tika. We also saw the other two newborns, Ruffles (J1), the oldest male in the clan and Granny (J2), the oldest female in the clan. A juvenile spyhopped a couple of times in front of our boat to look at us. There was some breaching, tail lobbing, pectoral slapping and a couple of cartwheels. We drifted through Boundary Pass to Turn Point watching the whales and then headed back to Bellingham, watching whales all along the way. We saw a lot of Pigeon Guillemotts, California Gulls, Pelagic Cormorants and some Heerman's Gulls. The whales were the highlight and they were all there together to form a superpod. Saturday, August 19 As we headed out of Bellingham Bay we heard that the whales were in Haro Strait. En route, we also heard there were some transient orcas. We made a slight detour and watched the transients for a while. There were four of them. Transients are orcas, however they don't mingle with our resident orcas. They come and go and their behavior is unpredictable, unlike our resident whales. They are never in the same area as the residents at the same time. They eat marine mammals instead of fish, the diet of our resident orcas. We headed through Peavine Pass and then Pole Pass. This is a very scenic route, however anywhere you go in the San Juan Islands is beautiful. We then encountered parts of all three pods that make up the Southern Resident Clan. It was a beautiful day watching the whales forage for fish and a couple of breaches, lots of tail lobbing and some cartwheels. There were a lot of Marbled Murrellets, Pigeon Guillemotts, Rhinocerous Auklets and various Gulls. Another great day in the San Juan Islands. Sunday, August 13 We went through the Islands from Bellingham Bay and arrived out at Haro Straits. It was a beautiful trip, and we saw two Bald Eagles at their nesting site along the way. We encountered the whales at what we call Middle Bank. There were the K and L pods. There were too many whales to count! They were everywhere! We heard that some of the whales were far north, so we were only seeing about half of the clan. There were probably about 50 to 60 whales. We saw all of the youngsters, and a newborn! We later heard that there was a newborn amongst K pod, and it was definitely a newborn. A tiny one compared to the rest of its family. Sekiu just had her second calf and her firstborn Tika was swimming right along with his new sibling. There was a lot of cartwheeling and a few breaches. We also were able to observe at a very close range some exciting fish foraging. It was almost as if we could see the fish that they were hunting. It left little to the imagination. The weather was great, it was all sunshine and warmth. There were a lot of Common Murres about, and this was the first time we saw them so numerous. On our way back, we saw some commercial fishers with a type of gear called purse seine nets. We stopped and watched a couple of them pull in their nets full of salmon. Another day out in the San Juan Islands. Saturday, August 12 When we left Bellingham Bay, we didn't know that we would do a circumnavigation of all of the islands. As we arrived at the top of the San Juan Islands we encountered all three pods. That's 89 whales! There is nothing as magnificent. We just drifted along and watched. We saw breaching, tail lobbing, pectoral slapping, most all of the behaviors that we can observe. Then there were the babies. There are so many of them this year that it's hard to tell who is who. It was just another great day out on the water! Friday, August 11 We only go out whale watching on Fridays, Saturday and Sundays, so this Friday we were anxious to see what was going on out there. We went beyond Salmon Bank, out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Here we were able to observe a subpod of the L pod. A subpod is a small group that often separates from the rest of the whales. They were foraging and swimming along and then suddenly one spyhopped right in front of the boat! There is nothing like seeing a whale come out of the water right in front of you and look you in the eye! Sometimes they are as curious to observe us as we are to observe them. On the way back we watched some commercial fisherman haul in their catch with their purse seine net. That was rather exciting to see all of the salmon they hauled aboard. We see a lot of the marine birds in this area at this time of year. We had a very scenic tour today through the San Juan Islands. Friday, Saturday & Sunday, August 5, 6, & 7 We didn't go whale watching this weekend because we had a private charter. Saturday, July 29 We heard the whales might be up North, so we headed up Rosario Strait. We went through Boundary Pass, which is the boundary between Canada and the U.S. We saw many birds along the way and our first sighting of a Red Neck Phalarope. They are small birds that migrate through from the Arctic to South America. We followed the whales through Active Pass, a narrow pass in Canada. We saw all three pods, except for part of the L pod. They were down south. There was a lot of foraging, and some breaching. We saw the new calves again. It great to see the babies with their Moms. Friday, July 28 We headed out on another beautiful day and caught up with the whales west of Point Roberts. We observed J and K pods. We saw the newborn calf that Raven, of K pod, had a few weeks ago. The whales were foraging for salmon. There were a lot of tail lobs! We also saw Heerman's Gulls, Pigeon Guillemots, Rhinocerous Auklets and Harbor Seals. It was another great whale day. Sunday, July 23 It was a glorious day to be out on the water, with the best weather one could ask for, sunny and clear with a mild breeze. Stunning views of the Olympics, Mt. Baker, and the Twin Sisters were in the backdrop throughout the day. Early on, we heard the news: the J, K, and L pods were together again as a superpod! For orcas, this is like a family reunion, and is usually accompanied by celebratory play behaviors, including everybody's favorite: the breach. As we wound our way through the islands, we took in all the beauty this area has to offer: the rich rainbow of colors, the wildlife, the geology, and the human history of the area. On rocky outcroppings and in the water itself, we spotted a variety of gulls and alcid birds (including the endangered Marbeled Murrelet), harbor seals, and harbor porpoises. When we reached Haro Strait, rounding the west side of San Juan Island, we spotted the whales. Although they had spread out by the time we got to them, we were able to identify members from all 3 pods. Our equipment showed there were lots of fish, and the whales were observed foraging, playing, and relaxing. We saw breaches, tail lobs, pectoral slaps, a summersault and one unusual behavior: a whale just floating at the surface (sunbathing?) for about a minute before diving under. We got a great look at L54 (Ino) and her newborn L108, and spent some time with the L12 subpod, who approached the boat in their foraging. J1 (Ruffles) was observed traveling alone, offshore, his distinctive dorsal fin towering above the water, even at a distance. On our way back to Bellingham Bay, a lone Bald Eagle watched us from the top of a tall cedar snag on Eliza Island. We couldn't have asked for a better day. Saturday, July 22 Once again we escaped the heat wave and this time we headed north. We took a scenic tour through Echo Bay at Sucia Island on our way up to the Strait of Georgia where we encountered J pod. What a show! We were surrounded by whales breaching, spyhopping, pec slapping, rolling all over and playing with each other. It was great! Sachi gave us a closeup look at her calf. Then just before we had to leave and head back, Ruffles six foot dorsal fin appeared. He had been off in the distance the whole time, but gave us a good look for the last few minutes. We saw lots of Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seals, numerous birds (see Friday) and a Parasitic Jaeger. We had to travel quite a distance to see the whales today, but it was worth it! Friday, July 21 We headed out of Bellingham and the ongoing heat wave to the beautiful San Juan Islands. It felt so good to have the ocean breeze. We saw many marine birds and Harbor seals. We went out to Haro Strait where we caught up with J and K pods. We saw Raven's newborn baby. She came right alongside the boat for several minutes so everyone got a good look. She was fishing, and the little one was sticking right to her side! We also saw some breaching and lots of fish foraging behavior. The birds are numerous this time of year. We saw Pigeon Guillemots, Rhinocerous Auklets, Marbled Murrelets, Cormorants, and Bald Eagles that were soaring above the treelines. We also got a really close look at an eagle sitting in a tree snag along a shoreline cliff. They observe us as much as we observe them! Another beautiful day. Sunday, July 16 Today we headed out to Haro Straits, west of San Juan Island. We saw Harbor Porpoise and their pups along the way. Even though the pups were born just a couple of weeks ago, they are rapidly gaining weight. There were Bald Eagles, Cormorants, Pigeon Guilllemots, Marbled Murrelets, and lots of various gulls. The birding is starting to get really good! It was sunny and calm when we found the J, K and part of L pods. They were spread out for miles and foraging for salmon. We saw 12 year old Raven and her new calf. She was foraging right by the boat and for several minutes we got a really good look at the newborn. There's no other word for it but cute! A juvenile came swimming right towards the boat, and as he dove to go under the boat, we could see him swimming under the water. He was little enough to only have been about four or five years old. One hundred and fifty miles south stood 14,410 foot tall Mount Rainier. It was the best view we've had all year. There was also a Tufted Puffin in Haro Strait. It was another beautiful day. It wasn't a day like last Friday, but it was still great. Saturday, July 15 We turned the corner around Lummi Island and headed north. Along the way, in Rosario Strait, we saw two Minke Whales and lots of Harbor Porpoises. There were also many species of marine birds. It turned out that we had to go clear up to Canada today to see the whales. We caught up with them in Swanson's Channel north of Moresby Island. It was J and K pod. We got a really good look at Ruffles, with his distinctive six foot dorsal fin. We also saw Raven's newborn calf and Sachi's year old calf. The whales milled around for awhile and then they grouped up and went into resting mode. We headed back home. We were pretty far north so we didn't get in until 6:30, later than our scheduled time. We took the extra time though, to ensure that everyone would see Orca Whales. We see them all the time, but for most people this can be a once in a lifetime experience. We want it to be the best. Friday, July 14 This was the most spectacular, exceptional day observing the whales this season! Right outside of Bellingham Bay we ran into K pod and part of L pod. We followed them down towards Bellingham Channel and then the fun began. There was breaching in every direction of the boat, tail lobbing, pectoral slapping. Then a whale came close to the boat and spy hopped three times in a row. As he was out of the water we could hear his vocalizations. A spy hop is when about one third of their body comes out of the water and they suspend themselves for a few seconds looking around. Our boat was surrounded by whales for hours as we drifted down Bellingham Channel and into Rosario Strait. We saw Raven's newborn calf, which we have been seeing every trip! We headed for home on another sunny and calm day, sightseeing along the way on the east side of Lopez Island and through Peavine Pass. There were numerous marine birds and Harbor Seals, but the whale show today was the best. Saturday, July 8 We headed out of Bellingham Bay and rounded the southern tip of Lummi Island where we found J pod. We spent most of the day surrounded by whales breaching and swimming all around the boat. Sachi's year old calf is quite energetic! We also saw bald eagles, both mature and juvenile, Pigeon Guillemots, Marbled Murrelets, and Cormorants. Sunday, July 9 We caught up with the whales out in Haro Strait, between San Juan and Vancouver Islands. It was K pod and part of L pod. Twelve year old Raven in K pod has a new calf. The new calf is very little and spends all of its time right next to its mother. This is Raven's first calf and it will be fun to watch her all summer. We also saw Harbor Seals, Pigeon Guillemots, Bald Eagles, Cormorants, Marbled Murrelets, and Rhinocerous Auklets. The birding is starting to get really good! Monday, July 10 Another beautiful day out in Haro Strait. This time we encountered J pod and K pod. They were spread out over a few miles, so we just drifted with them for the afternoon. We saw lots of Harbor Seals with their new pups and all of the marine birds that are in this area at this time (see July 9th). Another great day! Sunday, July 2 We once again had a great Bald Eagle display (see July 1, Saturday). Then we headed north to Boundary Pass, sightseeing along the way. We circled the islands inside of Echo Bay on Sucia Island and got some great closeups of Pigeon Guillemots, as there is always a large concentration here. Once again, we were able to cruise by some rocks that had newborn Harbor Seal pups with their Moms. We were in Boundary Pass when K pod came along with their new calf. They were in a resting mode, but we got some great views as they came by the boat. When the whales are resting, they form a tight formation and swim along at a slow speed coming up regularly to breathe. This is the way they sleep. We were hoping they would wake up and show some activity so we stayed as long as we could. They were still in a resting mode after three more hours and it was time to head home. Our passengers were satisfied though. They had just spent a beautiful sunny afternoon drifting along with the whales in their habitat and getting close up views of the new calf. What could be better than being out with these magnificent animals on a beautiful day in the San Juan Islands? Saturday, July 1 We headed out of Bellingham Bay and rounded the corner of Lummi Island to Viti Rocks. There we saw so many Bald Eagles! None of us had ever seen such a concentration of them. There were adults and juveniles perched on the rocks and flying overhead. There is a fin whale carcass that washed up on a beach not too far away, and they have been feeding on it for the past month. We headed on out to Haro Strait (the west side of San Juan Island). There we saw J pod and part of L pod. They were scattered for miles as this is rather a large area. They never came too close and we wanted our passengers to get a good look at some of the breaching activity that was going on in the distance. So we asked our passengers if they minded coming in a an hour later so that they could spend more time with the whales. It was a unanimous Yes! Taking the time to wait some more turned out to be spectacular. The whales surrounded the boat and one breached three times right off our starboard bow. Everyone was excited at this wonderful display. We headed home and came in an hour later than usual, but it was worth it. Some of the passengers took some great photos and videos and (by sheer luck) recorded the whole breaching scene. Sunday, June 25 We went across Bellingham Bay and turned north heading up Hale Passage between Lummi Island and the Lummi Indian Reservation. We saw some of the Lummi war canoes paddling out in the water as they are just ending the 11th day of their Stommish. Tribes come from all over to compete in the war canoe races for this pow wow. We went sightseeing through Echo Bay in Sucia Island where we saw Rhinocerous Auklets, Pigeon Guillemots, Pelagic Cormorants and numerous gulls. Sometime between last weekend and this, the Harbor Seals gave birth to their pups, and we saw a lot of them! This is the "pupping season" for this area. The pups loll around on the rocks while their moms are out fishing. When we came out of Echo Bay and headed north we saw the whales off of East Point on Saturna Island. It was J pod and part of L pod. There was a lot of breaching and fish foraging. We drifted along with them westward watching their antics and oohing and ahhing (and some screeching) all the way. It is so amazing to watch thousands of pounds of whale jump out of the water and reenter with a big splash. We enjoy ourselves as much as the whales who are exhibiting such playful behavior. A great day of sunshine and whales with a lot more to come for our summer season. Saturday, June 24 We headed out of Bellingham on a beautiful day and went around the south end of Lummi Island to Rosario Strait where J pod and part of L pod were heading south toward us. There are two new calves this year! One is with L pod and the other is with K pod, whose mother is 12 year-old Raven. We saw one of the new calves, as it was very easy to spot from its small size and also because its white patches were an orange color. This is typical of new calves, as they are born with jaundice, much like some human babies. In a few months its coloration will turn into the signature white and black of the orca. This is especially good news, as these particular whales were put on the Endangered Species List last winter. This generation producing new calves will make a big difference to their status. There was a lot of breaching, tail lobbing, pec slapping and foraging for fish activity. One whale swam near the boat a couple of feet underwater upside down. It was evident by showing us its white underside, as it drifted by the boat. When the whales were between the islands of Blakely and Cypress, they turned around and started heading north. We did a little sight seeing and went down to the three Cone Islands to look at a Bald Eagles nest. As we went by, there was an adult Bald Eagle sitting in the tree near the nest observing us as we were observing her (or him). The cone islands are a rookery for the Pigeon Guillemots, so there were lots of them around. We headed home and caught back up with the whales for one last look. They were still showing lots of activity and we stayed as long as we could. Another great day! Sunday, June 18 J pod was travelling fast when we caught up with them Northeast of Stuart Island. We had some great views as small groups swam under the boat. There was plenty of breaching and spy hopping. We drifted down past Henry Island in Haro Strait with them, watching the babies with their moms and older siblings. J1 came right off the stern of the boat, so close that we could see his saddle patch. That's the white spot behind the dorsal fin. He is so big (He is 30 feet long and about 10,000 pounds)! We saw all of the marine birds that we had seen the day before, plus a few turkey vultures circling over a bluff. Saturday, June 17 We caught up with J pod just past Lummi Island. They were heading south in Bellingham Channel, between Guemes Island and Cypress Island. We followed along with them all the way to Iceberg Point, the south end of Lopez Island. Shachi's calf, L41, has the energy of a toddler! She is constantly coming right out of the water, breaching over and over. This calf will be one year old on July 1. There are five calves now waiting to be named. Contact the whale museum in Friday Harbor so that you can vote for their names. They are online at the whale museum. We returned to Bellingham via the scenic route between San Juan and Lopez Islands. Along the way home we saw Cormorants, Pigeon Guillemots, Marbled Murrelets, Great Blue Herons, Bald Eagles, Rhinocerous Auklets, and a few Harbor Seals hauled out. Sunday, June 11th Among our passengers today were 45 kids from Montana. We were hoping for a real treat for them, and we weren't disappointed. We started out with Bald Eagles, Harbor Seals hauled out on the rocks, Harbor Porpoise, and just about every marine bird that is here this time of year. We headed north up Rosario Strait and took a tour through Echo Bay on Sucia Island. Echo Bay is one of the most picturesque bays in the San Juans. It's so beautiful they made it a Marine State Park. Then we headed east towards the mainland. We heard the whales were up north, but we had a hunch that they would head over by the oil refinery docks. Our hunch, as usual, was correct, and that's where they were headed. We had a spectacular show! There were so many breaches that it was impossible to count. Once again, one breached right off the bow of the boat, splashing the deck. We saw every type of behavior that the whales can do: tail lobbing, pec slapping, spyhopping, somersaults, etc. We saw Blossom and her brood. Her son, Blackberry, who is fifteen now is starting to have his dorsal fin sprout. This is when the fin starts growing into the 5 to 6 foot tall dorsal fin that it will be when he is an adult. His buddy, Mike, Slick's son is also 15 and beginning to sprout. Mike was with his younger siblings and his Mom. The highlight of the day was a young calf. It couldn't have been over a year old, it was so little. Not too far off the boat, it began to breach, and breach, and breach! Over and over. After seeing the immense splashes from the adults and teenagers all afternoon, the little splashes it made were almost comical. What a beautiful way to end the day. The weather was warm, the sun was out, and there was a baby showing off! Saturday, June 10th We headed out of Bellingham Harbor and one of the first things we saw on the rocks at Carter Point (the southern tip of Lummi Island) was a one year old Bald Eagle. We could tell by his coloring that he was one year old. We also saw some mature Bald Eagles nearby. Within minutes we were surrounded by whales! They were breaching, spyhopping, and foraging. It was J pod again. As we drifted with the current on Rosario Strait, the whales started coming right up to the boat. J2,( or Granny, as she is affectionately known ) swam right alongside the whole length of the boat, which is 110 feet long. She was only three feet from the boat. She is the oldest female at 95 years old. Her 55 year old son, J1, known as Ruffles, usually isn't too far away from her. On this day, he surfaced right at the stern of the boat to join her, showing all of us his six foot dorsal fin. A young whale came right alongside the boat, turned over and floated on his back, slapping his pec fins. After a while of this, he decided to get a better look at us, as we had all been leaning over the rail in awe, and he turned over and lifted his head out of the water and checked us out! There was also a breach not more than ten feet from the boat. A breach is when a whale comes all the way out of the water. It even got the deck wet with its splash. Nearby, we saw some brown pelicans. This is exciting for birders, as we don't often see them here. They winter in California and Mexico and then come up here for the summer, but they usually stay on the outside waters. They used to be more common in these inland waters, but that was a few decades ago. To see them now is always a treat. Friday, June 9th We took 74 kids from Burlington out on a private charter. They had a blast! We saw all of J pod in Haro Strait. They were all around the boat foraging and tail lobbing, doing some pec slapping and a couple of breaches. We also saw Dall's porpoise, and Harbor porpoise. We saw Marbled Murrelets, Pigeon Guillemots, Bald Eagles and lots of Cormorants. It was a great day with lots of sunshine. Saturday, June 3 We left cloudy Bellingham for the sunshine of the islands. It was a beautiful day. A group of our Southern residents, J pod were in Haro Strait. That's the water between San Juan Island and Vancouver Island. We saw J1 (also known as Ruffles) as he swam by our boat. J1 is the oldest male at 55 years old. His dorsal fin is six feet tall, so he's pretty easy to see from far away, but he came close enough so that we could see the white saddle patch on his back. We saw one of the yearlings that was born last year, staying quite close to its Mom. We also saw Pigeon Guillemots, Rhinocerous Auklets, Cormorants, numerous Gulls and a Caspian Tern. We were lucky enough to see both of the species of porpoise that live in these waters: Dall's Porpoise and Harbor Porpoise. We watched a Harbor Seal catch and eat a salmon, their favorite food. Our next scheduled trips are Saturday, June 10 and Sunday June 11. Monday, May 22 We saw part of L pod in Haro Strait. Amongst them was a newborn calf! They were milling around, obviously foraging for salmon, their favorite food. There were also many Dall's porpoises. We sighted them from the North end of San Juan Island all the way to False Bay. We saw numerous marine birds and harbor seals. It was high tide, so the harbor seals weren't hauled out on the rocks, they were swimming around and coming up to take a look at us. At low tide, the harbor seals are always "hauled out" up on the rocky reefs. Seals have to come out of the water every six hours, or they get hypothermia. The reefs are exposed at low tides, so that is when they lie around on the rocks warming up. It's interesting to see them swimming around in action. Saturday, May 20 It was a beautiful day. We left cloudy Bellingham, and went out into the sunshine of the San Juan Islands. We saw marbled murreletts, pigeon guillemottes, and cormorants. The tide was high, so we didn't see a lot of harbor seals hauled out (when they're up on the rocks) but we did see a lot of them swimming around watching us. We saw J pod out in Haro Straits. They were breaching and foraging. We saw a yearling (one of the calves born last year) with it's mother. And we saw J1, the adult male of J pod! Saturday, May 13th was an absolutely beautiful day out on the water. We saw Brandts, Cormorants, Pelagic Cormorants, Pigeon Guillemots, Harbor seals and a Harbor porpoise. The Orcas were elusive this day. J pod was sighted in Rosario strait on the 14th. We also saw many Bald Eagles, and a Bald Eagle's nest on Sucia Island. |
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