2008 Whale Sightings

Saturday, Sept. 27th

Our last day out for the whale watching season turned out to be a no whale day. We searched north, while the rest of the fleet searched south and west. It turns out that the whales headed out the Strait of Juan de Fuca; too far away for anyone to reach them on a day trip. Nevertheless, we had a beautiful sunny day and many marine birds, harbor seals, harbor porpoise, and a real treat: two Stellar Sea Lion bulls and a pup waiting for its mom to return out on Clements Reef just off of Sucia Island. We occasionally see bulls, but rarely a pup in this area. Here are some comments: "We really enjoyed the trip, despite no whales." " Looking at nature is hard to improve upon. Thank you. Please keep on doing what you do." "Enjoyed the peaceful day on the water, even if we didn't see any whales." "Enjoyed trip very much. Naturalist very informed and interesting." "Narration good, smooth voyage! I will be back!!! I still want to see the whales!" Please watch our website for next year's schedule. We hope you join us on a whale watching cruise through the beautiful San Juan Islands.

Sunday Sept. 21

The boat did not go out this weekend. The previous weekend of Sept. 13th & 14th was fantastic. Though our "fill in" naturalist did not send in a whale report, it was a wonderful weekend with whale sightings both days. Our next trip will be on Saturday, Sept. 27th. Please join us as this could possibly be the last trip of the season.

Sunday, August 31; Must be a convention!

Once again we headed out of Bellingham Bay with weather looking better out on the islands: it didn't disappoint, we had wonderful weather. On our way out to the islands, our spotter plane landed next to us on its way out to look for whales. Everyone got a good look at our float plane that can land in the water. We talked to our pilot, then he took off and we went through the middle of the islands, observing birds (see previous reports), harbor seals and harbor porpoise. The bald eagles are not as numerous as they were at the height of summer, as they are now starting to migrate up the rivers to feed on salmon. We arrived for the third time in a row this weekend to Haro Strait where there was the Superpod! They were pretty spread out, but we saw lots of foraging behavior, breaches, spyhops, cartwheels and other in air acrobatics. Seventeen year old J26, Mike came right by the boat twice! We saw both L47's new calf and K14's new calf. We went back a different route past Anacortes and up Bellingham Channel. It was so wonderful to have such a nice day on the water, especially since 12 of our passengers had been out with last Sunday (see report for August 24th). Comments: "Great informative guide, comfortable leather couches! Whales were great today. It was perfect - keep up the good work!" "Great crew, very knowledgeable and friendly. Thanks for a nice day on the water! We live in Florida - this was a once in a lifetime adventure."

Saturday, August 30th; Superpod weekend!

We headed out of Bellingham Bay and the weather was much more promising than it has been lately. We went through the middle of the islands and saw many birds (Please see previous reports). The newly arrived red-neck phalarope is becoming quite numerous as they arrive from the arctic. There were harbor porpoise and harbor seals. The whales were out in Haro Strait on the west side of San Juan Island. All three pods were there, with J1 Ruffles and J2 Granny travelling together. K pod was coming right up to the boat, with 22 year old K21 Cappuccino large dorsal fin very visible. There were breaches, spyhops, cartwheels, backflips and lot of tail slaps! Then K14, Lea came up to the back of the boat her newborn calf and her other five year old calf, K36, Yoda and J8, Speiden an older female who has been seen quite a bit with this group. They were 20 feet off of the back of the boat and playing with the baby! They were lifting her up and swimming in circles and making quite a ruckus! At first it appeared to be foraging behavior, but they were not chasing fish, it was playtime. Everytime we go out on the water and encounter the whales, it is such a special experience. We never know if we will just spend the time watching them travelling, sleeping, playing, or foraging. The new babies this year a real treat to see, especially up close. Also, with these Southern Resident Orca Whales on the Endangered Species Act, the sight of new calves holds such promise. Comments: "This was my 5th whale watching trip that I have been on, and the only one that was successful at finding whales. Thank You!" "I liked seeing the orcas, birds, seals; the friendly crew; our guide - most knowledgeable, and a joy to listen to. Clean 'heads' - most impressive and they don't smell! I'd recommend to friends."

Friday, August 29th; Another superpod!

We headed out of Bellingham Bay and as we were underway, we heard that the whales were westbound. This never bodes well with us, because it means that they can keep going west and get out of our reach (as well as any other whale watching boat). We headed out to Haro Strait anyway, looking at not much but a big fog bank surrounding us. We took the scenic route through the middle of the islands, but there wasn't much to view with the fog. When we reached the south end of San Juan Channel, the fog lifted, the sun was shining and we were able to see Heerman's Gulls, Glaucous Wing Gulls, Bonaparte's Gulls, Cormorants, Rhinocerous Auklets, Pigeon Guillemotts, and the newly arrived Red Neck Phalaropes! When we got out to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, there were numerous Common Murres, more than I've seen in a couple of years. The whales had decided to head east towards us! It was all three pods! We had to go southwest all the way to Hein Bank, but it was worth it. The whales came by the boat, and then we just drifted along watching cartwheels, breaches, spyhops, tail slaps and backflips! They were pretty spread out and heading to the west shore of San Juan Island. We watched for an hour and a half. Then as we were getting ready to leave, Marina L47, brought her new calf right alongside the boat. It was born on 12, 2008. Marina also has a yearling granddaughter in her family group. She use to look so tiny, but not now next to the newborn! We took the most scenic route back and this time everyone could see the beautiful islands because the fog had lifted and the sun was shining. Comments: "I wanted to know more about the nature of the San Juan Islands and the whales and Victoria's knowledge is way beyond my expectations." " We liked the layout of the boat - great for viewing, great for relaxing. Kid's books, movies, thank you!" And this is what we love to hear: "This was a one time opportunity for us. It was wonderful!" We love to be able to share this experience with our passengers, especially the ones who will only have this one time to see the whales!

Sunday, August 24; This is supposed to be August?

It was without a doubt the worst whale watching day all season, and probably in years. We left Bellingham with the promise of rain in the distance. The rain did not disappoint, and once it started, it never stopped. The ceiling was almost down to our deck, so our spotter plane was of no use to us today. We heard reports as we were underway that some of the orca whales had headed west beyond anyone's reach. We were hoping there would be a group north that no one had found. So we headed north. Some whale watching boats were ahead of us and reported that there wasn't anything up north. Then we heard that the entire southern resident orca community had all headed west! So we did some sightseeing on the way back through the middle of the islands. At least, what we could see through the relentless rain. Unfortunately, we have no control over the weather or the orca whales. When we head out, sometimes these dismal days surprise us with a little sun and a great whale watching day. Not today. Sometimes it is hit and miss. We have no control over the weather or the whales. But we can offer some of the best sightseeing and wildlife watching around.

Friday, August 22; It can't get any better!

We left Bellingham Bay with no news of where the whales might be. This isn't unusual, as often we don't have a clue until we are well underway. We decided to head north, when the good news came that there were some whales up north and they were headed south. We went up Hale's Passage between Lummi Island and the Lummi Indian Reservation, and then up the Strait of Georgia. We saw pigeon guillemotts, rhinocerous auklets, cormorants, and numerous gulls. The Strait of Georgia isn't the best sightseeing, as the islands are far off and the water is much more open. There were lots of harbor porpoise though. The whales weren't heading south after all, but when we found that out, we were already committed. We went north! Past the B.C. ferry docks, past the coal docks, right up to the jetty where the Frasier River empties out into the Strait with Vancouver, B.C. in the background. There was J pod and most of L pod. (At least 50+ orca whales!) They were active! Everywhere you turned, there was a breach, spyhop, tail slap, headstand, cartwheel and more! The new baby born last week was doing a lot of tail slapping and rolling around. When we take our passengers out, this is what they want to see. It doesn't always happen, such as last Wednesday when we came upon L pod sleeping. We are observing orca whales in the wild. This was without a doubt, the best whale watching day of the season! A few weeks ago we came upon the Superpod and I thought that day was spectacular, but this far surpassed it. It more than made up for the lack of scenery. Even though we had a long haul back, we were able to stay with the whales for a little over an hour. When we left, they appeared to be heading south and were settling down into a travelling mode. Here're a few comments: "Thanks for a day to lasting memories." and "WOW! This was the most spectacular show we've ever seen! Terry, Victoria, John, Don and all the crew made the trip worthwhile - thanks!"

Wednesday, August 20; Everyone needs a nap.

We had a special charter with an elderhostel group today, and we also opened the boat to the public. The day looked ominous as we headed out. Huge grey clouds rolling in and rain could be seen pouring down in the distance. Fortunately, the boat's heated cabins are big enough for everyone to get out of the rain. We stopped to look at two bald eagles on Lummi Island. Then we stopped to look at a Stellar Sea Lion hauled out at Whale Rocks. This time of year these sea lions bulls come into the islands and this is a favorite haulout. This guy wasn't full grown, maybe a few hundred pounds. When fully mature, the bulls can get to be 2000 pounds! We arrived at the southern part of Rosario Strait to find part of Lpod. All three pods went west several days ago and this was the first time in days to see resident orca whales. There were well over twenty whales spread out and foraging. We saw a few tail slaps, a spyhop, and a couple of breaches. Then it was naptime. When whales sleep, they only have one half of their brain go to sleep, the other half "stays awake" to monitor their breathing, which is not an automatic reflex like we have. They get into a tight group, usually a line all heading in the same direction and swim slowly along. This is what we observed. We were close enough (100 yards, the respectful and legal distance) to get ID's on them and to hear them breathing. We had a group of L's that had the brand new baby born on August 11th or 12th. L47, Marina and her brand new calf, L111! Marina also has two daughters and a grandaughter from L83, Moonlight who is one year old this month. Moonlight's calf who has always looked so tiny, didn't seem tiny anymore next to the newborn! This is a very tight knit family group. In this group also was L41, Mega, a 31 year old male. The weather held for us and didn't start raining until we reached Bellingham Bay and we saw a beautiful rainbow.Throughout the day we saw harbor seals, harbor porpoise, many marine birds,(see previous reports) and once again the elusive marbled murrelett! Heres what we love to hear and the experience we want to share: "I liked seeing the whales out in their own environment. I had only seen them in captivity before." Another comment: "Easy to navigate inside with cane, beautiful tour and actually saw the Orcas! Thanks for the scientific narration and loan of binoculars and books!" and "Information was fantastic! Stories were super!"

Sunday, August 17; Forget about yesterday, the transients outdo themselves today!

In my twelve years of being out in the San Juan Islands, I have never seen this kind of behavior from transient orca whales. It was phenomenal! Our residents were still out west beyond reach, so we headed north to look at a group of transients. It was the same group we saw yesterday, with a new group added. Since the direct route would have been north up the Strait of Georgia with very little sightseeing, as it is all open water, we took a roundabout way right through the middle of the San Juan islands. We went through Peavine Pass, and then Pole Pass.It gives everyone a chance to see bald eagles, pigeon guillemotts, rhinocerous auklets, marbled murreletts, gulls, harbor seals, kelp beds, and the islands. As we came out and started heading north we saw some Dall's porpoise. They like to play in the wake of the boat, unlike harbor porpoise. So our captain made a large circle hoping to entice them to come up and play, but they were heading east on a mission and weren't in a playful mood today. When we arrived off of the eastern side of Saturna Island (Canada), there were ten transient orca whales milling around. There is a small island called Tumbo Island here, with a lot of rocky reefs. This is a natural habitat for harbor seals. Transients eat harbor seals, as well as other marine mammals. There were two harbor seals on the reef when we arrived, and soon there were more than a dozen hauled out to safety! The transients were working together on their hunt, just like our residents will do when they are fishing. Transients eat marine mammals, resident orcas eat fish. (See Saturday's report) There were tail slaps, pec slaps, cartwheels, headstands, spyhops, continuous breaching! None of us had ever seen this type of behavior from transient orca whales. It's always been said that they have to be sneaky and stealthy for hunting their prey, but there was nothing sneaky in this behavior. And yet, it appeared that they were successfully hunting. There were two adult males, seven females and the young calf that we had seen yesterday. The day was stormy with lightening, which is not common here. Yet it was just a beautiful setting. We watched the orcas for as long as we could, and then headed back down the Strait of Georgia. As we were leaving, a group of red-neck phalaropes flew by. These are small birds that breed on Arctic and subarctic tundra, and winter chiefly at sea in the Southern Hemisphere. They are common here during their migration. This was the first group sighted this year. Our passengers said: "Very informative, very relaxed & comfortable environment; we appreciated that the trip lasted longer so that we could enjoy the orcas! Blankets, free tea/coffee and binoculars were a nice touch & much appreciated. The naturalist was wonderful - very knowledgeable; took time to answer questions."

Saturday, August 16; Transients can be showoffs!

There was a little bit of a chill in the air as we left Bellingham Bay, but the weather looked promising out west. It turned out that in order to see our resident pods, we would have to go way out west! Far out of the reach of any of the San Juan Islands whale watching boats. When we drifted with the whales yesterday, they just kept heading west all night! However, we received a report of seven transient orca whales in Rosario Straits. When we arrived, there were what we call the T101's. This is a group of transients frequently seen together from here to southeast Alaska. Transient orcas are different than our residents in that they eat marine mammals instead of fish like our residents. This leads them to a whole different lifestyle, culture and behavior. Because of this they travel in smaller groups, are less likely to be acrobatic out of the water (breaching, etc.) and they take long dives, sometimes up to ten minutes. It turned out that there were eight whales, one of whom was a young calf.  We had an unusual whale watching day in that these whales exhibited unlikely behavior for transients. We observed lots of tail lobs, some cartwheels, spyhops, and lots of rolling around at the surface. At one point when we were just drifting along, the adult male with a couple of females appeared ten feet off of our bow! Up close, that six foot dorsal fin of an adult male is pretty impressive! The weather warmed up and it turned out to be a great whale watching day! Since we again ended up south of Anacortes (see previous report from Friday) we decided to go under the Deception Pass Bridge once more. It's a real treat for the passengers. Comments from our passengers: "Trip of a lifetime. Good commentary, knowledgeable, could hear every word - great P.A. Weather was perfect - just an all round perfect day." and "We greatly enjoyed the naturalist on board, the personal service, food, the sightseeing trip up the Swinomish Channel, and of course the whales! All had a great time, keep up the great work. Will highly recommend this trip to all friends! Wow!"

Friday, August 15th; Superpod gives us a closeup look!

We headed out of Bellingham Bay without a clue as to where the whales might be. Then we heard from one our shoreline spotters that they were heading south in Rosario Straits. We looked at a bald eagle, cormorants, pigeon guillemotts, rhinocerous auklets and a couple of marbled murreletts on the way there. We also saw some harbor seals hauled out at Boulder Reef and harbor porpoise were sighted every so often. We don't slow down for harbor porpoise, because they are boat shy and usually take a dive when we come along. As we reached the southern part of Cypress Island, there were the orca whales! They were everywhere! We heard rumors that a small group of L's were on the west side of San Juan Island, so I guess we were seeing about 83 whales. K pod was quite visible with their new calf. It was born only a few weeks ago. Cappucino (K21), the 22 year old male is getting quite big! We watched them as they spyhopped, tail slapped, breached, and did cartwheels. We drifted along and let the tide take us west towards Smith Island. A couple of hundred yards away we saw a group of L's with their newborn calf that was born sometime between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. She is L111 and is a little girl born to L47, Marina. She has two older sisters, L83, Moonlight and L91, Muncher. Moonlight has a calf that was born last year, so this is a tight little family group. So this new little calf will have a young niece close to her age to play with. As we were looking in every direction and seeing whales, suddenly we saw a group of K pod come up fifty yards from the boat. They surfaced again and went under the boat with everyone watching them go under the water and under the boat. We could clearly see them under the water. It's so magnificent to watch these creatures swim underwater, as well as do their acrobatics above the water. As we were watching in every direction, this happened two more times, whales going underneath the boat! When it was time to head home, we were south of Anacortes on Fidalgo Island, so we decided to take a route we rarely get a chance to use. We went under the Deception Pass Bridge. Most people around here have been on the Deception Pass Bridge, but few have been under it. It has two 175 foot cantilever spans and was built in 1935. It connects Fidalgo Island to Whidbey Island. It's a very narrow dramatic pass with riptides and whirlpools.  Then we took the Swinomish Channel north. It goes right by downtown La Conner with all of its waterfront shops and restaurants. La Conner is a little historic town built from a 1860's trading post. It's famous in the springtime for the Tulip Festival and all of the surrounding tulip fields. Our guests were delighted: "Lots of whales this year and the trip home through Deception Pass was a real treat!" "The narrative about history, geology, birds, etc., was excellent. Very nice boat. We'll be back!" "We liked: 1. The extra trip to La Conner. 2. History provided by naturalist. 3. Engine room tour. 4. Seeing lots of whales!"

Sunday, August 10; Superpod of the summer!

As we headed out of Bellingham Bay we heard that the whales were due west. Really due west. Possibly beyond our reach. We decided to make a run for it, hoping that they would head east towards us. It was not to be. They were lingering just at the perimeter of out of bounds. (In order to get back and make this just a day trip, they need to be within certain boundaries.) We decided to take the long ride anyway. We went all the way to Discovery Island, by Victoria B.C. We stopped and waited. Then the first wave passed by the boat. They were heading east! The next wave came bringing K21, Cappucino, a 22 year old male right by the boat. In the distance we could see the new calf that is with K pod. Everyone was delighted that Cappucino came so close. Everyone was satisfied, but the best was yet to come. We had a Superpod, all 87 whales! This doesn't happen very often. They were all heading east and we followed alongside at a respectable distance. When we stopped the boat, we looked around and there were whales everywhere. You couldn't look in any direction without seeing a whale! They were breaching, spyhopping, tail slapping, and other surface percussives. It was like an explosion. I told everyone that we would be a little late getting back, and if they had any complaints they should let me know. They looked at me as if I was nuts! This was the best whale watching trip of the season. It was almost unbelievable. Our guests really appreciated the rare day that we were witnessing. Here's what our guests wrote: "Amazing day! Superpod with multiple breachs" , "We really appreciated your obvious effort to locate the Orcas. It was a delight to be on board for the "best" Orcaday of the year." , "We really appreciated you taking the extra time to let us see & stay with the whales - other trips we've been on (not yours) were so concerned with time that they wouldn't stay." By the way, we did get to see the elusive marbled murrelett today along with other numerous marine birds, which pleased the one birder we had on board.

Saturday, August 9; The whales don't mind a bit of rain!

We started out of Bellingham Bay and went through the middle of the islands. We saw harbor seals, bald eagles and numerous marine birds. We even saw some harbor porpoise. As we arrived at the west side of San Juan Island there were the whales! It was J pod with some of the L pod. They soon were surrounding the boat and every direction we looked there were orca whales. We watched a rain storm move toward us from the west and it hit suddenly. A drenching downpour. But this only seemed to make the whales more excited! There was a simultaneous breach of a mom with her calf right next to her! We luckily have a bimini cover on the top deck, so this made the viewing for us quite dry. It kept raining, but no one seemed to mind, the whales were more important. After awhile it subsided and no one even seemed to notice, because at that moment Sachi and her three year old calf, Eclipse came right by the boat. They made another pass close enough to hear them breathing. Sachi always seems to bring her calf up to the boat as if showing her off! What a proud mom. Here's what our guests wrote: "I liked seeing the whales. The boat was nice. The rain canopy was much appreciated today." and "Nice boat ride - great narration and educational info - friendly staff - great whales!"

Friday, August 8; Winter whale watching?

We left Bellingham Bay in what felt like March weather. Everyone grabbed a fleece blanket and bundled up. Normally August is our best weather month, but this is the Northwest! We took the scenic route right through the middle of the islands. We saw a lone harbor seal along the way and numerous birds. Still waiting to see another marbled murrelett, though. Only two sightings from the boat this year. As we headed around the north end of San Juan Island, the weather started to warm up and people started to become more animated because: Whales ahead! There was J pod with L57. L57, Faith is a 31 year old male that has been seen with J pod all summer. We drifted along in front of Lime Kiln (west shore of San Juan Island). The whales were foraging. There were a few tail slaps, a couple of cartwheels, and a breach! By now the weather had warmed up and everyone was smiling! A few comments from today's trip: "Very enjoyable excursion. Excellent commentary. You're all doing a great job - keep up the happy trips!" "Thank you for showing us the engine room." (We give engine room tours.) "Nice day trip. Keep up the good work and family oriented focus."

Sunday, August 3; Eagles, seals & whales!

We headed out this morning with a boatful of excited whale seekers - many first time boaters today - some still in diapers and some veteran wildlife enthusiasts - all ready with cameras and binoculars and high hopes! Lucky for us, the Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain were leaving the harbor at the same time, so we got to ride along next to the Lady Washington for a while in Bellingham Bay - the sunlight was shining quite dramatically on her and I'm sure some folks got some lovely photos of her - she wasn't under sail yet - I imagine it takes quite a while to hoist all those sails!

We rounded the corner at Carter Pt. (south end of Lummi Island) and found a bald eagle who posed quite nicely for us in a branch near the shoreline, then made our way over to Viti Rocks where a bunch of harbor seals were hauled out on the rocks. Then we headed down through Bellingham Channel and into Rosario Strait towards the south end of Lopez Island where we'd heard rumor of whales. We slogged through a fog bank for a while in Rosario, but when we broke through it, all of a sudden there was sunshine and a cry of "Whales - dead ahead!" by the captain, and everyone excitedly clamored out on decks. There were small groups of orcas spread out far and wide, all making their way north - some in towards the Lopez shoreline, some farther out - we motored along slowly, watching as they traveled north - along the way we saw some breaches, spyhops, tail lobs, and even a cartwheel or two! Again, this group looked like the same group we had seen yesterday in almost the same place - J's and some L's - they had apparently traveled the whole loop, probably about 100 miles or so, in a day! [note: I had seen them off Lummi Island this morning on my way to the ferry at about 7:30 a.m.!] An interesting and cool bonus today was a minke whale that surfaced near a sailboat that the orcas were passing, near the Cattle Pass area between San Juan and Lopez Island! I was surprised to see a minke so near the orcas, but I have seen it before - these resident, or fish-eating orcas don't bother with the minkes at all, but transient, or mammal-eating orcas are known to attack and kill minkes. [Minke whale is the smallest of the baleen whales, at about 20-30' in length.] The orcas just continued on their path towards San Juan Island, and the minke was spotted a few more times, surfacing and looking like it was swimming pretty rapidly in a more northwesterly direction. Perhaps it was uncomfortable in such close proximity to the orcas? We motored a bit more north, ahead of the orcas, near Salmon Bank at the south end of San Juan Island, and decided to "park" and watch the orcas go by. We were nearing the end of our time with the orcas, and as they passed, we were treated to some of the closest looks at them - a group of about 10-12 surfaced in front of the boat all together, including Ruffles (J1) and his pod, making for a beautiful family portrait. The water was calm, we could hear all their breaths as they surfaced - one of those unforgettable moments I think the folks on board will remember for a long time! We did have at least one avid birder on board, so I'll mention birds we saw today: in the puffin family: pigeon guillemots, common murres, rhinoceros auklets - also double-crested and pelagic cormorants, in the gull family: glaucous-winged, Heermann's, ring-billed, and our bird enthusiast spotted a mew gull! And of course our bald eagle. Our return trip took us through Cattle Pass with a little detour past Friday Harbor and up through San Juan Channel, a hard right past the Wasp Islands and Deer Harbor, through Pole Pass and back through the middle of the islands. What a fun trip, with a lot of very enthusiastic youngsters and adults alike, we all had a great time! --Penny Stone, Guest Naturalist

Saturday, August 2; Another whale of a day!

We set out this morning bundled up under cloudy skies and cool temps with high hopes in search of orcas. We had a pretty nice treat before we even left the harbor of a close look at the Hawaiian Chieftain and the Lady Washington, two tall ship replicas, AND a bald eagle sitting on the marker at the entrance of the harbor, only a few feet away! Around the corner of Carter Pt., south end of Lummi Island, we got another close look at a bald eagle as she posed for us on a branch near the shoreline. We headed through the middle of the islands as there was a rumor of whales near Hein Bank out west, and by the time we got through Cattle Pass the sun had broken through and we had beautiful weather the rest of the day! More proof that layering is the best way to dress when you're out on a boat in the San Juans! We found our orcas very spread out west of San Juan Island, and heading east in towards shore at a rapid pace. Some were porpoising, or speed swimming, high out of the water - very exciting! We followed along at a distance and watched as they made their way along the San Juan Island shoreline - some engaged in foraging activity (chasing and herding salmon), some indulging in social activities (playing and rolling around each other) - we got to see quite a few breaches today! No one knows exactly why they breach - it could be social/play activity, and/or used for fishing - perhaps to stun and confuse fish, or communication between whales at a distance - or ALL of the above! Whatever it is, it's ALWAYS exciting to witness! Some of the folks on board got some nice photos of breaches today. The group we were looking at today was J pod and some of L pod together - we saw our old buddy Ruffles (J1) and his mom Granny (J2) and Polaris (J28) - L57 (Faith), an adult male from L pod, was definitely there as well - he's been swimming with J pod a lot this year - we believe he has a girlfriend (at least one) in J pod - we've seen him with Polaris quite a bit. We also got to see Tucker, the whale poop sniffing dog in action on a research boat! (The researchers are scooping up whale poop to determine what the orcas are eating - they can also get info on hormone and toxin levels). It was hard to leave the scene - gorgeous weather and breaching whales - doesn't get much better! We headed back the southern route, back around Lopez Island through Rosario Strait and up through Bellingham Channel soaking up the sun and the scenery. This is the best weather of the season and it's supposed to be like this all week!! --Penny Stone, Guest Naturalist

Sunday, July 20; Ruffles and Granny and repeat customers!

Yesterday was so good that we had customers coming back today. They wanted another day on the boat before going back to North Carolina. We headed out to Haro Strait where we heard that some of the whales were frolicking. However, "frolicking" wasn't exactly the word. Half of J pod, maybe ten to twenty orcas were foraging along the west shore of San Juan Island. They stayed close to shore in a tightly knit group. Regulations and etiquette do not permit us to close in on them. We respect the orcas and are observers. We just watched from a distance. Well, we saw the whales in the wild and have no control on what the "show" will be for the day. "Shows" are not what we experience with orcas in the wild. We are just observers seeing these magnificient creatures in their natural habitat. Some days are better than others. So we headed back and observed the numerous other wildlife that the San Juan Islands have to offer. Then we heard a rumor there might be the rest of the orca clan heading our way. Even though it meant that we might be an hour late getting back we decided to take a look. We were not disappointed. We encountered the rest of J pod and some of the L pod in Rosario Strait. There we drifted and watched orcas breaching, tail slapping, and foraging. Everyone was back on the deck delighted. No one minded getting a second look today at seeing orcas. J1 and J2, (Ruffles and Granny) came right by the boat. They are the oldest male and female in J pod. Estimated at being fifty six and ninety seven years old. They are a mom and her son, and since orcas never leave their moms, whether male or female, this is not unusual to see them hanging out together. Some of our comments today: "Friendly informative crew who went the extra mile to ensure everyone came away feeling like day was well spent." "Love the effort to find the whales and assure we got a long look." "Thanks for the clean restrooms." (an important feature on a long trip!) Come join us next Friday, Saturday or Sunday and we will do our best! I think our passengers from North Carolina will agree.

Saturday, July 19; All day orca whale day!

Today it turned out that we headed north towards Point Roberts, up by Canada. It is not the most scenic route, but that's where the orcas were today. We arrived to find the orcas foraging and playing. We had so much time with the whales today. We drifted along watching spyhops, breaching, cartwheels. Once again we were watching J pod with L 57, an adult male from L pod. J pod has a few young calves, and as usual they are full of energy and almost seem to be showing off! It was a spectacular day with so much time to see the whales. When it was time to head home we decided to do a small detour of Sucia Island and go through Echo Bay. The harbor seals, marine birds and bald eagles always make a great addition. Some of our comments written today were: "I liked the length of time spent with the whales. We've been on trips with other companies. You were by far the best." and " Interpretive knowledge was so helpful, including geological knowledge. Don't change anything." "Boat large enough to accomodate handicapped passenger comfortably. Wouldn't improve a thing. You guys are the best!!"

Friday, July 18; Orca calves!

As we headed out of Bellingham Bay wondering where the orcas might be, our spotter plane called us to tell us. Wow, does that make it easy! They were in Bellingham Channel, not too far from us. We came upon J pod again, with L-57 tagging along. We spent quite a bit of time observing the different behaviors. However, the most fun is to watch the new calves breaching. They have so much energy! The other boats came on the scene as we were approaching Anacortes in the distance. We spent as much time as we could and then had to head back home. We took a very scenic tour between Lopez and Decatur Islands. Sometimes it's the luck of the draw where we wind up when its time to head home and this time it was Thatcher Pass. We had some beautiful sightseeing along the way and observed so much more wildlife. Harbor seals, pigeon guillemotts, rhinocerous auklets, numerous gulls and bald eagles. Another great day out in the San Juan Islands!

Sunday, July 13; Whales!

We saw the orcas today! We headed out and went out to Haro Strait where we saw J pod with L57. L57, also known as Faith, a 31 year old adult male has been hanging out with J pod this summer. Even though we have three pods, J, K, and L, they will sometimes split up. So sometimes we will only see part of the clan, though that can number twenty-five whales or more. We had a great day watching twenty six whales today. The babies were breaching and there were lots of spyhops. Some of the whales came up and went right under the boat. There were plenty of opportunities to see the whales up close and also to watch a lot of foraging behavior. We finally had to head back, so we went through Peavine Pass. It's right through the middle of the San Juan Islands. It's a very scenic route that like to take when we have the opportunity. As usual, we saw harbor seals, and plenty of marine birds (see previous reports). Some of our comments on this trip were: "I have been on some other whale cruises, and yours was the best by far. I especially liked the commentary, history, lectures much more than the 'other' guys!" and "Great narrative - much more than other tours have."

Saturday, July 12th; Another Minke Day

We left Bellingham and headed out to find the orcas. While well underway we heard that the orcas were out of our reach (as well as the entire whale watching fleet). We were still hoping, as the orcas can come in on an incoming tide very swiftly. While waiting for the orcas to decide if they might come into the islands, we stopped to observe other wildlife. We stopped by some small islands where we slowed down to look at an active bald eagle's nest. For the first time this year we saw the "chick". The "little baby" is almost as big as mom and dad. We know it is the chick because bald eagles don't get their signature white head until they are four or five years old. The "little babies" have to be big enough to hunt on their own once they leave the nest, (so they aren't that little), although mom and dad help them out for a bit. There were some great photos taken. We decided to look for a Minke whale (see previous for explanation of a Minke whale). We reached Haro Strait and found two Minke whales foraging in the deep water. Usually they are solitary, so it is always a treat to see more than one. We watched them lung feed and meander around. The birds were numerous, Rhinocerous Auklets, Pigeon Guillemots, Murres, and Gulls. It was beautiful with the sun shining and the water flat calm out here in Haro Strait. One of the Minkes (pronounced min-kee) came quite close to the boat when it came up to feed several times. We could actually see the white markings on its side that researchers use to identify them. Researchers are starting to learn more about the Minke whales and using this identification to get to know which Minke is which as we do with the orcas. We drifted along until it was time to go. We also saw harbor seals and quite a few harbor porpoise. Harbor porpoise are boat shy, so we just see them as go along. But they are fun to watch if there are a lot of them. So as it turned out, it was still a great nature cruise and wildlife watch even without the orcas.

Sunday, July 6th; Superpod!

With an orca-less day yesterday, we were delighted to head out of Bellingham and hear that the whales were on the west side of San Juan Island. We headed down Bellingham Channel and past Anacortes. Summer is here and the Washington State Ferries are busy going back and forth out of Anacortes to the San Juan Islands. As we passed the south end of Lopez Island, there were four bald eagles grouped together on a small treeless island. They all had the distinctive white heads which indicate that they are mature. They don't get that white head until they are four or five years old. It didn't take long to come across the orcas. There was J and K pod and some of L pod. L57, Faith is an adult male and he has been seen quite a bit this year with J pod. There was also L7 with L53, her 31 year old daughter, Lula. Orcas stay with their moms their entire lives, whether they are males or females. So we usually see family groups together. In the case of L57, he is the only one remaining of his family group. Fifteen year old K26, Lobo with his sibling K36, Yoda came right by the boat. K26's dorsal fin is "sprouting". That's when the dorsal fin starts growing on a young male as they reach maturity. On an adult male orca, the dorsal fin can get to be six feet! It's an impressive sight. Another impressive sight is to be out amongst 40 plus whales all foraging, playing, tail slapping and just acting like wild orcas. Come share the experience with us, we're going to be adding Fridays to our schedule as well as Saturdays and Sundays.

Saturday, July 5th; Three Minke Whales

We headed out of Bellingham and stopped along the way at Cone Islands to look at an bald eagle's nest. As we headed down Bellingham Channel, a hummingbird flew over the bow of the boat. There were also numerous harbor seals swimming in the water and hauled out on the rocks. It's pupping season and some of them had pups. We heard that the orcas were out west beyond the reach of any whale watching boat from the San Juan Islands. We were hoping that they would return with the flood tide, but it was not to be. So when we got out to where Haro Strait meets the Strait of Juan de Fuca, we saw a minke whale. They are a baleen whale averaging about 27 feet. A baleen whale is a filter feeder, using their baleen instead of having teeth. Their lower jaw is pleated and they take large gulps of water filled with small fish, krill and copepods. Then they push the water out through their baleen and their tongue swipes all of the food off of the baleen. The are known to look for groups of birds foraging where the food source is concentrated. Normally these whales are solitary, but today we had a treat of three of them! One came up right by the boat several times. We spent as long as we could with the whales. Then it was time to head home. Still a great day, even if we didn't see orcas.

Thursday, July 3rd; Foraging and frolicking!

We added a Thursday trip this week because we had a family reunion on board. As we headed out of Belingham Bay the weather was a bit cloudy, but looked like it was going to turn into a sunny day. We saw bald eagles and harbor seals on the way out to Haro Strait where we encountered orcas - J pod! They were foraging and frolicking as they headed west. We had some good sightings of J16, Slick and her calf that was born last year. J1, Ruffles was off in the distance with J2, his mom, Granny. There was some tail slapping and porpoising. The orcas were spread out and the fish must have been plentiful as they were quite busy. We heard that the other pods of orcas, K and L were out west and it appeared that J pod was going to join them. They continued travelling west and we followed along. Finally, it was time to head back to Bellingham. Another great day with the orcas. On the way back we spotted numerous marine birds.

Sunday, June 29th 2008; It Was a Minke Kind of Day

We left the bay hoping the orcas had snuck back in overnight. But it was not to be. They were still out west (although I heard they were heading back in tonight) . We went down Bellingham Channel, sightseeing along the way, slowing down to look at cormorant rookeries, the fish farm and other sights. We decided if we weren't going to see orcas, then maybe we would get to see a minke (rhymes with slinky) whale. Minke whales are baleen whales (no teeth, filter feeders) They can get up to 35' and 15 tons. They are solitary creatures. Some are migratory and some live here year round. They are just recently learning more about them, but they are hard to study. The researchers call them the "Slinky Minke". We did come across one in Haro Strait, and it kept coming up to the surface without disappearing for long periods, which they are prone to do. So we spent a good hour out there watching the minke, who today was not being too slinky! Very visable today. There were lots of harbor porpoise everywhere heading out and back in. They are the smallest porpoise, reaching about 5 to 6' and 150 pounds. There was also a harbor seal floating on a log way out in the middle of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Just resting, getting warm in the sun and watching us go past. Numerous bird sightings (see previous reports). So, another nice day of of wildlife viewing and nature watching.

Saturday, June 28, 2008; Orcas out of reach today.

We left Bellingham Bay with our radios on and our plane flying above to go out and see orcas. However, it was not going to happen today. By the time we left the bay we heard the orcas had headed west beyond our reach. So we went sightseeing. We saw a few Bald Eagles on the west side of Lummi Island. They're numerous in this year in this particular spot. We headed through Peavine and then Pole Pass, the most scenic route in the San Juans. Lots of birds to see, Rhinocerous Auklets, Pigeon Guillemotts, Great Blue Herons, Cormorants, and then of course, the numerous Harbor Seals lounging around on the rocks at low tide (we call them rock sausages). As we went past Spieden Island we noticed the the eagles were having quite a feast up by the treeline. Privately owned Speiden Island was stocked years ago with exotic deer and sheep from Asia. It was originally planned to be used as a game hunting reserve. Due to various factors, including public outcry, this did not last long. However, the sheep and deer are still on the island and have multiplied throughout the years. We like to see them when we are up in that area. There was a carcass of one of the deer up by the treeline, and the eagles were all over it, as they are scavengers as well as hunters. We returned home after a day of sunshine on the water.

Sunday, June 22nd; Lea shows off her new calf!

Our airplane pilot let us know the whales were up north heading south. We took off north and on the way saw five Bald Eagles on the west side of Lummi Island. We cruised by Matia and Sucia Islands where we got a good look at Harbor Seals, and slowed down to look at a Cormorant rookery on a cliffside. There were chicks on the cliff being tended to by their parents. There were numerous Pigeon Guillemotts Rhinocerous Auklets and lots of gulls. Matia and Sucia islands are also State Parks that abound in wildlife. After seeing that wildlife, we wanted to go see whales. So up the Strait of Georgia to Point Roberts where we had all three pods, J,K, and L. They were spread out fishing, but also doing a lot of breaching, cartwheels, tail slaps, pectoral slaps. We had an especially wonderful treat: K14 (Lea) and her newborn calf, K42,were chasing fish that were trying to hide under our boat. We had some really good closeups of the newest calf! We actually saw Lea catching a fish, with her calf right alongside. Another wonderful day.

Saturday, June 21st; Alone with the whales

We left Bellingham and had heard from our plane that the whales were in Rosario Strait between Lummi and Orcas Island. They were swimming on a fast tide south, which is what we figured they would do. We came upon them between Blakely and Cypress Islands. It was J pod (25 whales) and L57 (Faith), an adult male, was with them. Most of the whale watching fleet was on the west side of San Juan Island where the rest of the whales were. But we felt really lucky to be in calm waters that day and alone with our 26 whales. When we first arrived, they were in a resting mode. When they go to sleep, their breathing is not autonomous like us, so they keep one half of their brains awake to monitor their breathing and stay close to the surface in a tight group. After awhile they "woke up". Then there was a lot of breaching, spyhops, tail slaps, and quite a few closeup looks as they swam by the boat. J16 (Slick) and her four calves, (J26 Mike, J33 Keet, J36 Alki & J42 as yet unnamed) ranging in age from seventeen to 13 months, gave us quite a good long closeup look. J1 (Ruffles) was right in the middle with everyone. He's the oldest male in all three pods and is pretty impressive. We spent a considerable amount of time drifting and whale watching and then decided to head for home. By now, we were so far south we decided to take a route that we rarely use. We went past Anacortes around Fidalgo Island and under the Deception Pass Bridge, through the narrow pass with soaring cliffs and then up through the Swinomish Channel. The channel goes through the quaint waterfront town of La Conner and the Swinomish Indian Reservation. We saw Bald Eagles, Harbor Seals, Cormorants, Rhinocerous Auklets, Pigeon Guillemotts, numerous gulls and quite a number of Great Blue Herons. It was another spectacular day out on the water.

Saturday, June 14; Surrounded by Orcas!

We were headed down Bellingham Channel between Cypress and Guemes Islands when our pilot who was out flying called us and told us that he saw whales back up north off of Lummi Island. We knew that some of the whale watching fleet was watching whales at Thatcher Pass, but we decided to turn around. We ended up on the west shore of Lummi Island watching J pod and part of L pod in the beautiful sunshine. There was lots of breaching, spyhopping, cartwheeling and some great looks at the new calves! They were full of energy and just couldn't stay under water, they just kept breaching (that's when a whale jumps completely out of the water). We had the waters completely to ourselves until another SAFE whale watching boat joined us. We finally decided to to head for home, we had drifted south by then, when we had to come to a complete stop because more whales seemed to appear out of nowhere and were heading north to join up with the rest of the Orcas. We were surrounded by Orcas and had to let them pass by us before we could head for home. Now, isn't that an inconvenience! What a great day!

Sunday, June 15; A Whale of a Show!

We heard that the whales were very far north, too far north for us to go out and get back on the same day. So our airplane flew up to see what was going on. We have an airplane that has floats on it and can land and take off from the water. Our airplane pilot called us back to let us know the whales were heading south, and if we continued north we would run into them eventually. As he was heading home he flew right over the boat. We'll have a picture of the plane on our website soon so you can see the beautiful artwork on it. It's a one of a kind beauty. Another record day out on the water! J and L pods were present and once again they couldn't stay under water. There were too many breaches to count, and they were spyhopping like crazy! There must have been a lot of fish in the Strait of Georgia, because the salmon were leaping out of the water with a whale right behind it. We actually observed them catching salmon that were airborne. It was finally time to head home. We saw numerous Harbor Porpoise on the way up and on the way back. We also saw five Bald Eagles on the west shore of Lummi Island all within a close proximity of each other. One left his perch for the water with his talons out to catch a fish, but the fish must have dove fast, because he came up empty handed. Or is that empty taloned? What a beautiful weekend on the water. Our summer is finally here and we're off to a great start.

Sunday, June 8th, 2008; J-Pod in Haro Strait Again!

We headed out of Bellingham Bay and went through the middle of the islands, a very scenic route. Even though we've had a lot of rain lately, the weather just continued to get better the further west we went. Out in Haro Strait, with Vancouver Island in the distance we encountered the 25 members of J pod. They were spread out and slowly heading in a southwesterly direction. Along the way they treated us to many breaches, cartwheels, and tail lobs. Occasionally we would see a group changing directions and swimming fast, obviously chasing salmon. (Foraging behavior.) We had some really close up views of J2, Granny, and J16, Slick and her calves. She has J42, a one year old who still sticks pretty close to his mom. J42 does not have a nickname yet, but will be named this year by the

Whale Museum

members. It was a wonderful afternoon, but we had to head back. We also saw Harbor Seals, Bald Eagles, Pigeon Guillemots, Rhinocerous Auklets, a Common Murre, Glaucous Wing Gulls and numerous Cormorants.

Friday, May 9, 2008; J-Pod in Haro Strait!

Today we had a private charter for the Happy Valley Elementary school's fourth grade. We had 65 kids and many parents and teachers.

After a very rainy week, we were pleased to see the sun shining and very little clouds. We also had another treat. The last time anyone had seen any Resident orcas had been on April 8th as they were heading west out of reach of any whale boats. What a treat to hear from our spotters as we got out of Bellingham Bay that they were on the west side of San Juan Island in Haro Strait! It was the 25 members of J pod! The whole boat was so excited. We had good closeup views of Slick and her four calves ranging in age from one year to seventeen years. There was a lot of breaching, cartwheeling, tail lobs and pectoral fins waving in the air as if to say hello, We're back! It was a great day with the whales and the long missed sunshine. We also saw some good close ups of Bald Eagles, and the other birds such as Rhinocerous Auklets, Pigeon Guillemotts, Cormorants, Great Blue Herons and numerous gulls. There were also some good views of Common Loons, with us for a short time until they head further north for the summer. We also saw many Harbor Seals. The kids were excited to see so many of the Orca behaviors. They had been prepped all week to expect what to see. We don't always get to see this many behaviors of the orcas, so it was a real treat. Our first voyage for whale watching this year. Our next voyage for the public will be on June7th. Please join us and enjoy the spectacular viewing of the orcas from our Island Caper.