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Whale Watch Report for 2007 "introducing our orca whales" page. Sunday, September 16 Anticipation was high as we set out on our last whale-watch trip of the season on Sunday. A relatively small but enthusiastic group, we set out into the islands under gray skies, hoping we'd see the whales one last time this season. We had seen them the day before, but as we all know, they can be here one day, and totally gone the next! We headed out through the middle of the islands, scanning the straits and waiting to hear some news from the other boats. Nothing came over the radio. After we came through Pole Pass and just about reached the north end of San Juan Island, near Spieden Island, we got word from one of the boats that the whales had been spotted down near the south end of San Juan Island!! Hallelujah! When we got on scene it was evident the whales were WAY spread out in Haro Strait, reported to be J and L pods. Some seemed to be foraging, others were just playing and socializing, rolling around, and chasing each other. A few times a small family group came swimming up near the boat, slapping their tails, rolling upside down, and smacking their pectoral fins on the water. There was also what looked to be a bit of whale romance going on, as a couple of the young J males were pursuing a female from L pod. We spotted a few breaches in the distance and a couple of spyhops from calves in the group. The water was calm and there was some drizzle but still a beautiful day - fall is in the air - the leaves are turning, the air is a bit cooler, and the rain is starting to come back to the islands. Pretty soon the whales will decide to head out of the area for most of the winter and we humans will go into our "hibernation" mode. We'll miss seeing them and always excited about welcoming them back in the spring. Thanks for joining us and we look forward to seeing you on the Island Caper again next summer for another exciting season of whale watching! Saturday, Sept. 15 Would it rain? would it shine? Would there be whales today? These were the questions on everyone's mind as we set out on our next to last trip of the season. Turned out to be our lucky day - we had a superpod of whales AND glorious sunshine ! Our route took us through the middle of the islands and out to Salmon Bank - on the way we stopped briefly to look at a gang of Steller sea lion males swimming around near Whale Rocks, their huge snouts poking up out of the water and snorting loudly. Once on the whale scene, it seemed that orcas were everywhere as far as the eye could see - very spread out from Salmon to Hein Banks at least - J's, K's and L's mixing it up. There were breaches, tail lobs, a cartwheel or two, swimming upside down - a couple of young adult males were actively rolling around and pursuing females - we also got a glimpse of the youngest member of the southern resident community in L pod - we could see the orange-tinged calf (L110) bouncing around with her family! Turned out to be quite a stellar (not to be confused with Steller the naturalist) and memorable day out on the water - the orcas have been absent quite a bit the latter part of this season, so we were really grateful to be amongst them once again! Great fun group of folks out on the boat today as well! Thanks to Victoria for an outstandingly well-narrated tour, and to Captain Terry for allowing us lots of quality time with the whales! Sunday, Sept. 9th Well, today turned out to be the bonus day. We headed out of the bay and down San Juan Channel out to Haro Strait. We slowed down at Whale Rocks before entering Haro Strait and there were two Stellar Sea Lions. Our first sighting this year as they just came in this week. The bulls come in this time of year. They can get up to 2000 pounds, so they are pretty impressive. Right alongside them on the rocks were Harbor Seals, who reach 100 to 300 pounds. They looked pretty small. We went out into the Straits and encountered a small pod of Orcas that turned out to be part of L-pod. We continued north and there was the rest of the Superpod! We followed along observing all 87 whales. There were a few breaches in the distance, that is whales totally coming out of the water. They were mainly travelling north with a few tail slaps. It was magnificent to see that many whales. They were everywhere! Several groups came by the boat and some of the passengers took some really good photos. We were able to ID them as they came right by the boat. We had had seventeen year old Blackberry with his twelve year old sister Tscuchi and his four year old brother, Mako. Of course they were with his Mom, Blossom and her sister Shachi and her two year old calf Eclipse. Slick and her four kids ranging in age from seventeen to four months also came by the boat, as well as L-pods family group of eighteen year old Gaia and his siblings and Mom. Resident Orcas spend their entire lives with their Mom's, whether they are male or female. There were many ID's with all of the photos that the passengers took and it was exciting to be able to give names to the whales going under and around the boat. What a day! We saws numerous seabirds: Cormorants, Rhinocerous Auklets, Red-necked Phalaropes, Pigeon Guillemotts and numerous Gulls that are arriving. As we headed back home we took a small detour because we heard that there were some Transient Orcas in the area. We were hoping to make it a banner day. However, Transient Orcas are unpredictable in their travels and we didn't come across them. See last Sunday's report on Transients. What a day out in the San Juan Islands! We had some passengers on board who had been with us yesterday and didn't get to see the Orcas. What a treat for them to get to two days out in the San Juans and get to see the Superpod on the second day. We were happy that they took us up on our offer: If you don't see Orcas with us, the next trip is on us, and it doesn't have to be this year, it can be any year! Saturday, Sept. 8th The day was beautiful and we headed out to the islands. We had read of all of the whale sightings that everyone had all week and we were expecting to find the Superpod. However, it was not to be. It turned out that last night the whales had gone to the outside ocean beyond the reach of any whale watching boats. After a couple of hours into our trip, the reports were coming in that no whales could be found. The whale watching fleet consists of boats coming from Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, Victoria, B.C. and Anacortes, as well as most of the major islands. No Whales! so we went on a sightseeing tour. We went through the middle of the islands through Peavine Pass, Pole Pass, Friday Harbor (no stops) and down through Lopez Sound. We saw Bald Eagles and an eagle's nest, numerous pelagic birds (see previous reports), Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seals and the beautiful scenery. Even though it was a beautiful day out on the water, our goal is to include Orcas. So we stand by our policy: if you don't see Orcas with us, give us another chance. The next trip is free until you get to see these magnificent animals. Sunday, Sept. 2nd Today was the biggest surprise we have ever had! Before we could get out of Bellingham Bay, we saw a whole group of dorsal fins in front of the boat! There were eleven transient orcas right in Bellingham Bay. As far as we know, the last time orcas were seen in Bellingham Bay was 1952, and back then no one would have known if they were transients or residents, because we didn't know the difference. There was T20, a very large male about 45 years old, some females, juveniles, and a "pinkie", a new calf who still has an orange tint to its white markings. They were cavorting around like resident orcas: breaching, tail slapping, cartwheels and somersaults. We watched two juveniles porpoise (when they swim at the surface of the water to gain speed) and then dive on a small flock of Common Murres. Transients are mammal eating, whereas our resident orcas eat only fish (90% of which is salmon). After a few hours, we decided to do some sightseeing. We went out of the bay and across Rosario to Obstruction Island. We went around the island, then down to the Cone Islands on the east side of Cypress. We looked at a Bald Eagle's nest, complete with a Bald Eagle. The eagle was perched in a tree, then suddenly flew off and struck the water, obviously fishing. It missed the fish, but it was amazing to see how far away it was when it saw a fish under the water. That is some pretty good eyesight! We went back to Bellingham Bay and watched the orcas for awhile. They were in a resting mode, grouped together close to the surface. When we left them, they were still in the Bay close to the Bellingham waterfront. Hmmm......wonder if they plan on staying awhile? Saturday, Sept 1st We left Bellingham and went down Bellingham Channel to Middle Bank. Here we encountered J pod and the L12's. They were milling about and foraging. There was a lot of tail slapping and some breaching off in the distance. Slick and her kids twice came by the boat. Her newest calf is only four months old. One spyhopped right in front of the boat! He was definitely checking us out! We followed along with them to the shore line. A lot of purse seiners were out salmon fishing, so we stopped and watched one haul up their set. Then we headed home, watching the seabirds, some Harbor Porpoise and Harbor Seals. Another great day in the San Juans! Friday, August 31 We had a lovely cruise through the islands today in search of whales. Alas, no whales were reported anywhere within our reach today. With the help of our navigator, trusty Rusty, we sailed north to Sucia Island and past the north end of Orcas Island, and back through the middle of the islands, through Thatcher Pass into Rosario Strait and back east to Bellingham, stopping at Cone Islands. Waters were calm and we had a bit of light rain - and saw a few bald eagles, great blue herons, kingfishers, phalaropes, pigeon guillemots, common murres, and lots of harbor seals. Tuesday, August 28th We had a private charter today so we went out midweek. Today was a real treat! We went south through Bellingham Channel and to the west side of San Juan Island. At Salmon Bank, we encountered a group of five to six Transient Orcas. There was a small calf with the group and a male who was off by himself. We watched a few tail lobs as they surfaced. Then went to look at our resident J-pod up at Lime Kiln Lighthouse. Very unusual, as the transients and residents are not in the same area at the same time. They avoid each other as if they had a treaty. They were only a few short miles away from each other! Ruffles was in the lead with seventeen year old Blackberry not too far behind. The rest of the pod was hugging the shoreline and they were travelling north. Perhaps to get distance between them and the transients? We've had a lot of transient activity in the area lately. We rarely ever see transients and residents on the same day. On our way home we saw Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seals and lots of seabirds (see previous reports). The weather was beautiful, but fall is in the air. We only have a few more trips before the end of our season. When the weather changes, it is not too comfortable to go out whale watching. The seas start to pick up and it's usually rainy. But we're going to enjoy our last few encounters before we have to say goodbye to the whales for the winter. Sunday, August 26th Well it seems as though where we saw the whales yesterday would not be so today. They kept heading west and went out to the open ocean. Too far for any of our whale watching fleet to go and observe them. But we had good news, there was a group of Transients up in Canada. Our residents are fish eating whales, and the transients are marine mammal eating whales. So we went up to Plumper Sound between South Pender and Saturna Islands and there were five transients. A male, two females, a juvenile and a calf. They were quite active with a lot of tail lobbing, pec slapping and even a full breach very close to us. What a treat! The transients aren't usually the showoffs that our residents are, so it was a great show. They stayed close together and were doing a lot of body rubbing. Whales are very tactile, and they will touch each other often. The weather was beautiful and so was the scenery. We don't usually go that far up into Canada, so it was a little different for us and our regular return passengers who frequent our tours. Another great day out in the San Juans and the Canadian Gulf Islands. Saturday, August 25 It was a cloudy day and threatening to rain, but that does not deter us from whale watching. The whales don't care if it's raining or sunny, and our boat is spacious and heated. This is a day we were grateful for that! We encountered L pod out a Hein Bank, a few miles southwest of San Juan Island. They were foraging, and tail slapping, pec slapping, and there were many breaches off in the distance. A very young calf swam right past the bow of the boat, so close we could hear it breathing. Mom must have been swimming right underneath, because they are never far away from each other. We stayed with the whales for quite a while, and then headed back. Our bird sightings were just as good as yesterday (see previous report). As we headed back home, wow, were we grateful for such a large warm boat. It poured rain and more rain. At least it waited until we were done. Another great day. Friday, August 24 We headed out of Bellingham Bay and stopped to look a Bald Eagle at our favorite spot on the south end of Lummi Island. It was a low tide and we could see all of the purple and orange seastars along the rocks below the eagle. We headed through the middle of the islands to the west side of San Juan Island where we encountered J pod. J pod looks so different this year! Besides Ruffles, who has been the only adult male for the past few years, there are now quite a few large dorsal fins of other young males "sprouting" up. It's called sprouting when the males start to grow their dorsal fins into the signature five to six feet tall fin. Seventeen year olds Blackberry and Mike look like adult males now, and Riptide is also rapidly sprouting! There are twenty-five whales in J pod now, with the new addition born May 7th. This is Slick's fourth calf, and she brought it right up to the boat to show her off! She's a female. Slick and her calf , and Alki, her seven year old played around in front of the boat for quite a while. It looked like she may have been showing them how to chase a fish. It was a great show. We also saw on the way back in: Marbled Murreletts, Pigeon Guillemotts, Rhinocerous Auklets, Red Neck Phalaropes, Common Murres, Cormorants and numerous Gulls. It ws another great day out in the San Juan Islands! Sunday, August 19th The whales are back! We met them in Haro Strait as they came out of the Strait of Juan de Fuca from the open ocean. It was a superpod! All 86 whales together. Moonlight (L83) b. 1990, had a surprise for us. She had a brand new calf which now brings our whale population up to 87! On our way out to meet the whales, we encountered a lone transient orca: T14. He was meandering around Hein Bank. He is so easy to identify because he has two notches on the leading edge of his dorsal fin. These are from when he was radio tagged back in the 1970's. He gave us some really close up looks: he's huge! The interesting thing is that transient and resident orcas will rarely be seen in the same region together. They have a treaty about keeping their distance from each other (we know from genetic testing that they have not interbred in 100,000 years). Each orca community has it's own unique social system, language, rituals, behaviors and knowledge of habitat. The residents and transients are each distinct communities. After seeing T14, we travelled only a few miles and encountered the J, K, and L12's. The rest of the L's were coming up from behind. We let everyone pass, and then just followed along for a few miles as they went leisurely in a northeast direction. The new calf was sticking close to its Mom, Moonlight, (L83) who has a very tight family group consisting of her sister, her Mom, Marina (L47), and Grandmother, Ankh (L21). T14 and the residents were getting closer to each other, and when they came within the same vicinity, T14 took off towards the open ocean. We know of an instance when some residents chased some transients away after a new calf was born. There were three large males flanking the group with calf, could this have been why? What a great day, a transient orca, a superpod of residents, and a brand new baby! Saturday, August 18th We turned north out of Bellingham Bay and once again watched the Bald Eagles. Then we went up Rosario Strait. At Clement's Reef off of Sucia Island there were about fifty Harbor Seals hauled out. The pups are starting to get big! In four to six weeks they double their birth weight and then are weaned. We saw many birds (see previous report). Today there were lots of harbor porpoise milling about. They seemed to be everywhere, but since they are boat shy, we don't slow down to take a look at them. All of the whale watching boats were on the radios, and everyone was looking everywhere for Orca Whales. It turns out they were too far west for any whale watching boat to have an encounter with them. So we took a very scenic tour home and enjoyed the beautiful afternoon bird and porpoise watching. Friday, August 17th As we headed out of Bellingham Bay we stopped at our favorite spot to watch two Bald Eagles. They have a nest nearby and often they just hang out on the snags above the cliff watching us watch them! We went through the middle of the islands, a very scenic route through narrow passes thick with evergreens and dotted with Madrona trees. There's a lot of birds right now with summer advancing into September. We saw Marbled Murreletts, Pigeon Guillemotts, Rhinocerous Auklets, Cormorants, Red-neck Phalaropes, Common Murres, and plenty of gulls that have not been here earlier in the summer. We crossed Haro Strait and went almost to Vancouver Island at Kelp Reef where we encountered six Transient Orcas. They were the T124's and T90's. T90 has a new calf! Unlike our Resident Orcas who eat fish, transients eat marine mammals such as porpoise and seals. We watched a Harbor Porpoise hightailing it in the opposite direction of the transients. We followed along with the transients in a northerly direction, watching a bit of foraging behavior, which is probably what sent that Harbor Porpoise out of the area. We stayed as long as we could and then turned around and headed home. Another beautiful encounter out in the San Juans. Sunday, August 12th Rumors were running around this morning that the southern residents may be on their way back in, so hopes were high as we headed out west. Later we heard that they had started to come in but turned and went back out! However, some of our Victoria buddies had found a group of transient (mammal-eating) orcas not too far from Victoria Harbor, so Captain Terry decided to run for them. After a few no-whale trips, we were pretty anxious to see some! It's a long trip from Bellingham out to Victoria, but the day was perfect - flat calm waters, sunshine, and the tides favoring us most of the way. Once on scene, we putted slowly along and were able to get some good looks at the group - one adult male and 3 others (females/young) - these were identified as the T101 group by the Center for Whale Research. They were traveling slowly, close together, and changing direction quite often - as transients are apt to do - their movements are much less predictable than the resident whales. Quite a beautiful sight, and a rather unique opportunity for us on the American side to see the transients! Lovely trip back through the middle of the islands, spotting some harbor seals and porpoise along the way, and many rafts of alcids, including rhinoceros auklets, pigeon guillemots, and many noisy common murres. Friday, August 10th We headed out of Bellingham Bay with a full boat and beautiful weather. We decided to head up Rosario Strait as all of the other whale watching boats were looking in the west without any luck. We took our time and took a tour of Echo Bay through the Sucia Islands. Then we received the news: the whales were miles out west, beyond the range of any whale watching boat. So we leisurely returned home by circumnavigating Orcas Island. At least if we couldn't see Orcas we could see other wildlife. We encountered a rather large school of Harbor Porpoise. We didn't slow down, but just observed them as we went by. Harbor Porpoise are shy of boats, they are not like others that are acrobatic and play in the wake of boats. If you try to mingle among them, they will make themselves scarce. They are the smallest of the ceteceans at five to six feet and about 150 to 200 pounds. We did see many seabirds and one passenger from the Chicago area added six to her life list. Marbled Murreletts, Pigeon Guillemotts, Rhinocerous Auklets, Cormorants, both Pelagic and Double Crested, Red Neck Phalaropes, Common Murres and numerous gulls. We are starting to see both the California, Heerman's and Bonaparte Gulls that don't live here year round. It's always disappointing to not see Orcas, but our guarantee: If you don't see Orcas with us you can come back until you do! Sunday, August 5 Another gorgeous day out on the water in the islands - today turned out to be a whale-less tour, but the scenery is always breathtaking nonetheless. We took the northern route around the top of Orcas Island, hoping to spot whales in Rosario or Georgia Strait. No whale reports were coming in, so we cruised up to Sucia Island, checked out the beautiful sandstone formations, and headed back around through the middle of the islands. Along the way we spotted a few harbor seals, harbor porpoise, a bald eagle, and many different species of seabirds, including rhinoceros auklets, common murres, and pigeon guillemots. Our guests will be treated to another trip in the future, as many as it takes for them to actually see orca whales. Our marine stars of the sea were a bit elusive today, probably chasing salmon a little too far out west, but hopefully next trip will find them back in our area. Every day, a new adventure! Saturday, August 4 You couldn't ask for a more beautiful day on the water with the whales! We made our way north this morning towards Pt. Roberts, spotting a few harbor seals, harbor porpoise, and one Steller sea lion along the way. The whales had been spotted near East Pt., Saturna Island (Canadian Gulf Islands) heading southwest into Boundary Pass. When we came on the scene, they were spread out far and wide across the channel. We parked ourselves to see what would happen. All of a sudden one whale coming towards us turned upside down and started doing the backstroke! He continued this for a while, then turned upright again - turned out to be 16-year-old Blackberry (J27) - he gave us a nice pass at the stern and stayed near the boat rolling around for a while. Like I always say, these teenage boys are show-offs! We also got to see Ruffles (J1), the oldest male in the southern resident group at 56. We then headed to Turn Pt. on Stuart Island to watch them go by - something about that spot makes the whales excited a lot of the time - we saw multiple breaches, a cartwheel, and some speed swimming or porpoising. I also noticed an L pod (L57 Faith) male swimming in the vicinity, so we had probably a mixture of J's and some L's today. We got to make our return trip through the middle of the islands today, making a nice loop - an unusual treat worth noting: a few harbor porpoise joined in to swim in our wake behind the boat a little south of Spieden Island. I've never seen that before - (normally they're not very playful with boats) - cool! Lovely day, playful whales, happy people - great trip! Friday, August 3rd The whales are back! The Orcas went outside of our range to the open ocean for five days, however, they came back in on Wednesday night. We went out to Haro Strait and encountered J and K pods. They were travelling north in a leisurely mode. Slick and her family swam right by the stern of the boat. Slick has four kids, one of which was born in May. Orcas typically reproduce every four to five years, and she has kids ranging from three months to seventeen years. There was also a breach right off of the bow. It was such a beautiful day! Sunny and calm seas. We also saw Harbor Seals, Bald Eagles, Common Murres, Pigeon Guillemotts and Rhinocerous Auklets. We took the scenic route back through the middle of the islands. Another wonderful day out in the San Juan Islands. Sunday, July 29th It turned out to be another day that none of the whale watching boats would see Orcas, including us. As we headed down Bellingham Channel we received reports that they were closer in than they were yesterday and possibly heading our direction. So we headed in their direction hoping to meet them halfway. The whales were elusive again, they were too far west and the seas were an uncomfortable four to five feet to try and meet them. We did our best. So we had some beautiful sightseeing through the rocky coves and bays of Southern Lopez Island. We saw Bald Eagles, Harbor Seals nursing their pups, a Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vultures and other pelagic birds (see previous sightings). Then we toured through Richardson Bay, the southwest part of Lopez. If we can't see Orcas, at least we can do some sighteeing through some remote areas that we normally wouldn't take the time to leisurely cruise through. When we leave the dock, it's always going to be different than the day before while we observe the Orcas in their natural habitat. We never have a set destination and it seems as though the Orcas can be the same from day to day. Our guarantee still stands: A free trip with us until we see Orcas! Saturday, July 28th There was a lot of anxious talking on the radio as we headed across Bellingham Bay. Everyone was looking for the whales and no one had a sighting yet. So we headed west figuring that we would come across them or hear about them. We had the whole region being covered withat least fifty boats out there looking. As we cruised on, the news became grim. No one could spot them anywhere which is unusual. Even if they are out of our range, by now we usually hear where they are! When we came through San Juan Channel and out to Hein Bank we decided to look for a Minke Whale which we heard was in the area. However, there is a reason that the researchers call them the Slinky Minke! Once spotted, they are sometimes hard to find again. They don't travel a straight and easy to follow path. So we decided to head back and go north in an area where no one had yet looked. Before we got back into San Juan Channel we watched a Stellar Sea Lion catch and eat a salmon. Our first sighting this year of a Stellar! The bulls usually come around later in the summer. We headed through the islands, bird watching along the way (see previous sightings). We went north up Rosario to the Strait of Georgia, with all hands scanning the horizon looking for dorsal fins. Nothing! It was time to head back home, and just before we entered the harbor, we had the word: The whales were far west and travelling in that direction. Out at a distance too far for any whale encounters by any whale watching boat. They can travel a hundred miles a day. So we finished our trip with the thought that they would that they would turn around and head east sometime during the night and back to within our range. We've been out since early June and this is only the second time that we have not seen Orcas. Even though we didn't see Orcas, we spotted Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seals and the Stellar Sea Lion. However, our goal is to see Orcas, so we invited everyone back for a free trip on us: If you don't see Orcas, we guarantee that you will, just give us another chance! Friday, July 27th We heard that the whales were in Boundary Pass heading west. So we headed that direction and encountered the whales in Haro Strait. It was J and K pods. They were milling and doing a lot of foraging. We saw some speed finning (chasing a fish). There was a spyhop, lots of tail slapping, and some breaches off in the distance. Then we spotted Slick with her family. They were coming right towards the boat with the new baby. When they came close, her son Keet came right out of the water in a full breach. That was pretty exciting, as he was pretty close. It got better! About 20 feet off the aft portside he gave us a good close up and did another complete breach. Fortunately, some people were ready with their cameras and were able to get the optimum photo of a breach right next to the boat! With this last look, we headed for home with another great whale experience. On the way home we looked at the birds as we passed and one birder on board added six birds to his life list (obviously an inlander). We saw Marbled Murreletts, Pigeon Guillemotts, Rhinocerous Auklets, Common Murres, Bonaparte, California and Glaucous Wing Gulls, Cormorants and Bald Eagles. The weather was beautiful and it was another wonderful day out in the San Juan Islands. Sunday, July 22nd Today our perfect whale sighting record for 2007 was broken. We headed out trying to determine which direction to take for the day, talking on the radio with other whale watchers and decided to look up north for whales. Everyone else was looking in the southwest region of the San Juans. We stopped to look at a pair of Bald Eagles on the west side of Lummi Island. Then we headed over to Sucia Island and did a detour through Echo Bay, one of the most beautiful bays in the San Juans. We watched Harbor Seals with their nursing pups hauled out on the rocks, and lots of Pigeon Guillemotts, Rhinocerous Auklets, and a Great Blue Heron. This was when we heard the news. Eighty something whales were spotted heading west out to the Pacific Ocean through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. They were way past Victoria and out of reach of any of the whale watching boats. When they decide to travel, they can really go! So we spent the rest of the afternoon sightseeing. We offered everyone a free trip with us anytime they wanted to come back. Our guarantee: If you come out with us and don't see an Orca (no other whale counts!) you can have a free trip with us at your convenience. Next week, next month, next year, the following years: Anytime! Saturday, July 21st We headed out to Haro Strait today and just couldn't get out out of the fog. We kept seeing the whales, and then the fog would move back in. It finally let up and we got a really good look at J's and K's. Thirty year old J17, Princess Angeline (named after Chief Seattle's daughter) and her two daughters came right under the boat, and then K14, Lea did some foraging right alongside the boat. We got some good views of them swimming underwater. We were surrounded by the whales but they were quite spread out. They were milling about and foraging. There was a lot of tail slapping and sideways swimming. They weren't in any kind of travelling mood, other than just a slow northerly pace. It's possible L pod was out there today, but they were so spread out, it was hard to tell. We saw the first Red Neck Phalaropes today! They are a small bird that migrates through here on their way south to their winter homes. A passenger reported a sighting of a Common Loon, and we saw all of the birds that I listed yesterday. It was another great whale watching day. Friday, July 20th It was a drizzly day leaving Bellingham. We went down Bellingham Channel to the south end of Lopez and west towards Victoria. Visibility was poor and it kept raining. Then suddenly, the rain stopped - blue patches appeared in the sky and there was a Superpod - JKL all together! Twenty one year old male K21, Cappuccino came right under the boat and back up the other side and floated there in slow motion. Then we were surroounded, there was speed finning, spyhopping, cartwheels, upside down whales, pectoral slaps, tail slaps and breaching. The grand finale was Slick and her four kids (J pod) going right by the boat and then one of them breached right off the portside bow. There was a lot of socializing and what looked like mating behavior. We went back through scenic Peavine Pass and with good visibility were able to do a little bird watching. We saw Common Murres, Cormorants, Pigeon Guillemotts, Rhinocerous Auklets, and finally before we got home, some little Marbled Murreletts. Sunday, July 15th We once again headed up Hale Passage and came across the whales up in Boundary Pass off of Saturna Island. There was spyhops, breaching and a lot of tail lobbing. The highlight was watching some speed finning. It was either J26, Mike or J27, subadult males. Speed finning is when a whale is going very fast chasing a fish. He was going parallel with the boat at twice our speed! (We average 12 knots). Then one of the young males started speed finning right towards and under the boat. Fish will often head for under the boat thinking it is protection, however it isn't when a fast whale is in pursuit! We followed the whales out to Haro Strait where we saw some more spyhops and breaching. It was a beautiful sunny day with flat calm water. Perfect for whale watching. We saw quite a few Rhinocerous Auklets, Pigeon Guillemotts and Marbled Murreletts on the way back. We also sighted some Harbor Porpoise. What a wonderful weekend we had in the San Juan Islands. Saturday, July 14th Finally, the whales were just around the corner! As we headed up Hale Passage between Lummi Island and the Lummi Indian Reservation, we heard the whales were up north. We barely made it out of the passage when we encountered them. They were just south of Alden Bank. It was J's, K's and possibly some L's. We drifted with the whales for the whole afternoon all the way down Rosario Strait to Bellingham Channel. There were spyhops, breaches, cartwheels, tail waving, tail slaps, pec slaps and a lot of foraging. A couple of times the whales went right under the boat. It was a great show! As we passed the cliffs on Lummi Island, we heard the peregrine falcon, but didn't see him. (There is an active nest there). After an afternoon with the whales, we sidetracked over to Cone Island to take a look at an Eagle's nest. There was a rather large chick in the nest. It is just about time for them to fledge. What a treat! We went home along the shoreline of Chuckanut Bay which is very beautiful with all of the sandstone formations. Another great whale day. Friday, July 13th We went out through scenic Peavine Pass and Pole Pass. On the way we saw Rhinocerous Auklets, Marbled Murreletts, Pigeon Guillemotts, Bald Eagles and Harbor Seals. We came across J and K pod off of Kellett Bluff. Good sightings of K21, Cappuccino and K40, Raggedy. Of course, had a few good looks at J16, Slick's new calf. It was a very scenic day with good whale sightings, some breaching, a spyhop, a few cartwheels and tail slaps. July 8th, Sunday As we headed out of Bellingham Bay, we rounded the south end of Lummi Island and there was a pair of Bald Eagles. One was flying overhead and the other was perched on a snag above the water. We then went west and slowed down to look at Harbor Seals hauled out on the rocks. We took the scenic route through Peavine and Pole Pass and came out by Jones Island. The whales were heading north! So we hightailed it towards the north up in Swanson's Channel and there we encountered J and K pods. It seems that L pod went outside (into the open waters beyond our reach of a day trip). We followed the pods through Active Pass in British Columbia which is where they generally will go when they are up in the northern regions of their foraging grounds. Active Pass is beautiful and we don't go through it that often. The day had turned from drizzle to brilliant sunshine and the scenery was spectacular. We came out of Active Pass following the whales into the Strait of Georgia. Then the whales spread out and started breaching. They started to head north and we couldn't follow, as we were about as far as we could go and still get back and call it a day trip! We had a couple of hours with the whales after we caught up with them and the weather couldn't have been better. We're still holding our record of 100% Orca watching for the year, even though it's taken some extra miles this weekend. July 7th, Saturday It was a foggy morning. Visibility at some times was practically nothing. We had a few glimpses of the islands as we went along and we were mainly restricted to seeing only the bird life that we passed. One passenger added two new birds to her life list: Rhinocerous Auklets and Marbled Murreletts. We came out into Haro Strait and discovered that K pod was over by the city of Victoria off of Vancouver Island. The sun came out halfway across the straits. We crossed and had to go all the way to Trial Island. It was a long trip, but well worth it. There was K pod milling around. We had an excellent view of a spyhop. This is when a whale comes up vertically right out of the water for a look around. It's pretty impressive. There were a few breaches and a group of whales went right under the boat. We could see them swimming underwater! We didn't get back until 6:30 that evening, but everyone was just happy to have encountered the whales. Sometimes we have to go out of our way to see the whales, but it is well worth it! Our goal is to take people out to see Orcas and we have a record so far this year of 100%. July 6th, Friday We headed out of Bellingham Bay and heard that the whales were on the north end of San Juan Island. We saw Bald Eagles on the mudflats of Hale Passage and many Pigeon Guillemotts. Arriving at the north end of San Juan Island, the whales had already started heading south. We followed them to the waters off of Lime Kiln Lighthouse. There we saw lots of breaching, tail slapping, and some porpoising behavior. All three pods were heading in a southwesterly direction at a leisurely pace. One of the best shows this year! We had a private charter on board and they needed to be back early, so we had to leave. We went back through the middle of the islands, a very scenic route. At Peavine Pass there was a perfect photo op of Mount Baker majestically rising in between Obstruction and Blakely Islands. Another beautiful day out in the San Juan Islands. Sunday, July 1st Today we left Bellingham and as we got to the south end of Lummi Island, there were three Bald Eagles that we stopped to watch as they flew overhead and perched in trees. We headed toward Viti Rocks, and there were more Bald Eagles. We must have seen at least seven. There were also Glaucous Wing Gulls, Cormorants, Pigeon Guillemotts, and Rhinocerous Auklets. We headed down Bellingham Channel and stopped to take a look at the fish farm in Deepwater Bay where they raise Atlantic Salmon. The fish were jumping in their net pens. We turned west and rounded the southern part of the islands. We then headed north up Haro Strait on the west side of San Juan Island and there was J pod. L pod was being elusive today. They might have gone out past Vancouver Island to greet K pod. K pod is due back in any day. We saw a few breaches and a lot of foraging behavior. The whales were pretty spread out, but we did get a good look at Ruffles, J1. We went back on the very scenic route through Pole Pass and Obstruction Pass. There were a lot of Harbor Seals both in and out of the water. Another great day in the San Juan Islands! Saturday, June 30th As we left Bellingham Bay, no one had yet spotted the whales. We thought they might be up North, and so turned up Hale Passage between Lummi Island the Lummi Indian Reservation. It was a beautiful sunny day. There were many Pigeon Guillemotts, Rhinocerous Auklets, and some Bald Eagles on the beach. As we headed north, it seemed as though some other whale watching boats had the same idea to go North. We went up the Strait of Georgia and the water was wonderfully flat calm out there in the open. We found L and J pod. They were pretty spread out, but then there must have been over sixty whales! We don't have an exact count of how many whales are in L pod yet. They've been gone for the last few months as far as Big Sur, California, and this was their first day back to the San Juan Islands. Once we get an ID on all of them, then we will know who died over the winter and how many new calves were born. We drifted south with them and watched breaching, cartwheeling, somersaults and some foraging behavior. Polaris, J28, a fourteen year old female gave us a pretty good look at her, and Ruffles, J1 came by right off the stern of the boat. Granny, J2, wasn't too far away from him. She is his 96 year old mother. We had a long afternoon with the whales. We wound up off of Legoe Bay on the west side of Lummi Island. Then we had to turn around finally and head for home. It wasn't the most scenic tour, as the Strait of Georgia is rather open water, but it was a lot of whale watching! We had another wonderful day with the whales. Friday, June 29th We left Bellingham Bay and stopped to see a Bald Eagle on the south end of Lummi Island. Then we continued on through Peavine Pass, between Obstruction Island and Blakely Island. We saw Harbor Seals hauled out on the rocks and numerous seabirds. We went through Pole Pass and came out to the northwest side of San Juan Island. Here we encountered the L11's ( a subpod of the L's) and all of J pod just off of Kellet Bluff. We saw the new baby of Slick's, her fourth calf. We saw a couple of breaches and a somersault. The whales were generally sociallizing and foraging. We spent a while with the whales, and then had to head back home. Saturday, June 23 As we headed out of Bellingham Bay, we heard that J pod was at Iceberg Point, the south end of Lopez Island. So we went through Peavine Pass and down San Juan Channel. On the way, we saw Rhinocerous Auklets, Marbled Murrelets, Pigeon Guillemots, Double-crested and Pelagic Cormorants and of course, lots of Glaucous Wing Gulls and a few eagles. We also saw Harbor Seals hauled out on the rocks. We caught up with J pod in Haro Strait on the west side of San Juan Island. J pod was with the L11's, a subpod of L pod. There was a lot of breaching off in the distance, and a lot of social activity and foraging. The weather was great for a change. Then, just as it was getting time to leave, a group of whales started coming toward us. At the bow of the boat, they split off into two groups and swam on each side of the boat. This is when we got a really good look at J8, Speiden. She came along the side of the boat within a just a few feet, then went underwater. It's always great to see them swimming underwater, you really get a good feel for their actual size and their grace is magnificent. Speiden is estimated to have been born in 1933. She has two granddaughters that she hangs out with, Shachi and Blossom and their four calves. It was a great day out in the San Juans. We took the scenic route home through Pole and Peavine Pass. Actually, every route in the San Juans is scenic! Sunday, June 17th It was pouring rain in Bellingham when we boarded. I assured the passengers that the weather would get better as we got further away from Bellingham. And it did. We actually had some warm sun in Haro Strait while we were watching the whales. On the way out, the tide was going out and most of the rocky reefs were exposed. This is a good opportunity to observe Harbor Seals "hauled out" on the rocks. Pupping season here will start in a week or two, and that is always exciting to see the little pups. For the next few weeks after that, it is easy to tell the pups from the adults. But they grow so quickly, that this doesn't last too long. By late summer it will be hard to tell the pups from the adults. Once again we saw all of the birds that we saw on Saturday. When we arrived out in Haro Strait (once again), we encountered J pod and part of L11's again. The NOAA Research boat was out collecting fecal samples. Because they have a research permit, they are allowed to get very close to the whales. However, we do not intentionally ever go close to the whales. If they come to us, that is one thing. Then we get a really good close up look. But we leave that up to them as to how close they want to come. Today was a day that they really didn't feel like coming close to the boat. They kept close to shore and we kept our distance. We have had much better "whale shows". Finally, it was time to leave. We went home via Mosquito Pass and then through Pole Pass and Peavine Pass, a really beautiful scenic route. (All routes in the San Juan's are beautiful, but this is exceptional). Just outside of Roche Harbor, we came across a deer swimming! Yes, deer will swim, they swim from island to island, but it's a rarity to see them in the water. We slowed down to look at it, and it decided to head back to shore. We watched it swim up to the rocky shoreline and get out and shake just like a dog that has had a swim! As we headed back to Bellingham, it threatened to rain, but it never quite made it. I think our rainy June is coming to an end and our summer sunshine is on the way. Saturday, June 16th We headed out of Bellingham Bay, and just around the corner on the southwest side of Lummi Island we stopped to observe a Bald Eagle. It was perched in a snag, surveying its domain. Then off we headed to look at whales. On the way, we saw Pigeon Guillemots, Rhinocerous Auklets, Marbled Murrelets, Cormorants and lots of Glaucous Wing Gulls. We again went through the center of the islands: Peavine Pass. When we arrived out at Haro Strait we encountered J pod and part of L11 subpod. There was a lot of milling about and some foraging behavior. We watched for quite a while, and then all of a sudden, part of J pod came up right behind the boat! We could almost smell their breath. They very slowly came up and then went under the boat. The next time they came up they were off in the distance. Just before we left, a whale gave us a nice spyhop off the bow of the boat. A spyhop is when a whale comes vertically right up out of the water almost to its pectoral fins. It was a another great day in the San Juans. Friday, June 15th We started out the day with 76 fourth graders and quite a few parents and teachers. Everyone was excited at the prospect of seeing orcas! We headed through the center of the islands, Peavine Pass. We went south down San Juan Channel and out to Haro Straits, on the west side of San Juan Island. It rained intermittently, but the kids seemed oblivious to it, much like the whales. We could see J pod in the distance, but part of the L11 subpod was very close. The whales were slowly swimming in loose groups and exhibiting social behavior. We followed the whales to Kellet Bluff. Then, just as it was time to leave, part of L11 subpod came right up to the boat. It was Mega, a 30 year old male, with his sisters, Calypso and Matia, and his grandmother Alexis. They swam as if in slow motion right off of our port side and we all got to have a good look and listen to them breathe. All in all, it was a good whale day, and the kids were very happy. June 10th, Sunday The weather today was nice and calm. The skies were cloudy, but there were some sunbreaks. After yesterday, it was a welcome relief. We are back to our normal June weather. We saw a Bald Eagle at Carter Point at the beginning our trip. He was perching right above us on a snag overhanging the cliff. This is our favorite place to see Bald Eagles. The water is very deep, and we can get really close to the cliff and get a good look. We often see them here. We also saw Pigeon Guillemots, Rhinocerous Auklets, and the first of the season Marbled Murrelets! But, best of all we saw J Pod again. Today, they were doing a lot of foraging behavior. J 16, Slick, brought her new baby right up to the boat today. It was great to have such a good look. They had J 26, 17 year old big brother Mike with them. (The whales stay with their mothers their entire lives, whether they are males or females, so Mike will always be there.) Even though we did not see the breaching and spyhopping of yesterday, we got some good close looks today. The people who took us up on our offer to return with us today saw the best of both worlds of whale watching. It was another great day in the San Juan Islands! June 9th, Saturday Our first day out for the season. It turned out to be rain, rain, and more rain. However, we took the scenic route through Peavine Pass, and then Pole Pass. Heading north, we encountered J Pod in Boundary Pass. Ruffles was easily spotted as his six foot wavy dorsal fin is hard to miss if he is in the area. The whales were pretty spread out. They stayed off in the distance, but were still close enough to observe their behaviors. We saw a lot of breaching, spyhopping, cartwheels, tail lobs, and pec slaps. The newborn was clearly visible swiming next to his Mom, and this was exciting as it was our first glimpse of it. A few people with telephoto lenses got some great photos. We headed back to Bellingham with the unceasing rain and a little bit of rough weather. We were all thankful for the size of our boat and the enclosed cabins. Because of the weather, we offered any passenger on board a trip tomorrow to be our guest. We don't have any control over the weather, but it usually is just not like this in June. However, if we want to see the whales in their natural habitat, then this is where we need to be. |
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