Sightings
The 36 member companies of the Pacific Whale Watch Association operate about a hundred vessels in the Sound and Straits, departing from 20 different ports in Washington State and British Columbia, carrying about 400,000 passengers annually. Many of PWWA's companies operate 12 months out of the year. Collectively, nobody sees more marine wildlife out in these waters than we do.
PWWA is a longtime supporter of The Center for Whale Research and the important work Ken Balcomb and his team do to help recover the region's federally protected Southern Resident Community of orcas. The Center is now in its fourth decade of Orca Survey, keeping tabs on the community -- and a good deal of that sightings data originates from our crews. We're also proud to assist the important work of Dr. John Calambokidis and Cascadia Research Collective, a scientific and education organization based in Olympia, Washington studying and protecting threatened marine mammals.
Our distinctive, stable, all-weather, 100-mile-certified vessels are important platforms for researchers, and the information and photography our own biologists, naturalists, captains and even passengers compile and share with The Center, Cascadia and other scientists and institutions are critical data advancing the understanding and long-term survivability of these populations.
FOR THE MOST CURRENT SIGHTINGS, check out these PWWA Member sites:
Island Adventures Whale Watching Whale Report by Capt. Michael Colahan and Others.
Prince of Whales Whale Watching Sightings Report by Biologist Jennifer Dickson and Others.
PWWA SIGHTINGS in the Media:
OH BABY! Welcome L122...
THE BABY BOOM CONTINUES! Meet L122, the newest member of the Southern Resident Community of orcas, spotted September 7th, 2015 near Sooke, BC by Capt. Mark Malleson of Prince of Whales Whale Watching, Victoria, BC, and Capt. Jim Maya and Naturalist Jeanne Hyde of Maya's Legacy Whale Watching, San Juan Island. The birth brings the endangered population to 82 members, with its 83rd, Lolita, in Miami Seaquarium. Photo: Dave Ellifrit, Center for Whale Research.
/ Daily Mail UK and Associated Press / September 15, 2015
/ Editorial Staffs, Victoria Times Colonist and Vancouver Sun / September 10, 2015
"The new orca calf that dominated the front page of Wednesday’s Times Colonist is much more than a cute tourist attraction; it’s a reminder of the interconnectedness of all living things. The state of the orca population is a direct reflection of the ocean’s health, and without healthy oceans, we human beings are in trouble. / Whale-watchers spotted the new calf swimming in Puget Sound with its mother. It is the fifth calf born this year to the southern resident killer whales that swim off the coast of B.C. and Washington..."
/ Michael D. Reid, Victoria Times Colonist / September 9, 2015
/ CBS News / September 9, 2015
/ Siemny Kim, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News (CBS Seattle) / September 8, 2015
/ Jeff Lawrence, CTV News / September 8, 2015
/ Seattle Times / September 7, 2015
/ Elizabeth Wiley, KING 5 News (NBC Seattle) / September 7, 2015
Puget Sound Express Whale Watching reported an extremely rare sighting of a fin whale in north Puget Sound, the second-largest creature to ever live on Earth. Naturalist photographer Janine Harles of Edmonds, WA got the shots and got them to scientists to review. KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reported that "the Center for Whale Research confirmed that Janine captured history."
/ The Associated Press / September 6, 2015
/ Adrian Chamberlain, Victoria Times Colonist / September 5, 2015
/ KOMO 4 News (ABC Seattle) / September 5, 2015
/ Joanna Small, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News (CBS Seattle) / September 4, 2015
/ Jeff Bell, Victoria Times Colonist / September 3, 2015
/ The Province / September 2, 2015
/ Dana Hutchingson, CHEK News / September 2, 2015
/ Manuel Valdez, Associated Press / September 2, 2015
"While the commercial whale watching industry is growing, authorities say they've been doing a good job of self-policing. That's not an easy task, said Michael Harris, executive director of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, which has 34 members. / 'We knew you can't have whale watching if you have no whales,' Harris said. So the main focus for officers has been recreational boaters 'who either don't know what the rules are, they don't know the impact they could potentially have, or they don't care,' (Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Sgt. Russ) Mullins said."
Photo: Naturalist Barbara Bender, All Aboard Sailing. "We’re obviously very concerned about the lure and how it might affect J39’s feeding and behavior," Lynne Barre, protected resources branch chief in NOAA Fisheries’ Seattle office, said in a statement released to the media. "We appreciate the reports from whale watchers who first noticed this and we will work with our partners on the water to watch J39 carefully.”
/ Alison Grande, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News (CBS Seattle) / August 4, 2015
/ KOMO 4 News (ABC Seattle) and Associated Press / August 4, 2015
Seven-month-old orca calf J50 "Leaps for Joy" in Haro Strait, July 4th, 2015. Photo: Naturalist Clint "Showtime" Rivers, Eagle Wing Tours, Victoria, BC.
/ Phuong Le, Associated Press / July 23, 2015
/ U.S. News & World Report / July 22, 2015
/ Kelsey Warner, Christian Science Monitor / July 18, 2015
/ KING 5 News (NBC Seattle) / July 17, 2015
/ Jim Donaldson, Editor, Bellingham Herald / July 17, 2015
/ Amy Judd, Global News / July 17, 2015
/ Q13 FOX News (FOX Seattle) / July 17, 2015
/ San Juan Islander / July 17, 2015
/ Amy Clancy, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News (CBS Seattle) / June 15, 2015
/ Scott Rasmussen, Editor, Journal of the San Juans / June 9, 2015
/ Katie Derosa, Victoria Times Colonist and Vancouver Sun / June 3, 2015
/ Amy Clancy, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News (CBS Seattle) / June 5, 2015
/ Robin Levinson King, Toronto Star / June 3, 2015
/ Amanda Bernocco, Global News / June 3, 2015
/ CBC News / June 2, 2015
/ Cassandra Jeffery, Kamloops BC Now / June 2, 2015
/ Bal Brach, CBC News / May 13, 2015
/ Susan Wyatt, KING 5 News (NBC Seattle) / May 10, 2015
/ KING 5 News (NBC Seattle) / May 8, 2015
/ By Hobbes Buchanan and Michael Harris / Everett Herald, Vancouver Sun and Others / May 3, 2015
ANOTHER BABY IN J-POD! On March 30, 2015, Pacific Whale Watch Association crews spotted and documented the latest addition to the endangered Southern Resident orcas, J52. Capt. Mark Malleson of reviewed photos taken from his boat and from naturalist Jeanne Hyde of to Ken Balcomb from the where it was confirmed. This is the fourth birth within the population in the last three months, bringing their numbers to 81 - with its 82nd member, Lolita, now at Miami Seaquarium. (Photo: Jeanne Hyde.)
/ Emily J. Gertz, TakePart / April 1, 2015
/ Amy Smart, Victoria Times Colonist / March 31, 2015
/ Phuong Le, Associated Press / March 31, 2015
/ CNN / March 31, 2015
/ CBC News / March 31, 2015
/ The Province / March 31, 2015
/ Gary Chittim, KING 5 News (NBC Seattle) / March 30, 2015
Six-week-old orca J51 with 24-year-old J27 off Pender Island, BC. (Photo: Naturalist Valerie Shore, Victoria.)
/ CBC News / March 29, 2015
/ CHEK News / March 29, 2015
/ KING 5 News (NBC Seattle) / March 28, 2015
GRAY WHALE WATCHING SEASON OPENS! Northern Puget Sound has its "regulars" back, massive gray whales taking three-month pitstops every spring off of Everett and Whidbey Island from the greatest migration in the animal kingdom. Whale watchers have a 100% chance of seeing these amazing creatures. Book now with or
/ Steve Ringman, The Seattle Times / March 13, 2015
/ Glenda Luymes, The Province / March 12, 2015
/ Scott Cunningham, CTV News / March 12, 2015
NEW BABY IN L-POD! (below) Exclusive NOAA Video of L121 and family off Westport, WA on February 24, 2015.
BABY BOOM! (below) Newborn Southern Resident orca L121 with mother L94. This is the third calf reported in the population since 12/30/14. Photo: NOAA Fisheries.
/ Global News / February 27, 2015
/ KIRO 7 Eyewitness News (CBS Seattle) / February 26, 2015
/ CBC News / February 26, 2015
ANOTHER NEW BABY! Newborn J51 with mum J19 in Haro Strait, off San Juan Island, WA (photo: Dave Ellifrit, Center for Whale Research.
/ JoAnn Roe, CBC Radio "The Early Edition" / February 13, 2015
CTV 2/12 and 2/13/15.
/ CBC News / February 13, 2015
/ The Province / February 13, 2015
“This is about the best Valentine’s Day present you can imagine,” said Michael Harris, executive director of the Pacific Whale Watch Association, which represents 32 tour operators in Washington and B.C.
/ CTV News / February 13, 2015
/ Q13 FOX News (FOX Seattle) / February 12, 2015
/ Walker Orenstein, Seattle Times / February 5, 2015
Brian Goodremont from San Juan Safaris and the Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) is against whale captivity and has been in the whale-watching businesses for 15 years. The industry is thriving, and Michael Harris, director of the PWWA estimated his association of businesses (18 in Washington) has seen 15 percent growth in the last two years.
“I grew up with the wildlife ethics through my family that the best place to view wildlife is in their natural environment with no or very little impact on their natural functions or life cycle,” Goodremont said. “From a professional standpoint I think it’s most interesting to view those animals in their natural environment.”
“We just think that it’s a tsunami of public perception against the idea of keeping whales and dolphins in captivity in the care of humans,” Harris said. “You can’t keep an animal that travels 100 miles a day in the care of humans because that’s not caring for them.”
/ PWWA joins coalition of groups on both sides of the border in raising concerns about project sited along the Fraser River location, the world’s No. 1 producer of Chinook, the preferred diet of the critically endangered whales. By David Kirby, TakePart.com / January 26, 2015
(below) Banged-Out Baby... Center for Whale Research photo of newborn J50 with bite and rake marks. Scientists and experts speculate that orcas within J-Pod assisted in the birth of J50, pulling it out of its mother.
/ Paige Cornwell, Seattle Times / January 3, 2015
/ Environmental Specialist Gary Chittim, KING 5 News (NBC Seattle) / January 2, 2015
NEW YEAR'S BABY IN J-POD! Godspeed, little blackfish. We need you. Photo by Naturalist Valerie Shore, , Victoria, BC.
/ Environmental Specialist Gary Chittim, KING 5 News (NBC Seattle) / January 1, 2014
/ Amy Judd, Global News / December 31, 2014
/ CTV News / December 31, 2014
/ Richard Watts, Victoria Times Colonist and Vancouver Sun / December 30, 2014
(below) KIRO 7 Eyewitness News (CBS Seattle): New Year's Baby in J-Pod! / December 30 and 31, 2014.
/ JoAnn Roe, Bellingham Herald / December 15, 2014
NO FISH, NO BLACKFISH... In response to the loss of J32 and her baby on December 4, 2014, the Pacific Whale Watch Association took part in a restoration of some of the Cedar River watershed near Seattle, WA, a work day hosted and organized by the non-profit organization, , together with King County Parks. Also participating were members of the and . PWWA and many there decided that the best way to mourn the loss of yet another of our endangered Southern Resident orcas was to do something positive like this, to fix some of the damage we've done to these salmon habitats. No fish, no blackfish. We encourage everyone who wants to contribute to orca recovery to do the same. No matter where you live, you can help. Contact Whale Scout or PWWA and we'll help you find a project in your backyard.
/ Phuong Le, Associated Press / December 8, 2014
/ CBC News / December 6, 2014
/ Huffington Post and Associated Press / December 5, 2014
/ United Press International (UPI) / December 1, 2014
/ Delhi Daily News (India) / November 30, 2014
/ Peninsula Daily News / November 28, 2014
/ Jenna Iacurci, Nature World News / November 28, 2014
/ The Associated Press / November 27, 2014
/ Sandi Doughton, Science Reporter, The Seattle Times / November 26, 2014
/ Tourism Industry Association of Canada / November 26, 2014
/ The Olympian (Olympia, WA) / November 22, 2014
/ Larry Pynn, The Vancouver Sun / November 21, 2014
The Pacific Whale Watch Association was asked to present a 40-minute panel on 2014 sightings at the 22nd Annual BC Marine Mammal Symposium in Vancouver, BC on November 22. Panelists were Seattle-based PWWA Executive Director and ABC News journalist Michael Harris, Naturalist/First Mate Jen Dickson of Prince of Whales Whale Watching in Victoria, Capt. Gary Sutton of Wild Whales Vancouver, and Capt./Naturalist Michael Colahan of Island Adventures Whale Watching in Everett, Anacortes and Port Angeles.
The Exotics - Outer-coastal transient killer whales CA173, CA166 aka U033, and CA172 west of Race Rocks, BC on Septempber 15th. Photo by Capt. Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales Whale Watching, Victoria.
/ KOMO 4 News (ABC Seattle) / November 14, 2014
(above) Newborn Southern Resident orca L120 with family in September off San Juan Island, WA. The calf, the first birth in the population since 2012, is now missing and presumed dead. Photo by Dave Ellifrit,
/ Linda Shaw, The Seattle Times / October 21, 2014
/ The Canadian Press / October 18, 2014
/ ABC News and Associated Press / October 18, 2014
"While many measures are in place to reduce the probability of major oil spills, the effects of such spills are potentially catastrophic to the Southern Resident (orca) population, either through direct mortality or from harmful physiological effects, as shown by the significant declines in two groups of Alaskan killer whales that likely resulted from the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989."
Recovery Plan for Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) Prepared by National Marine Fisheries Service Northwest Regional Office
ORCA SAVER.... The Barbara Foss stationed at Neah Bay.
/ Kari Bray, The Everett Herald / September 30, 2014
A Whole Lotta Lags... A group of 150 Pacific white-sided dolphins, or "lags," visit the Salish Sea. Photos by Capt. James Mead Maya and Naturalist Jeanne Hyde of Maya's Westside Whale Charters, Snug Harbor, WA.
/ The Huffington Post / September 29, 2014
/ The Province (Vancouver, BC) / September 29, 2014
/ Mike Clarke, CBC News / September 28, 2014
/ CHEK News / September 28, 2014
/ Environmental Specialist Gary Chittim and Ashley Stewart, KING 5 News (NBC Seattle) and NorthWest Cable News (WA, OR, AK, ID and MT) / September 26, 2014
/ Lynsi Burton, Seattle Post-Intelligencer / September 26, 2014
NEW PWWA VIDEO! Pacific white-sided dolphins off Victoria, BC on September 23-24, 2014. Video by Naturalist Jeanne Hyde of Maya's Westside Whale Charters and Naturalist Dylan Iverson of Eagle Wing Tours.
/ San Juan Islander / September 26, 2014
/ Emery Dennel, China Topix / September 8, 2014
/ Busta Sebetseba, News Tonight Africa / September 8, 2014
/ Stephen Messenger, The Dodo / September 8, 2014
/ Jake Ellison, Seattle Post-Intelligencer / September 7, 2014
/ USA TODAY and Susan Wyatt, KING-TV (NBC Seattle) / September 7, 2014
/ KOMO 4 News (ABC Seattle) / September 7, 2014
/ KIRO 7 News (CBS Seattle) / September 7, 2014
/ Associated Press / August 31, 2014
/ Christopher Dunagan, The Kitsap Sun / August 31, 2014
/ Jake Ellison, Seattle Post-Intelligencer / August 28, 2014
/ Frank Luba, The Vancouver Province / August 28, 2014
/ Amy Smart, Victoria Times Colonist / August 28, 2014
/ San Juan Islander / August 28, 2014
/ San Juan Islander / August 13, 2014
Seven-month-old orca calf J50 "Leaps for Joy" in Haro Strait, July 4th, 2015. Photo: Naturalist Clint "Showtime" Rivers, Eagle Wing Tours, Victoria, BC.
/ Phuong Le, Associated Press / July 23, 2015
/ U.S. News & World Report / July 22, 2015
/ Kelsey Warner, Christian Science Monitor / July 18, 2015
/ KING 5 News (NBC Seattle) / July 17, 2015
/ Jim Donaldson, Editor, Bellingham Herald / July 17, 2015
/ Amy Judd, Global News / July 17, 2015
/ Q13 FOX News (FOX Seattle) / July 17, 2015
/ San Juan Islander / July 17, 2015
The Exotics - Outer-coastal transient killer whales CA173, CA166 aka U033, and CA172 west of Race Rocks, BC on September 15th. Photo by Capt. Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales Whale Watching, Victoria.
/ KOMO 4 News (ABC Seattle) / November 14, 2014
/ Linda Shaw, The Seattle Times / October 21, 2014
A Whole Lotta Lags... A group of 150 Pacific white-sided dolphins, or "lags," visit the Salish Sea. Photos by Capt. James Mead Maya and Naturalist Jeanne Hyde of Maya's Westside Whale Charters, Snug Harbor, WA.
/ The Huffington Post / September 29, 2014
/ The Province (Vancouver, BC) / September 29, 2014
/ Mike Clarke, CBC News / September 28, 2014
/ CHEK News / September 28, 2014
/ KSDK TV (NBC St. Louis) / September 28, 2014
/ Canada Journal / September 28, 2014
/ Environmental Specialist Gary Chittim and Ashley Stewart, KING 5 News (NBC Seattle) and NorthWest Cable News (WA, OR, AK, ID and MT) / September 26, 2014
/ Lynsi Burton, Seattle Post-Intelligencer / September 26, 2014
NEW PWWA VIDEO! Pacific white-sided dolphins off Victoria, BC on September 23-24, 2014. Video by Naturalist Jeanne Hyde of Maya's Westside Whale Charters and Naturalist Dylan Iverson of Eagle Wing Tours.
/ San Juan Islander / September 26, 2014
A WHOLE LOTTA LAGS OUT THERE… PWWA Crews Report a Boom in Pacific White-Sided Dolphins the Last Few Weeks, Marking an Auspicious Return for a Species Not Often Seen in Recent Years in Salish Sea / PWWA Press Release / September 26, 2014
/ Emery Dennel, China Topix / September 8, 2014
/ Busta Sebetseba, News Tonight Africa / September 8, 2014
/ Stephen Messenger, The Dodo / September 8, 2014
/ Jake Ellison, Seattle Post-Intelligencer / September 7, 2014
/ USA TODAY and Susan Wyatt, KING-TV (NBC Seattle) / September 7, 2014
/ KOMO 4 News (ABC Seattle) / September 7, 2014
/ KIRO 7 News (CBS Seattle) / September 7, 2014
/ PWWA Press Release in San Juan Islander / September 6, 2014
/ Associated Press / August 31, 2014
/ Christopher Dunagan, The Kitsap Sun / August 31, 2014
/ Mary Griffin, CHEK News / August 29, 2014
/ Jake Ellison, Seattle Post-Intelligencer / August 28, 2014
/ Frank Luba, The Vancouver Province / August 28, 2014
/ Amy Smart, Victoria Times Colonist / August 28, 2014
/ San Juan Islander / August 28, 2014
/ San Juan Islander / August 13, 2014
PWWA SIGHTINGS DATA / Collected by PWWA Crews, Compiled by Jane Cogan:
NOAA Fisheries Satellite Tag Tracking of Southern Resident Orca L87 / Dec 2013 - Jan 2014
.....
/ The Associated Press / Jan 30, 2014
/ The Associated Press / Jan 6, 2014
RECORD NUMBER OF GRAY WHALES HEADING OUR WAY! / / Eric Zerkel, The Weather Channel / Jan 2, 2014
NORTH FOR THE WINTER! Scientists Close to Pinpointing Northernmost Reaches of Winter Travels for Southern and Northern Resident Orcas. / / Mark Hume, The Globe and Mail / Dec 18, 2013
/ Nicole Mooradian, Editor, Palos Verdes Patch / Dec 5, 2013
Unusual Recent Sightings from PWWA Boats
Photos by Capt. Jim Maya, Maya's Westside Whale Charters / Video by Naturalist/Researcher Jeanne Hyde.
By JAKE ELLISON, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Monday, November 25, 2013
The whale-watchers became the whaled-watched on Monday when a humpback whale
spent an hour checking them out aboard Captain James Maya’s boat just across the border
in British Columbia about a mile south of Kelp Reef at Darcy Island, Maya said.
Maya runs Maya’s Westside Charters. He is a veteran whale-watcher, a self-described naturalist
and retired school teacher who says he pretty much “lives on the water” and has been giving
orca-watching tours since 1988.
Here’s how he described the encounter on his Facebook page: The following are Melisa
Pinnow's words...
"As we were watching a humpback, it went on a very long dive. While it was under, I said
‘Watch this, its gonna be just like Baja.’ I was right. The humpback suddenly surfaced within
feet of the boat and played with us for an hour, staying just feet underneath the boat, spy
hopping on both sides and even fluke waving its gigantic tail just feet away..."
In all my years this is the most amazing experience I've ever had
with a Humpback.
I would swear it was listening to us. She was curious about the boat. As another boat
approached she went to visit them for a few minutes then came back to us.
There are times when whales connect with humans in boats. I know this to be a fact!
This was one of those times. Epic moments! My only regret is that I forgot to clean
my lens after it got water on it from several blows of the Humpback! And we may hear
some grief about being too close to the Humpback. Tell it to the Humpback! Epic!
RARE VISIT FROM NORTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS!
Northern Resident orcas off Race Rocks, Sooke, BC on 11/8/13. (left) Northern Resident G2 and Pacific white-sided dolphin off of East Sooke Park. Photo by Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales; (right) photo by Sandi Murdock, aboard Maya's Westside Whale Charters.
November 8, 2013: I came across the G2 and G27 matrilines foraging east of Race Rocks on the morning of November 8th. There was a group of Pacific White-Sided dolphins accompanying them. I last saw them off of Sooke west bound passing through a group of humpback whales. - Mark Malleson, Prince of Whales
PWWA NOTE: While Northern Resident orcas have been spotted in Haro Strait and the Strait of Georgia, they haven't been confirmed this far south since September 2000. Eric Sorensen, Seattle Times / September 9, 2000.
/ Larry Pynn, Vancouver Sun / Oct 31, 2013
/ Brenlee Coates, Cottage Life / October 31, 2013
BELOW: CLICK to see OFTEN-REFERENCED VIEWING SITES
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PAST PWWA SIGHTING REPORTS
MAY 15, 2014
WILDLIFE
TRANSIENT KILLER WHALES, PORPOISE
LOCATION
SAN JUAN ISLAND
CONDITIONS
OVERCAST BUT WARM
TRANSIENT KILLER WHALES FROM A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. PHOTO BY CLINT RIVERS AKA ORCAWIZARD
Today was a bit of a muggy day; we could see the heat rising off of Vancouver Island from the water. But it was also one of those days where you feel like something is going to happen.
It might be the rain forecast for tomorrow that I’m sensing, but I like to think I could feel the whales, before I even got to work!
Ocean Magic II was first out today! With Jeff at the helm, and myself, Claire and Lindsay as crew, we sped out towards Beaumont Shoals, where multiple groups of whales had been reported. It was a quick trip to get there, and we caught up with three killer whales immediately!
We traversed alongside the T019’s for a while. This group is made up of T019, and her two sons T019B and T019C. After everyone had a good look at these guys we doubled back to check out the other group reported. These ones proved difficult to identify, and the debate continues on the water! No one is quite sure who they are or where they came from; they could be exotics.
At 2pm, just as we were getting ready to leave, Rush was departing the harbour in his zodiac Majesty. By the time he caught up with the whales the two groups had joined up and were travelling together! He left them around Turn Point on Stuart Island, just north of San Juan, before meeting up with some Dall’s porpoise!
In addition to a great day on the water with whales and warm weather, we had one more surprise for Ocean Magic II passengers. As we passed the dock at Fisherman’s Wharf we saw a proposal! As the man knelt down his girlfriend immediately started jumping up and down and he leapt up into his arms. Looked like a yes! Jeff sounded the ship's whistle in celebration and everyone cheered and waved.
You just never know what’s going to happen on the water: whales and weddings!
Tomorrow we’ve got a 3 boat charter at 9am, so our first zodiac trip is likely to be 12pm. Ocean Magic II is also confirmed at 12:15pm.
By Jennifer Dickson
MAY 13, 2014
WILDLIFE
HARRY THE SEA OTTER, ELEPHANT SEALS GALORE
LOCATION
SECRETARY ISLAND, RACE ROCKS
CONDITIONS
SUNSHINE AND VARIABLE SEA STATES
NORTHERN ELEPHANT SEAL BLOWING BUBBLES AND COOLING OFF IN THE WATER. PHOTO BY MARIE O'SHAUGHNESSY AKA ORCAMAGIC
What a day to spend on the water! Not to knock being on the land, I mean, there’s lots of cool things to do in Victoria, but it’s hard to beat a day like today on the ocean.
Mark was first out as usual, and spend both his 9am and 12pm trips west of Victoria. He told us conditions were so beautiful that Ocean Magic II joined him at 12:15pm as well. All the whale watching companies work together out there, not just the ones from Victoria, and we knew we had a few boats coming in from Vancouver, as well as the United States. If they found whales they’d be sure to tell us, so we let them check the north and east edges of our range while we focused on the less travelled west and south.
The Wild West always provides stunning scenery and wildlife density that can’t be beat. Harry the sea otter was spotted again at Secretary Island, and he entertained passengers by actively grooming his back and legs, which basically means it looked like he was chasing his tail! On board Ocean Magic II Captain Jeff, myself, (First Mate Jen) and crew members Lindsay and Tom were all visibly excited from the encounter.
Race Rocks was the busiest I’ve seen it recently, and was completely overrun with Northern Elephant seals. These fascinating looking creatures often appear as blobs on the rocks, but today were shuffling up and down the boat launch. Moving faster than usual, but still only as fast as you’d imagine a 5000 pound animal called an elephant seal to move…
At 2pm we had a three boat zodiac charter depart, skippered by Matt, Rush and Bo. These guys split up to cover as much water as possible. All three made sure to stop at Race Rocks before spreading out to Port Angeles, Crescent Bay, and Eastern Bank, respectively.
Highlights included a patch of rough water that got the kids on Rush’s boat screaming for joy, harbour porpoise popping up next to Bo’s boat, and a California sea lion surfacing beside Matt’s vessel, right in the harbour!
Our day is getting started a little later tomorrow, so have a sleep in or go for brunch before you come out on our adventure. Zodiacs are scheduled at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm, and Ocean Magic II will be first out at 12:15pm.
By Jennifer Dickson
MAY 9, 2014
WILDLIFE
ORCAS, SEA LIONS, SEALS
LOCATION
SATURNA ISLAND
CONDITIONS
MIX OF SUN AND CLOUD, SOME WIND
J-Pod is back!
Phew, ok, sorry, had to get that off my chest. I had no clever introduction or sum-up sentence for today. I’m just too darn excited to see the residents!
We had three trips today; zodiacs at 9am and 2pm and Ocean Magic II at 3:30pm. We’ll start running 3:30pm trips more as the summer goes on, but today we went out a bit later to accommodate about 30 students from Mount Cheam Christian School. They were a great bunch,and everyone on board had an amazing time.
Today going out later actually worked in our favour! We didn’t hear about the whales until early afternoon which was a bit surprising, since they likely went right past San Juan Island last night. It’s possible no one picked them up because there was a power shortage on the island last night that interfered with the hydrophones at Lime Kiln lighthouse. This is one of the major ways we track resident killer whale movements.
But regardless, we got them! It was a long run out there, over 65 nautical miles round trip for Ocean Magic II, even farther for Mark’s trip, but oh so worth it. Jeff, Rhonda, Claire, and I were just giddy.
We even spotted Granny, the oldest killer whale known to science, with an estimated birth year of 1911, and matriarch of J-pod. Mark caught a couple of amazing breaches, one where he said the whale was “looking right at him.” Stay tuned to facebook and twitter for those photos. Ocean Magic II passengers had the pleasure of witnessing a cartwheel (pictured above) as well!
We don’t know how long these guys will stay in the area for, they often poke their heads in to the area a few times before they commit to staying put, but it’s so exciting they’ve started the process of their return.
Wanna come see if they stick around?
Zodiacs tomorrow at 9am, 11am, 2pm and 3pm, and Ocean Magic II already confirmed at 12:15pm.
By Jennifer Dickson
MAY 8, 2014
WILDLIFE
STELLER SEA LIONS, ELEPHANT SEALS, BALD EAGLES
LOCATION
WHALE ROCKS, RACE ROCKS
CONDITIONS
CLOUDY, RAIN
Sooo, today was not gorgeous, but rain is what makes the west coast so vibrant. It is vital to life as we know it, and after the beautiful weather we’ve been having, we were due for a little recharge.
Of course rain doesn’t stop us, because it doesn’t stop our wildlife. Marine wildlife in particular are impervious to water, cause, well, they’re waterproof!
Mark was first out (he’s the early bird) and took his full zodiac east and south at 10am. This area has been buzzing recently, and was also the spot we had killer whales yesterday. However I always tell my passengers not to put too much stock in recent sightings. Essentially the chance of seeing a transient killer whale is the same every day; these guys are transient, so they’re always moving!
Mark encountered some rough water as the wind picked up, so he didn’t go too far south. Instead he stuck close to shore and made sure to check out Whale Rocks. Chock full of Steller sea lions, harbour seals, and usually a bald eagle or two, this spot is the hi-light of many a tour, even ones with whales!
Jeff, Claire and I arrived at Ocean Magic II just as it started to rain, and as we loaded up our passengers they were very glad for a dry seat in the covered indoor cabin! Hearing of the rough weather, we decided to go west, where conditions were spectacular for spotting. Visibility was good, and with the air saturated, any breaths at the surface would be hard to miss. Not to mention the scenery out west is extremely powerful. That’s the only way I can think to describe it, I guess you just have to see it.
We went as far west as we can in just over three hours, which is Point No Point. There we scanned for any sign of cetacean, be it orca, humpback, or porpoise, but unfortunately they didn’t come out to play today. However we had a sure thing in store…
You guessed it, Race Rocks! This place is a stunning experience for anyone to see. That many massive animals squeezed on to a couple of rocks is entertaining to say the least. Today there were three species sharing one rock! Northern elephant seals (picture above), Steller sea lions, and California sea lions all snuggled within a few meters of one another was quite the sight.
We wrapped it up with a bald eagle being mobbed by gulls, right in the harbour! You never know where you’re going to see wildlife out here.
Tomorrow we have zodiacs started at 9am, 10am, 1pm, and 2pm, and an Ocean Magic II trip at 3:30! Mixing it up tomorrow to accommodate a school group, should be fun!
By Jennifer Dickson
MAY 7, 2014
WILDLIFE
ORCAS, SEA LIONS, BALD EAGLES
LOCATION
HARO STRAIT, HEIN BANK
CONDITIONS
SUN, SUN, AND MORE SUN
Have you been outside today? Go outside right now, it’s still gorgeous! And what a gorgeous day we had on the water…
Mark was out first at 10am with 10 keen passengers aboard his zodiac, the Queen of Hearts. We had no new reports this morning, so Mark opted to go north, where the wildlife has been denser recently. He went as far as East Point on Saturna Island in search of animals, providing guests with some spectacular scenery en route. In the end he picked up Steller sea lions, harbour seals, California sea lions and bald eagles.
Ocean Magic II was quite the place to be this afternoon. We love all of our passengers, but today we had an especially upbeat crowd, several of them off the cruise ship! Not to mention we had Matt on board! Matt normally drives zodiacs for us, but will be expanding on to the big boat this summer so he can get some sea time (which is required if you want to get more marine qualifications). Jeff, Tom and I were excited to have him along.
So at 12:15pm, with all four crew and 46 passengers aboard, we sped out in to the strait, looking for adventure. Initially we were thinking about doing something similar to Mark, but just as we turned the corner to go north, we got the call: KW’s (as their known on the radio)
Killer whales.
So away we went! My entire deck cheered when we got the news! We were one of the first on scene and easily located two mature male transient killer whales travelling super slowly through the pristine water. As we travelled alongside these incredible creatures my deck alternated between appreciative silence and enthusiastic oohs and ahhs.
We also had on board someone who was really keen to see a sea lion. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but today the whales were a bit out of the way, so it didn't look like we'd have time for a second stop. And then, lo and behold, a Steller sea lion appears! Likely hiding from the whales, he surfaced after a long dive, heaving for breath, right beside us!
Rush was last out today at 3pm. He’s not back yet, but will soon return, regaling us with tales of killer whales.
It’s always a good day when we have whales, but so many things made today great!
Will tomorrow be better? Only one way to find out…
Zodiacs started at 9am, 11am, and 1pm, and Ocean Magic II, as always, at 12:15pm.
By Jennifer Dickson
MAY 5, 2014
WILDLIFE
ORCAS, SEA LIONS, SEALS
LOCATION
SALT SPRING ISLAND, WHALE ROCKS, RACE ROCKS
CONDITIONS
MIRROR CALM, SUNNY
TRANSIENT KILLER WHALES BREACHING! PHOTO BY MARIE O'SHAUGHNESSY AKA ORCAMAGIC
We went all over today and got all sorts of cool stuff!
First out were Mark and Rush at 9am and 10am respectively. They booted it up to Samsun Narrows where a couple groups of transient killer whales had been reported. What they found was spectacular.
Two groups of killer whales, joined together zig-zagging through the channel, initially going south, switched direction and travelled north along Saltspring Island. Mark was blown aware by their behaviour, he said they were breaching and conducting lots of surface behaviours, even vocalizing at the surface!
Unfortunately as they were continuing north, at the north end of our range, we were only able to pick these guys up in the morning; a classic example that you just never know when these guys will pop up in our range. Sometimes it’s in the morning, sometimes it’s all day, and sometimes they go undetected until the afternoon.
The 12:15pm Ocean Magic II trip, captained by Jeff, and crewed by myself and Lindsay, decided to go south east, where the Minke’s have been spotted recently. Despite the smoothest conditions in recent memory, these baleen whales remained elusive.
We did however spot both species of porpoise! There were harbour porpoise everyone in the afternoon, both where we were, and out west where Mark went for his second trip. Conditions couldn’t have been better for spotting these often hard to see cetaceans, and everyone got a great look.
After a trip to Whale Rocks to see Steller sea lions, harbour seals, and bald eagles, we ran in to the harbour porpoises’ charismatic cousin, Dall’s porpoise! These guys are speed demons and swam circles around us, much to passengers delight!
Mark was treated to equally sublime conditions out west, with almost dizzying clarity and mirrored waters, Race Rocks was especially beautiful.
A great day start to finish, won’t you join us tomorrow for your own maritime adventure?
We’ve got a zodiac charter in the morning, so trips will start at 1pm and 2pm. Ocean Magic II goes at 12:15pm. See you on the water!
By Jennifer Dickson
MAY 2, 2014
WILDLIFE
STELLER SEA LIONS, BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, TRANSIENT KILLER WHALES
LOCATION
HARO STRAIT
CONDITIONS
HAZY AND WINDY
THESE COOL BIRDS WERE OUT IN ABUNDANCE TODAY! BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, PHOTO BY BRIAN GLENNON
I’m sure you noticed today the weather took a bit of a turn. It was still warm on the water, however the wind was a force to be reckoned with throughout the day.
It was a two trip day for everyone, as both Mark and Ocean Magic II went out at 9am. Mark went west since no one has checked out there recently, however he ran in to some tricky conditions. Not to worry as Race Rocks (as always) made it worthwhile!
Jeff, myself, Claire, and Lindsay crewed Ocean Magic II. On board we had a large high school band from Alberta! We went south to see if we could pick up a Minke whale, but were thwarted by large waves at Hein bank. Seeking sheltered waters we opted for Whale Rocks which were absolutely covered in harbour seals and Steller sea lions.
After a quick bite, (Claire and I scarfed some delicious donairs) we set off again for 12:15pm. This time we booked it north, and circumnavigated Spieden Island and found different wildlife on every side! Harbour seals on the west end, mouflon sheep to the south, Steller sea lions on the east, and a bald eagle with a salmon grasped in its talons to the north. Talk about wildlife density!
After a quick look at birds on Mandarte Island (one of the 5 or more places we saw the elusive black oystercatchers today!), and the leper colony ruins on D’Arcy Island, we headed back across the surprisingly smooth waterfront.
Mark had his second trip at 1pm, and got the call about an hour in: someone found whales! The T65A’s, our seemingly local transients, were off of Galiano Island. Just past the edge of our range; but Mark isn’t one to turn down whales. After a quick check that his passengers could be late, away they went. It was a long run, but judging by the smiling, albeit cold, faces of his passengers, it was worth it.
We’ve got some rain forecast for the next few days, so a covered boat is the way to go for most. Ocean Magic II fits the bill; join us at 12:15pm tomorrow. If the wet doesn’t bother you, we’ve got zodiacs at 11am and 1pm.
By Jennifer Dickson
MAY 1, 2014
LOCATION
SECRETARY ISLAND, HEIN BANK, WHALE ROCKS
CONDITIONS
FLAT CALM, SUNNY
THE MINKE WHALE WE SPOTTED APRIL 26, PROBABLY ONE OF THE SAME ONES FROM TODAY! PHOTO BY MARIE O'SHAUGHNESSY AKA ORCAMAGIC
What a gorgeous day! I hope you had a chance to get outside, it was quite an experience, really felt like summer. A bit muggy perhaps, but the sea wind cuts right through that as soon as you get out on the water, it was supremely refreshing, and I spent the entire trip in my T-shirt! On May 1st! That’s gotta be a record.
We went all over today, and found all sorts of different marine mammals.
Mark and Rush were out at 10am and 11am respectively, and both decided to check out west. These guys are all about exploring the seas less travelled, and no one’s been out west in a while, so, off they went.
They were rewarded with Harry Otter just off his usual spot on Secretary Island! We are so excited to have a resident sea otter as these guys haven’t been seen regularly since they were extirpated (driven extinct from this particular area) about 100 years ago. Race Rocks was just as rewarding as ever with our favourites: Steller and California sea lions; harbour and elephant seals; and bald eagles.
Ocean Magic II departed at 12:15pm with Jeff at the helm, myself as First Mate, and Lindsay as crew. We went off in search of cetaceans, and aimed for Hein Bank where they had since been reported. Upon arrival I knew we were in for a treat.
Rarely have I seen spotting conditions so ideal (as you know if you follow us on Facebook). The slightly hazy sky made for a spotless surface, and no direct sun means the water isn’t sparkly, making it much easier to look at. Add in completely flat calm water, and you’ve got some perfect conditions for spying Minke whales.
We had two in total, one was being a bit elusive, the other was the picture of reliability, coming up with multiple breaths in the same location and doing short dives. A quick trip Whale Rocks for Stellers and harbour seals rounded off the trip nicely.
We’ve got a 9am and a 1pm zodiac for tomorrow, and Ocean Magic II at 12:15pm. There is some strong wind forecast for the afternoon, so try to get out with us early! And there’s rain a-coming, Sat, Sun, Mon, so if you’re on the fence, tomorrow morning is your best bet!
By Jennifer Dickson
APR 28, 2014
WILDLIFE
TRANSIENT ORCA, ELEPHANT SEALS, STELLER SEA LIONS
LOCATION
SOOKE, RACE ROCKS
CONDITIONS
SUNSHINE!
TRANSIENT KILLER WHALES!
A big part of what sets Prince of Whales apart is the people. No one loves their job more than our crew, and there are few people who can match the enthusiasm of Claire. When she found out we had whales today, she told me in the form of a celebratory dance!
Mark, known in the industry as the guy that finds whales, found whales. He was first out at 10am with a sold out zodiac and bombed out west in search of transients. What he found were the T65A’s, a group we’ve been seeing quite regularly throughout the shoulder season. They’re a little family group with a tiny newborn, that’s always a treat to see.
In the afternoon the zodiacs teamed up with Ocean Magic II and to form a little convoy. With Rush and Matt out at 12pm and Ocean Magic II crewed by Jeff, Claire and myself at 12:15pm, we zipped towards Sooke to reacquire the whales from their last known location.
Rush got them first and we formed a line watching these magnificent animals. They puttered along the shoreline, ducking behind Church Rock and reappearing unexpectedly, giving us the opportunity to few them close up, and from afar.
We followed them past Race Rocks before doubling back to the Ecological Reserve to view their favourite food (harbour seals), as well as Northern Elephant seals, and Steller and California sea lions. Birders would have delighted in the close pass we had by a beautiful mature bald eagle, and the incessant peeping of nesting pigeon guillemots.
The flood tide was fierce, making for a fun ride in a few spots; but it was mostly calm seas and sunny skies.
The weather could not be more gorgeous this week. We’re having another summer moment as it’s supposed to get up to 22°C on Thursday and Friday!
Zodiac or Ocean Magic II, you can’t go wrong. Though if you want to witness some funky dance moves, Magic is where it’s at!
By Jennifer Dickson
APR 26, 2014
LOCATION
SALMON BANK
CONDITIONS
SUNNY WITH SOME WIND
We are so excited to welcome our beloved zodiac driver Matt back for the season! Matt had his first trips today and we’re thrilled to have him back in the saddle.
He was first out this morning at 10am, on his favourite boat Jester. Matt was joined at 11am by Rhonda and they both went west, hitting the usual spots of Race Rocks and Secretary Island.
Ocean Magic slipped off the dock at 12:15pm with a full crew of Jeff, Claire, Tom, and myself. We decided to head east where the wind would be calmer and the water would be smoother.
On our way towards San Juan Island, we stopped at Trial Island as Claire had spotted something unusual in the water. At first glance it could have easily been mistaken for one of the countless logs we see on a daily basis, but Claire has a keen eye and immediately recognized it as something different. What it was, was a deceased sea lion. We couldn’t figure out the species, but it was clearly a pinniped, as its finned-feet were visible.
It was a shocking sight, to say the least, but interesting to see these animals’ life cycle come full circle. This animal will eventually sink to the ocean floor and provide nutrients to bottom dwelling creatures.
We carried on in search of live animals and found lots of them at Whale Rocks at the south end of San Juan Island! Much to everyone’s delight there were Steller sea lions and harbour seals clamouring up and down the sea-sprayed rocks.
As we headed out, starting to go home, the boat stopped suddenly, causing people to look around anxiously; Jeff had seen a whale! We were on scene with at least two, probably three Minke Whales! This is our first sighting of the season for these guys, we were ecstatic.
Matt hasn’t returned from his 2pm trip yet, as he went a little further than normal. This extended trip was so that passengers could get a good look at 2 male transient killer whales that popped up this afternoon! Just goes to show, no whales in the morning, does not mean no whales in the afternoon. They’re always moving and surprising us.
Do you like surprises? Let’s go for an adventure tomorrow, surprises abound. Ocean Magic at 12:15pm, zodiacs at 10am and 11am.
By Jennifer Dickson
APR 22, 2014
LOCATION
HARO STRAIT AND OUT WEST
CONDITIONS
SUNNY, SOME WIND
HUMPBACK WHALE FROM YESTERDAY AND TODAY!
Yesterday I mentioned we had a bunch of people inquiring about the weather. We also had a lot of “conditional bookings.” Several groups of people very interested in whale watching, but very uninterested in going out in the rain. I’m sure you saw the gorgeous day we had today, so all those conditional bookings turned into actual bookings, and we sent 3 full zodiacs!
Mark and Rush were our skippers today, and both put together fascinating trips for their passengers.
Rush decided to check out conditions out west, which were variable, to say the least. As he ran his hand over the map he muttered what the sea was like at each point; and it went something like “smooth, rough, smooth, rough, calm, really rough, swelly, calm, rough, rough, rough.” Other then a thrilling ride, passengers had several other cool experiences in store.
As Rush approached Bentick Island, he noticed two juvenile bald eagles soaring above them. They looked a bit unsteady and were being closely watched by a mature bald eagle nearby. These guys were having flight lessons! They regularly landed beside their parent asking for guidance, before trying again. What an awesome sighting!
Further on, at Race Rocks, he saw another common animal doing something a bit out of character. Normally when we see Steller sea lions they are either in the water or on land. Today Rush’s boat saw these animals actively heaving themselves out of the water, climbing up the rock and tossing themselves back in, repeatedly! Who knows what they were doing, cannonball competition maybe?
Mark opted for Northern Haro Strait for his trips and picked up the same humpback he had yesterday! Don’t have an ID on this guy (or girl) yet, but their mug shot is already on Twitter and on Facebook it looks like a few people might recognize her (or him). Mark said this animal was quite snuggly, which means it was displaying an unusual affinity for the boat.
We’ve already got two zodiacs confirmed for tomorrow at 11am and 12pm. We managed to dodge the rain today (knock on wood!) perhaps tomorrow we shall be so lucky. Ocean Magic is back on Friday.
By Jennifer Dickson
APR 21, 2014
WILDLIFE
HUMPBACK WHALE!
LOCATION
OUT WEST
CONDITIONS
OVERCAST
THE LAST HUMPBACK WE SAW, OCT 2013. PHOTO BY MARIE O'SHAUGHNESSY AKA ORCAMAGIC
Today was a nice, quiet Easter Monday, on land anyway!
There were a few boats out in the morning for other companies following up of reports of killer whales in the area, but by the time Mark left on his 2pm zodiac the trail had run cold.
We had lots of walk-in traffic today, and went from 5 people at 1 o’clock, to 11 people at 2 o’clock! Gotta love on-demand service. Mark worked in concert with the other companies going out at 2pm today. They coordinated their search efforts, extending miles off shore; Mark went 21 nautical miles past where orca were last seen! Unfortunately the killer whales never reappeared, but passengers were in for an unseasonal treat.
The last few times Ocean Magic II has been out we’ve “poked our heads” out west. We would do a little swing out past Race Rocks, just to look. What we’re looking for are humpbacks. We have an unusual group of HB’s that don’t go to Alaska in the summer like their counterparts, they come here! The same 20 or so each year. And everyone wants to be the first to see one.
Congrats to Mark! He got the first humpback whale of 2014! He said he recognized the individual, but wasn’t sure of the ID number, if he thinks of it I’ll let you know on facebook and twitter.
Going out west of course always means a trip to Race Rocks, which, as usual, was full of pinnipeds! Harbour seals, California sea lions, Steller sea lions, Northern elephant seals, and bald eagles were out in abundance.
We’re only going to be sending zodiacs tomorrow and Wednesday as Ocean Magic II will be undergoing some maintenance. We’ve got some awesome, brand new propellers to put on, I can’t wait!
Confirmed zodiac at 10am tomorrow. We’ve had lots of people inquiring about the weather. We go out rain or shine, so bring your waterproof gear!
By Jennifer Dickson
APR 19, 2014
LOCATION
SOUTH OF ACTIVE PASS
CONDITIONS
CLOUDY, RAIN
The transients are back! Today just goes to show how independent sightings are day to day. Every day we start from scratch looking for whales, with new information coming in all the time.
Today we got a report from BC Ferries that they saw killer whales in Active Pass, so away we went! This is the northern edge of our range; it was a long run and a lot of water to get out there, but passengers were incredibly appreciative to have the chance to glimpse these amazing animals. We have the fastest large boat in the industry, and today Ocean Magic II managed to deliver 55 people whale-side!
Mark was first out on the zodiacs at 10am, with Rhonda following at 12pm.
When Ocean Magic II left at 12:15pm with Jeff, Casey, Claire and me aboard, we told passengers to settle in for the long haul. There are lots of advantages to the Magic, and being able to get out of the rain and cozy up with a hot chocolate on a long run if definitely one of them.
On scene we watching the T137’s and T65A’s travel together slowly. The whole experience was lovely and serene. Hearing the whales exhale and seeing the blow hang in the air as the rain fell softly around us is not an experience many will soon forget.
On the way back we managed to find enough time for a quick stop at Kelp Reef marker to spy two Steller sea lions and two bald eagles relaxing together.
All our boats were tied up and passengers inside before it really started pouring, which was fortunate. Tomorrow is calling for cloudy with sunny breaks, should be a great day to be on the water!
Let’s go looking for Easter Whales!
By Jennifer Dickson
APR 18, 2014
LOCATION
HARO STRAIT, SECRETARY ISLAND
CONDITIONS
SUNNY!
HARRY THE SEA OTTER! WE SAW HIM AGAIN TODAY, CHEEKY LITTLE GUY.
When I came in at 10 this morning, people were bracing themselves for a challenging day. The wind was already making waves and in the spring things only tend to get worse throughout the day.
But today the wind had blown itself out by about 11am. It succeeded in blowing away the clouds, and after that things turned gorgeous, particularly on the water!
Mark took his zodiac out at 10am and battled the initially rough waters across the waterfront to Haro Strait. He worked in tandem with the numerous boats out today, searching high and low for any sign of cetaceans, but no luck. The other wildlife was out in droves however as many vessels stumbled across the largest collection of sea lions I’ve ever heard of! It seems there was a steller sea lion convention today, as hundreds gathered at East Point. What they were discussing, I have no idea…
Ocean Magic II pulled away from the dock at 12:15pm with a full crew of Jeff, Casey, Jen and Claire. Since everyone had already checked east, we went west! As you may notice, we like to go against the grain and visit un-charted waters.
We were rewarded with Harry the sea otter at Secretary Island, sitting in the water directly below a mature bald eagle in the trees above. Our search continued as far west as Otter Point (just to be clever) before doubling back to Race Rocks. There we spotted a total of 15 Northern elephant seals! These guys seem to be accumulating for a meeting as well. Maybe they were gossiping about the sea lions!
All in all, Good Friday was off to a great start with some lovely weather. That doesn’t look likely to continue, so instead of weather, let’s find some wildlife and whales!
Zodiac confirmed tomorrow at 10am, Ocean Magic II at 12:15pm.
By Jennifer Dickson
APR 17, 2014
LOCATION
EAST, WEST AND EVERYWHERE IN-BETWEEN
CONDITIONS
CLOUDY, SOME RAIN
It was another grey spring day in Victoria today, but luckily the rain was light and intermittent.
There were not quite as many other companies on the water today, likely deterred by the rain, but the yellow boats were out as usual, with Mark on zodiacs at 10am and 3pm and Jeff, Rhonda, Tom and myself on Ocean Magic II at 12:15pm.
We’ve been having quite a bit of luck out west recently, so that’s where Mark decided to check this morning. There’s always a few spots we love to check for whales and other wildlife, and out west these are Race Rocks and Secretary Island. Both of these places were bumping today, with all the pinnipeds present at Race Rocks, and Harry the sea otter at Secretary Island!
By the time Ocean Magic II went out, we thought the west was won; it had been checked thoroughly for cetaceans and we wanted to do something different.
So we went east! First stop was Discovery Island to see if we could catch of glimpse of the wolf that’s rumoured to still be there. Instead we witnessed a bald eagle enjoying his catch of fish right by the water! As well there were three Steller sea lions swimming, accompanied by one rather confused looking California sea lion. I don’t think he was totally aware of the species of his companions, either that or he was very skilled at espionage...
We also stopped at Spieden Island and saw the most bald eagles I have ever seen in one place. My previous personal record was also held by Speiden Island, at about 10 eagles. Today I saw AT LEAST 16 on the ground and in the trees in one spot! Totally flabbergasted! 16!! All in the same sight-line we also spotted Steller sea lions, harbour seals, mouflon sheep, and 3 beautiful fallow deer, including two males sporting impressive antlers. It has to be one of the densest collection of wild animals I’ve ever seen.
There’s so much life to see out here. Sometimes it’s all in one place and sometimes it’s spread out. Sometimes both. You never know what there is to see until you go looking.
We’re looking again tomorrow on a zodiac at 9am and Ocean Magic II at 12:15pm.
We might even have some sunshine to kick off Easter Weekend! Won't you join us?
By Jennifer Dickson
APR 16, 2014
LOCATION
BECHER BAY, SECRETARY ISLAND
CONDITIONS
CLOUDY, PERIODS OF RAIN
TRANSIENTS FROM TODAY! T65A'S AND T137 OF BECHER BAY
Now I remember why we get enthusiastic as the season gets going. Cause every time we leave the dock there’s a chance for things to be spectacular. Guess what today was?
You guessed it. Freaking unbelievable!
Mark was first out at 11am and heard inklings of reports out west, so he decided to check it out. What he found was pretty exceptional. A large group of transients, several of the groups we’ve been seeing recently, all travelling together, just off Becher Bay! And they were having a great time.
When Ocean Magic II got on scene an hour and a half later, these whales were really starting to show how happy they were to see each other. They ran the gamut of pretty much every active whale behaviour I’ve even seen! Ready? They were…breaching (full body, out of the water, multiple times in a row), tail slapping (so loudly you could feel it reverberate off the rocks), pectoral fin slapping, cartwheeling, doing headstands, spyhopping, hunting, travelling, and socializing. There were even a couple of very excited males as well, IF you know what I mean ;)
Captain Jeff, naturalist Tom, and first mate Jen (that's me!) were speechless from excitement. And from people whose jobs it is to talk, that’s a pretty big deal.
But wait, there’s more!
Just as we thought we were heading home, we sped off in the opposite direction. I went up to the wheelhouse to remind Jeff which way Race Rocks was, when he informed me we were going to Secretary Island to check out the sea otter!
I informed my passengers that we really ought to give this guy a name, so if they had any suggestions to be sure to volunteer them. Congratulations to Joe from Northampton, who’s about 6 years old, for the best suggestion I’ve heard yet: Harry! I think it’s a keeper. Sea otters are the hairiest marine mammal there is, plus, we can call him Harry Otter!
After a quick stop at Race Rocks for harbour seals, elephant seals, Steller sea lions, California sea lions, black oystercatchers, and bald eagles, it was time to head home.
I’m so glad we had some no whale standbys on board as well, they couldn’t have picked a better day.
Trips like this remind me why I love my job so much. Now you see why we go out rain or shine!
It truly is the experience of a lifetime.
By Jennifer Dickson
APR 15, 2014
LOCATION
WHALE ROCKS, SAN JUAN ISLAND AND PORT TOWNSEND
CONDITIONS
OVERCAST, WINDY
TWO MEMBERS OF K POD, K 21 AND K40, FROM A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO
Today was a bit of a reality check. Every year we get unrealistically enthusiastic very early in the season that summer is upon us. I’m sure I’m guilty of this myself. Even though I’m completely level-headed, and never show enthusiasm. I’ve also never been sarcastic in my life.
It was very much a spring day today, with rain threatening but never materializing, and blustery winds coming from every which direction. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a great day to be on the water, as you’ll see!
Rush and Mark both went out at 10am with a teenaged team of Australian field hockey players! This excited group of young’uns couldn’t wait to see what a zodiac could do, and Rush and Mark couldn’t wait to show them. A bit of wind is perfect for a crowd like this.
Both boats went east, zigzagging through each other’s wakes towards southern San Juan Island where they stopped at Whale Rocks to observe Steller sea lions, harbour seals, and bald eagles. We had no reports yet, so the guys decided to check the passage less traveled and went up San Juan channel. They circumnavigated San Juan Island, which, scenery-wise is a truly spectacular trip.
Mark went out again at 1pm and just as he was leaving the dock got word of killer whales! The reports came from Washington, at Point no Point in Puget Sound. He knew it was going to be a long run, so he topped up on fuel and off they went!
4 hours later…everyone came back beaming, having encountered K-pod! We just love having the residents around, even if they’re not that close; we’ll go the extra mile to see them. Today it was an 86 nautical mile round trip. One of Mark’s longest ever.
We’ve got some spring-y weather forecast for tomorrow, periods of rain likely throughout the day. If you prefer to stay dry, join me at 12:15pm on Ocean Magic II, she’s confirmed to go! If you need a shower, the first zodiac is at 10am!
By Jennifer Dickson
APR 10, 2014
LOCATION
HARO STRAIT, SECRETARY ISLAND
CONDITIONS
MIX OF SUN AND CLOUD
Today was an amazing example of how not only is every day different, but every trip is different as well.
In the morning we departed at 10:45am and sped up to Mandarte Island, where we had heard reports of killer whales earlier that morning. Unfortunately the whales never materialized, but Mandarte is such a cool spot it made for a great stop anyway. The island is quite isolated, and treeless. It serves as an ideal platform for nesting sea birds and is literally covered in cormorants, pigeon guillemots, gulls, and numerous other species, as well as their droppings.
Before Mandarte, we slowed down to check out an area teaming with activity. At first we couldn’t tell what was going on, there were just a bunch of gulls making a racquet. Turned out to be a Steller sea lion, wrestling with his lunch! It looked like a halibut, and this guy was just tearing it apart! The gulls took turns harassing him, trying to get a piece. What a show!
We also made a stop at Speiden Island to check out the sheep and a whole heap of harbour seals before returning on mirror smooth water to Victoria. The sun was streaming down and the ride couldn’t have been smoother; it was a relaxing, lovely trip.
Things changed a bit in the afternoon when we departed on our 2pm charter. We had a boatload of rowdy junior-high principals, looking to have some fun! There were multiple companies going out east, so we decided to be different and go west.
This made for a wildly different trip. It clouded over, the wind got cold and the waves picked up. The scenery out west is just so rugged, it was a perfect match to the new conditions. As we jogged along the shoreline we came up on Secretary Island. I always tell the story of the sea otter that moved in to Secretary Island last summer, and am ever-hopeful that he will return, but never expect to see him. Today he must have heard me, cause there he was! He entertained passengers rolling around, going on short dives, and grooming.
Obviously our last stop was Race Rocks for the sea lions, as well as at least 10 Elephant seals lined up in a row. They looked like the biggest sausages you’ve ever seen! What a delight.
On the way back in we spotted an abandoned cooler, so in an effort to reduce plastic waste in our oceans we pretended it was a man-overboard, conducted a drill, and hauled it in. It was, unfortunately, empty.
Ah well.
Zodiac tomorrow at 12pm
By Jennifer Dickson
APR 9, 2014
LOCATION
MORESBY ISLAND
CONDITIONS
SUNNY AND SLIGHT WIND
Skipper Rush is one of my favourites for supplying quotable comments. Though he barely tolerates my incessant questions when he comes back from a trip, and deplores ending up in my “report thing,” he’s always good for a snarky comment.
Today Rush flopped down in an office chair spun around and asked: “Why can’t all trips be like that?!” What made today so special? Well for Rush’s 1pm trip, everything just kind of clicked. We threw his trip together last minute (the bonus of on -demand departures) so he had a nice small group of 6 aboard. Everyone got really comfy and just had a fantastic time together, plus, y’know, killer wildlife never hurts. Rush had an amazing trip complete with Steller sea lions lounging on every side of Kelp Reef marker, a massive bald eagle perched on top, and not to mention, whales!
If you’ve been keeping up on facebook and twitter you’ll know we had transient killer whales today!
Mark’s 11am trip was the first out, and he sped up Haro Strait to investigate reports of orca around Moresby Island. He found two extremely handsome mature male killer whales. It’s hard to say exactly what makes a killer whale handsome, but everyone seems to agree on it. These were some good looking boys.
And everybody managed to catch up with these guys today!
Mark’s 11am passengers all came back beaming and hung out in the suit room for a good 20 minutes soaking up everything Mark had to say about their trip. They just couldn’t get enough.
Rush made some lifelong friends on his trip as well; I’m sure they’ll be back.
Mark hasn't returned from his 3pm yet (as I’m writing this.) He’s on his way home now, having gone the extra mile (or 10) and extending his trip to just over 3.5 hours in order to catch up with these whales as they head north.
Ocean Magic II is occupied with a charter in the afternoon tomorrow, so we’re bumping up her departure to 10:45, and it’s confirmed to go! Can't wait for my first 2 trip day of the season!
Zodiacs are going all day, but if you want to get in on this action don’t forget to call and make a reservation.
By Jennifer Dickson
APR 8, 2014
WILDLIFE
TRANSIENT ORCA, STELLER AND CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS
LOCATION
TRAIL ISLAND, RACE ROCKS
CONDITIONS
RAIN, CLOUD FOR 10 MIN, THEN MORE RAIN
Today was an absolutely splendid day, full of whales, sea lions, and just enough waves to make for a fun ride home.
As Captain Jeff, myself (first mate Jen), and naturalist Casey pulled away from the dock at 12:15, we knew there was something special in store. There were at least two different groups of transient killer whales reported today, with new information coming in all the time.
So off we went, into the rain. We could see the rest of the whale watching fleet near Race Rocks, but it was starting to look a bit crowded. Whenever possible we prefer to ease the viewing pressure on any one group of whales, and if possible, find our own to look at.
Scanning across the waterfront we found a tight knit little group of about seven transients! They were later identified as two family groups, the T36A’s and the T75B’s.
They calmly and slowly made their way towards Trial Island as we looked on with just two other boats. It was a beautiful, intimate experience, made quiet and still by the rain. Once at Trial Island the whales perked up a bit, picked up speed and made some quick direction changes. Perhaps they were thinking about going after some harbour seals!
Because they were so close to Victoria, we had plenty of time to check out Race Rocks Ecological Reserve as well. There we saw Steller sea lions in the water as well as hauled out, harbour seals and a couple of the fattest California sea lions Casey and I had ever seen! The feeding must be good, because these guys honestly looked like elephant seals. There were also a ton of cool birds in the reserve like pigeon guillemots, an immature bald eagle, and lots of harlequin ducks!
There were a few “No-Whale Standbys” on board today as well; we couldn’t have been happier to show them whales! Thanks for trying again guys!
Keep in mind our Ocean Magic trip is scheduled for 1pm tomorrow, instead of 12:15pm, and we’ve got some keeners booked on a 9am zodiac. Let’s see if the adage holds true that the early bird gets the worm. Or perhaps the early whale gets the seal!
By Jennifer Dickson
APR 3, 2014
LOCATION
HARO STRAIT
CONDITIONS
OVERCAST, WINDY
Victoria is a very special place (but I'm sure you know that!). It's perfectly situated to be sheltered as well as wild. But of course it’s only sheltered from specific directions, and today was one of those days where the wind is just coming from the wrong place.
The promise of rain and wind encouraged many bookings on Ocean Magic II today for her covered decks and stable ride. Even she was rocking and rolling a bit this afternoon, but I heard no complaints, just squeals of delight from the kids on board as we crashed through the waves.
Transient killer whales were reported early this morning, but conditions proved too challenging to get to where they were. Instead we opted for Haro Strait, where, once we got through the rough stuff, we were able to hide in the calm waters behind San Juan Island and search for animals.
Highlights of the trip included about 15 very curious Steller sea lions, heaps of harbour seals, and AT LEAST 20 bald eagles! Seriously, there was 9 on one rock!
Wind looks calmer tomorrow, and there’s even a sun in the forecast! Behind some clouds, but still. Let’s take what we can get.
Ocean Magic at 12:15pm, and zodiacs at 11am and 12pm tomorrow.
By Jennifer Dickson
APR 1, 2014
WILDLIFE
SEALS, SEA LIONS, BALD EAGLES
LOCATION
NORTH AND WEST
CONDITIONS
SUNSHINE AND CALM SEAS
Holy smokes, what a day! The weather does NOT get much better than that. And a perfect day to send Ocean Magic II on her maiden voyage of 2014!
The day started at 10am when Mallard took his sold out zodiac north into Haro Strait. I feel like I’ve been writing that phrase a lot lately, “sold out zodiac.” Or trips really do fill up fast, if you want to guarantee your spot, reservations are highly recommended at least the day before.
Rush joined him on the water at 11am, and this is where the advantage of having the most boats on the water really comes in to play. Mark had already gone north, so Rush opted to head west. Working together is the best way to ensure we cover as much water as possible.
At 12:15pm Ocean Magic roared to life! Actually, that’s not quite right. I wanted to add some drama, but Ocean Magic was running oh so smoothly, she really whirred to life... Whispered to life? Hummed to life? You get the idea. She’s back and looking good!
We also opted to head west in search of something as of yet unfound. What we did find were harbour porpoise, and all of the pinnipeds. We got everything native to the area that also has fins for feet: harbour seals, northern elephant seals, Steller sea lions, and excitingly, a California sea lion right inside the harbour!
Mark and Rush were equally lucky, each nabbing both sea lion species and tons of cool birds. Marie, our resident birder and on-board photographer, was having a blast ID-ing all sorts of rad species. From the regulars like pelagic cormorants, bald eagles, great blue herons, and rhinoceros auklets, to an unusual species of eider, and uncommon surf birds!
It was a great trip for me, totally awesome to be back on the water. My sea legs seem to be coming back, I remembered my most of my intro speech, I only wore two of the six layers I brought, annnnd I got sunburnt.
Excited for the first of many! (trips, not sunburns…actually who am I kidding? Sunburns too.)
We’re back at it tomorrow, see you on the water! Bring sunblock.
By Jennifer Dickson
MAR 28, 2014
LOCATION
RACE ROCKS
CONDITIONS
OVERCAST
I know I know, it rained a bit today, but hardly enough to talk about, and not on the water while we were out, so it made for a lovely afternoon.
It’s not often we talk about the man-made objects we see on the water, but today we found something rather interesting.
After a visit to Race Rocks to check out the usual suspects (including significantly more California sea lions than we’re used to seeing). Skipper Mark continued his 1pm zodiac west, when he spotted something pink and square floating in the water.
It was a drift card (pictured above). These are biodegradable cards, made of plywood, that were released from Turn Point on Stuart Island on March 23rd. This was a joint effort by Friends of the San Juans in the US and Raincoast Conservation Foundation and Georgia Strait Alliance in Canada, as part of a larger project to study the possible routes an oil spill might take. Turn Point was chosen because it represents an area at a higher risk of a tanker accident.
This card made it all the way down Haro Strait, past Victoria, Race Rocks Ecological Reserve and Sooke before Mark spotted it. It carries a simple message: This could be oil.
Mark has reported the location and time of his sighting in order to contribute to the study.
Keep your eyes out for these pink cards on beaches and report them if you see them.
We had another great day out there today, Mark said it was a spectacular wildlife trip, and included at least 4 pairs of Bald Eagles. Did you know Bald Eagles mate for life?
This weekend is off to a great start tomorrow with confirmed trips at 10am and 11am.
Don’t forget your rain jacket!
By Jennifer Dickson
MAR 27, 2014
LOCATION
HARO AND JUAN DE FUCA STRAITS
CONDITIONS
CLEAR AND CALM
While no feathered ducks were spotted on the water, today marked the return of zodiac skipper Mark Malleson, known by his radio handle of Mallard, and in the industry as the Duck Man.
Mark headed out on his 10am boat, keen to reacquaint himself with the wildlife of the Salish Sea. It seems our local fauna missed him as well, as Mark found Pacific white-sided dolphins within about 15 minutes of leaving the dock. And this wasn’t even the group we heard was reported this morning!
When Rush departed at 11am, he expected to find the same group; instead he found Dall’s porpoise, Harbour porpoise, and then ANOTHER group of white-sided dolphins! Mark found a good sized group of about 50 white-sides on his last trip of the day as well.
So what exactly is the difference between a dolphin and a porpoise? They both look like tiny whales.
The differences are pretty subtle, and range from tendencies to very specific characteristics that divide the two groups. Dolphins tend to be longer and leaner than porpoises, who tend to be shorter and stockier. As well dolphins tend to enjoy human company more, whereas porpoise are often shy, and as a result, rarely become part of marine mammal shows.
But those are just tendencies. How do we actually tell them apart?
Three key things. 1) Dolphins have curved “dolphin shaped” fins, porpoises have more triangular “shark shaped” fins. 2) Dolphins have conical (cone shaped) teeth, and porpoises have flat, spade shaped teeth. But the more noticeable difference is in the face. 3) Dolphins have long beaks that make them look like they’re smiling. Porpoise’s un-beaked faces by comparison paint the picture of a much less content animal.
We’ve got some wind forecast in the morning tomorrow, but everything looks good for our 1pm departure!
By Jennifer Dickson
MAR 26, 2014
WILDLIFE
ORCAS, STELLER SEA LIONS, BALD EAGLES, KITE SURFERS
LOCATION
PORT TOWNSEND, SPIEDEN ISLAND
CONDITIONS
SUNNY, GALE FORCE WINDS
Today was an exceptional example of just how different two trips on the same day can be. Wind and water are very changeable and animals move fast!
Mark was first out today at 11am. He took his zodiac, the Queen of Hearts in a bee line to Port Townsend. This is not an area we get to regularly as it’s a long trip, and unless there’s whales, there’s not a ton of other stuff nearby. Today, however, there were whales!
Mark followed reports of transients before the wind really started to pick up. People often assume that the morning trips are less likely to see whales, or are just scouting for later trips, but today proved this is not the case. Reports can come at any time of day, so it really doesn’t matter when you go. Mark also managed to pick up a pair of Pacific white sided dolphins today! I think it was my plug on facebook, pointing out that it’s US National Dolphin Day! They must be among my facebook followers. Are you?
When Ocean Magic II set out at 3:30pm, we knew we’d have some wind on our hands. Wind tends to build in the afternoon, particularity in the springtime, so we were unable to cut across the Juan de Fuca Strait to catch up with Mark’s whales.
Instead we sought shelter in Haro Straight where we found flat calm water around Spieden Island. We sat in a pool of still water serenely observing harbour seals, Steller sea lions, Mouflon sheep, and bald eagles. The sea lions were a treat for the senses: they were visible out of the water, vocalizing loudly, and oh so smelly.
The return trip pioneered two new services we’re thinking of offering. Sea salt facials, and the adventure roller coaster experience. It was wet and rough, if you catch my drift. But tons of fun! We also had marine mammals on the reutrn trip, kite surfers! Dozens of them off the waterfront! My deck was all smiles, and are eager to take advantage of our no whale guarantee.
We’ve got two zodiacs at 10am, Ocean Magic II at 12:15pm, and significantly less wind for tomorrow.
By Jennifer Dickson
MAR 25, 2014
WILDLIFE
STELLER SEA LIONS, HARBOUR SEALS, BALD EAGLES
LOCATION
RACE ROCKS
CONDITIONS
OVERCAST AND WINDY
We had severe wind forecast in the morning, which then dissipated quickly in the afternoon. Usually wind builds throughout the day, so Rush wasn’t entirely sure if the trip was going to go ahead. After careful assessment including checking wind predictions, tide tables, phoning friends on the water, and checking to see how keen his passengers were, Rush decided to go for it.
Needless to say, he had some major keeners on board. Upon his return, instead of encouraging passengers to visit Trip Advisor and review his performance as per usual, Rush announced he was going to write a review about the best passengers ever! These guys were great, and totally prepared (mentally and physically) to face everything the ocean threw at them. Which today was wind. Lots and lots of wind.
Rush’s word to describe the trip between Ogden Point and Race Rocks was “epic.” He said the waves were challenging, but nothing he couldn’t handle. Would’ve been a good training trip for newbie zodiac drivers though!
Once past Race Rocks they settled into some calmer seas. Rush even called to say they found some blue skies at one point!
But that wasn’t the only thing they saw; our old standby Race Rocks was once again piled high with life. Rush likened the waves around the island to that what you’d see white water rafting! It’s activity like this that gives Race Rocks its name, as the water races past the rocks, and also what gives it so much freaking life. Currents help keep nutrients suspended where it can be absorbed by algae and microscopic organisms that form the basis of the food chain.
The eagles were out in abundance again today (the bird, not the band I’m grooving to right now). We’ve lost track of how many there are, there’s that many.
Hardly any wind forecast for tomorrow!
Trip at 10am
By Jennifer Dickson
Mar 21, 2014
Whale & Wildlife Update
Here’s as report from the water at 1:45 p.m. today-- This week started out pretty exciting with sightings of 150+ Pacific white-sided dolphins, yesterday there were sightings of transient orcas as well as gray whales and humpbacks, and today we’ve seen a group of about a dozen playful Dall’s porpoises so far…. The weather looks great for whale & wildlife tours this weekend – send your guests our way! Cheers from the PWWA!
MAR 21, 2014
WILDLIFE
PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS, HARBOUR SEALS
LOCATION
WEST OF VICTORIA
CONDITIONS
SUNNY AND CLEAR
Yesterday was the first official day of spring, but it was today that really started to feel like peak season. The sun was shining, the winds were calm, and we sent out 3 sold-out zodiac tours.
Rush and Rhonda were the go to skippers today and together they combed the coast in search of cetaceans.
After all the recent activity in Haro Strait, Rush opted to go east for his 10am trip. The conditions were beautiful; incredible sunshine, no wind over 10kts, and just enough of a cold bite in the air to remind passengers that they are, in fact, still in Canada! Highlights of his tour were sea lions and bald eagles, EVERYWHERE.
Rhonda followed at 12pm and decided to check out the west. While in Race Passage admiring the sea lions she happened on a small group of Pacific white-sided dolphins. You’ve been hearing me freak out about these guys for a few days now, and it might be hard to see why. What makes them so cool? Well, obviously we love our regulars. You can’t beat orca for universal appeal, and there are not many animals that come close to humpbacks and grey whales for size; all the animals we have the opportunity to see here are breathtaking creatures. But as naturalists, we start to get used to the guys we see regularly, so when the opportunity presents itself to see something rare or unusual, we take it! And we talk about it for days or weeks or months or however long it takes for the next unusual thing to happen.
So these dolphins! Pacific white-sided dolphins were UNHEARD of in this area 30 years ago. Since then they’ve been increasingly more abundant. We’re not really sure why, but it might have something to do with changing ocean temperatures altering the distribution of their favourite prey species, like herring. Last year on Ocean Magic we spotted them on two separate occasions (both of which were my days off! Arg!) and the year before that, I believe they were only seen once. So, three sightings in five days? You better believe I’m stoked about it.
We’ve got two spaces left on our 10am tour (11am is sold out) and six spaces left on the 1pm tour.
We might have some showers tomorrow so dress accordingly, we’re going out rain or shine!
By Jennifer Dickson
MAR 20, 2014
WILDLIFE
ORCA, SEA LIONS, SEALS
LOCATION
HARO STRAIT
CONDITIONS
EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN!
I don't know if you guys poked you head outside at all today, but you may have seen the weather doing some weird things. Well, that's kind of how our day went... weird stuff all around.
It started out sunny, with a bit of wind. Our skipper Rush went out at 1pm with a full boat and headed off to investigate reports that came in it about 11:40. The report indicated someone had seen five simultaneous blows. A blow is the mist formed by a whale exhaling at the surface. The fact that they were simultaneous tells us this was five animals, not one animal surfacing five times. Despite a keen eye, Rush was unable to find whatever animals were teasing us by breathing so obviously.
He did however find a lone male transient killer whale! It's not unheard of to see a transient whale by themselves, but it's not a common sight. Typically killer whales are big mama's boys, and stay beside their mother their entire lives. Rush stayed with him for a few surfaces before he disappeared, then they went to check out the sea lions lazing around on the Kelp Reef marker.
After a brief rainstorm, hailstorm, sunshine, more rain, and 10 minutes of cloud, it was Rhonda's turn to head out. She slipped out as the tide's were changing, making for a very smooth ride. She went north and east, where all the goings on were reported, and managed to pick up Rush's lost whale! He popped up beside them at Kelp Reef as they were looking at the sea lions, while three bald eagles circled overhead.
So to recap: reports that did not lead to whales, a whale that appeared despite no reports, sunshine, rain, hail, cloud, wind and calm conditions. Did I mention the ocean was unpredictable?!
We already have two sold out trips tomorrow at 10am and 12pm! But don't worry, we can go out again at 1pm and/or 3pm as well! Just call for a reservation.
Happy Spring Equinox!
By Jennifer Dickson
MAR 18, 2014
WILDLIFE
PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS
LOCATION
HARO STRAIT
CONDITIONS
CALM, OVERCAST
We don’t usually eat our words at Prince of Whales. We pride ourselves on being straightforward and upfront about what we see.
Today however, I have to rescind a statement from yesterday. Our Skipper Rush made some wild proclamations, talking about how he’d never seen pacific white-sided dolphins acting so playfully, and how it was the best dolphin trip of his life. Today, those statements are untrue…
Because TODAY was the best dolphin trip of his life!
Don’t get me wrong, yesterday was spectacular, the dolphins were really intrigued by the boat and actively approached Rush on several occasions. Today however, they seemed more comfortable, instead of curious. And as a result they really dialed up the acrobatics. Several of Rush’s passengers remarked how “it was like an aquarium, except so so SO much better.”
If you didn’t see our video on facebook check it out right now! Go on…click here... I’ll wait, it’s only 46 seconds long.
Are you back? Awesome, cool stuff huh? Love the spectacular jump at 0:38. And as you can see the boat is stopped; these guys are just hanging out!
These are likely the same dolphins from yesterday. Seeing these animals in the Salish Sea is a treat, and two days in a row is just unheard of. Pacific white-sided dolphins have been returning to the area more and more in recent years, so hopefully sightings like this become more common!
We have some strong wind forecast for tomorrow so it’s unlikely we’re going to be able to go out, but stay tuned on facebook and twitter for up to date info.
We should be good to go on Thursday though, let’s see what we can find!
By Jennifer Dickson
MAR 17, 2014
WILDLIFE
PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS
LOCATION
HARO STRAIT
CONDITIONS
MIX OF WINDY AND CALM
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, one and all! We deal mostly with blue skies and blue ocean, but that doesn’t mean we don’t love green.
The luck of the Irish was with us today. If you follow us on Facebook or twitter you’ll already know what we saw today. If not, keep reading!
We knew the winds were going to be challenging today, they were forecast to come in strong out of the West. Our passengers were prepped and put in the capable hands of our skipper Rush, who was confident he could find some smooth water. Now, Rush’s radio handle is Guinness, so that should be your first clue that a St. Patrick’s Day treat was in store.
Travelling across the waterfront, Rush was met with some difficult conditions, but said an entirely new world opened up as he rounded the corner at Oak Bay. In Haro Strait the world was calm and clear, absolutely beautiful. The westerly wind was stopped by Vancouver Island so the whole strait was leeward (out of the wind).
This made for perfect spotting conditions. Rush said it was so calm and smooth that you could see about 30ft below the surface! And what exactly did he see in that crystal clear water?
The white sides of no fewer than 100 Pacific white-sided dolphins! This was the largest group Rush had ever seen, and the most playful. He said they zigzagged around the boat, rolling on their sides to get a good look at passengers before rapidly dispersing. Then, in a flash, they’d be back, or maybe it was new ones, taking turns to observe these big orange mammals bobbing in the surface world. We were the only boat on scene for the duration of the trip, and had an absolutely magical encounter. Rush stutters at the best of times, and I had to ask him to repeat himself at least three times before I even got the word “dolphin” because he was so excited after today’s trip!
I’m pretty sure he said "it was the best white sided dolphin trip of my whole life"!
Today’s trip also spied Steller sea lions lounging on the marker at Kelp Reef and eagles…eagles everywhere! There’s juveniles all over the place, it’s kind of ridiculous. We’re seeing usually 6-10 eagles per trip.
There’s no wind forecast for tomorrow, can’t wait to see what else is out there!
Confirmed trip at 12pm.
By Jennifer Dickson
MAR 13, 2014
WILDLIFE
CALIFORNIA & STELLER SEA LIONS, ELEPHANT SEAL
LOCATION
RACE ROCKS
CONDITIONS
MIX OF SUN AND CLOUD
Day 5 of predicted sunshine was… mostly sunny…? Let’s go with that. Majority sunny equals sunny. Thumbs up for environment Canada! I think that’s gonna be all we get as there was a noticeable chill that returned to the air today. Passengers off our 10am trip were grateful for the hot chocolate waiting for them in the suit room.
Another new old face returned to the zodiacs today as skipper Jeff took the wheel. Jeff has been driving zodiacs with us for years, and last year made the switch to the big boat. Oh Captain my Captain, Jeff is used to spending his days bossing me around on Ocean Magic, but today tapped into his roots and gave the little boats a go.
Today the birds and pinnipeds took centre stage, with a couple very cool animals making special appearances. The winds took Jeff west all the way to Otter Point to see if he could find any transient killer whales, as they seem to be liking that spot recently. The whales were not to be, but there were a couple surprises in store.
Jeff swung by Secretary Island which, once again, was covered in eagles! These things are breeding like rabbits. Adult eagles, immature eagles, and silly, fluffy little eagles. Hopping along branches and soaring through the air, these guys were a treat to behold.
Something that was a bit of a surprise today was a large collection of turkey vultures! Not anyone’s favourite bird, these guys are seriously underappreciated in the animal world. Any idea why they’re so ugly? Check out our twitter page for the answer tomorrow.
Race Rocks turned up our reliable swarm of California and Steller sea lions, along with a special, especially blubbery visitor: a Northern Elephant seal! These guys spend 90% of their life at sea, so to see one on land (or even near land) is a real treat. Nice one Jeff!
It’s looking unlikely that we’ll send a trip tomorrow as there is strong wind in the forecast, but stay tuned on facebook and twitter for updates.
Looking forward to the weekend!
By Jennifer Dickson
MAR 12, 2014
WILDLIFE
STELLER SEA LIONS, OSPREY, TRANSIENT KILLER WHALES
LOCATION
RACE ROCKS, MORESBY ISLAND
CONDITIONS
SUNNY AND CALM
Day 4 of predicted sunshine was a success! I love this ball of radiation hanging in the sky. Just makes my day so much brighter! Oh ya, I went there. I love me some puns.
Yesterday was so busy and awesome I didn’t have time to write a sightings report before I closed the office. But I know you guys wait with bated breath for my reports, so worry not! Here it is.
Today was a perfect example of two phenomena we try to explain to our passengers regularly. Just because whales are reported doesn’t mean we’ll find them, and just because whales aren’t reported, doesn’t mean they’re not out there.
Our 11am trip went out to investigate reports of killer whales west-bound off of Sooke. The reports indicated that they were swimming very quickly, so our Skipper Christian swung out wide in an attempt to get out ahead of them; but despite a keen eye and perfect spotting conditions, the whales never reappeared. Going out west is always a treat however as we get to visit a few special islands. One of these is Secretary Island which is always covered in bald eagles, and of course Race Rocks, which yesterday was positively swarming with Steller Sea Lions. Also spotted were even more bald eagles, seals, and the osprey!
After a quick change of passengers, Christian headed out again at 2pm. Some other companies joined us on the water for their first tip of the day and decided to go west to investigate the morning’s earlier report. Christian wanted to try something different, so he went east, despite no reports in that direction.
Taking a chance paid off, as Christian found 6-8 transient killer whales! There were 2 sub-adult males, meaning they hadn’t quite grown in to their mature dorsal fins and lots of females. The whales appeared to be feeding, which means they had just made a kill. This is an awesome time to catch them because they stay in the same spot and are very active. This boat was the only one to see whales yesterday.
Today was a perfect example of why we always send our trips out. Inevitably, there will be no whale days, and often people ask us “Why do you keep sending boats out if you know there are no whales out there?” This is why. We don’t pretend to “know” what the whales are doing at any given time. And of course they’re out there! We just have to find them.
We’re going to find them today at 10am.
By Jennifer Dickson
MAR 9, 2014
WILDLIFE: TRANSIENT ORCA, SEA LIONS
LOCATION: SHERINGHAM
CONDITIONS: PARTLY CLOUDY
I have to admit I was confused this morning. I woke up (somewhat anxiously, cause admit it, with daylight savings time, you can never be sure exactly what time it is), checked the forecast and saw something strange. It was this, this…thing… It’s yellow, round, with triangles pointing out all around. I wasn’t sure what it was meant to signify, but some part of me remembered it from long ago, back in the summer, and remembered that it was good. So on I went with my day, and then it hit me… SUNSHINE! We have sunshine forecast all week! Today was day one of our week of “sunshine” (I’m including quotes because it’s Victoria, let’s not get carried away) and we celebrated with 2 zodiac trips and some exotic visitors. And no, I’m not talking about the Japanese exchange student that joined our 2pm. Rush was first out at 11am and he sped out west to check out reports of killer whales. These reports came from none other than our fabulous skipper Rhonda, also called Lady Hawk, for her hawk eyes. She spotted the whales from land, cause that’s what we do in our time off. The secret is out. We’re giant whale nerds. Deal with it.
It was a long run and the whales were heading West, but Rush pulled together an unreal trip. Highlights included, rarely seen California transient killer whales, just enough waves to show his passengers what makes a zodiac so freakin fun, calm conditions around the whales, and to top it off, a rainbow. Because of the whales’ position, our second skipper Matt couldn’t catch up with them on his 2pm trip; you just never know what direction these guys are going to be going. Instead he found lots of cool stuff for the bird enthusiasts! Matt got a blue heron, several juvenile bald eagles including one “real young’un” as he called it, harlequin ducks, mergansers, AND pelagic cormorants! The blue heron was showing its breeding colours, sporting a bright and beautiful orange bill. As far as mammals go, Matt spent lots of time in Race Rocks ecological reserve observing the harbour seals and massive Steller sea lions that haul out there. Two polar opposite trips in one day! Rush made a big, well…rush, out west to catch a glimpse of some killer whales, while Matt focussed on the wide variety of life we have scattered around the area. There’s only a little bit of rain trying to hide that enthusiastic ball of sunshine in the forecast tomorrow. Let’s see what else is in store! Confirmed trip at 1pm tomorrow.
By Jennifer Dickson
MAR 9, 2014
3 Gray Whales Today! We watched a bald eagle perched on a piling at Jetty Island to start out our day. We headed northward toward Hat Island looking for whales in the mist then we turned toward the ferry traffic lanes at Whidbey Island. Tyson was the hero today, searching from the back of the boat, as he he spotted two gray whale blows about a mile away! They had long down times but they were fluking a lot which allowed us to identify them quickly. It turned out that we had #531, and #723. That's our first spotting of these two whales this year! Soon after identifying those two we spotted another whale close to Hat Island. It was #56, and it was our first time seeing him this year too! He had long down times so we headed back over to watch our first two whales as they entered into the shallows and started to feed. We saw lots of tail flukes in the air as they fed side by side, and one of the whales raised his head high out of the water on several occasions! We followed them until they swam out into deeper water before we cruised over to look at #56 again. By this time he had swam over toward the mainland. It's great to know that we have at least 4 gray whales in the area now! Other wildlife we spotted today included harbor seals, harbor porpoise, California sea lions, western grebes, red breasted mergansers, pigeon guillemots, barrows goldeneyes, surf scoters, various cormorants, and Brant. Exciting day! Naturalist Bart Rulon.
MAR 8, 2014
The Island Explorer 3 finds Little Patch again! Great day out on the water with really nice looks at #53, Little Patch. More to come with photos soon! We had a full boat of hearty whale-watchers today as we left the dock from Everett. The rain fell throughout the day, but the projected winds never came and the temperature was just fine, making this a nice day on the water. We spotted a mature bald eagle on a root-ball as we started out. Next, we visited a California sea lion on a navigation marker near the marina. We spotted some small fins in the current lines, which turned out to be some hybrid porpoise. Capt. Carl was the man today, as he found our buddy, #53 aka Little Patch, near the Clinton ferry terminal. He traveled southbound for our entire visit, showing his flukes on nearly every deep dive. After spending quite a bit of time with Little Patch we cruised on home for the day. We are definitely excited to have him back! - Capt. Michael Colahan
Mar 5, 2014
Whale & Wildlife Update
As I write this on Friday morning, there are transients on the west side and the Gray's are coming! Like clockwork, #53 -- nicknamed "Little Patch" -- is the first gray whale to show up in the northern part of Puget Sound for the second year in a row! 22,000 gray whales make the 6,000 mile trip from Baja California to Alaska. Around eleven make a pit stop here in our area to feed on ghost shrimp. Very impressive animals, around 50' in length and weighing around 40 tons. Our Southern Resident orcas known as J pod, along with L87 Onyx, have been in the Salish Sea this week, but last reports indicate that they were heading for the ocean. We're still seeing tons of sea lions, seals, porpoise, eagles and loads of beautiful seabirds that are still showing off their winter colors. Don't forget to check out SJIVB & PWWA's website to see who's running trips. And check out “Kiss the Sky, the Orca Freedom Concert” in Seattle on Earth Day!
MAR 2/3, 2014
WILDLIFE: TRANSIENT ORCA, SEA LIONS, SEALS
LOCATION: WEST OF VICTORIA
CONDITIONS: OVERCAST, SOME RAIN
Sunday concluded the final day of BAT – Be A Tourist in your own hometown, and what a weekend it was! We sent out 3 full boats every day of the promotion as locals and tourists alike took in all the West Coast has to offer. Highlights of the weekend included a playful sea otter, curious California sea lions, and two different groups of transient killer whales! Skippers Mark and Rhonda tag-teamed the event and both remarked on what an amazing winter we’ve had for whale sightings. As time goes on it only gets better! Bookings are starting to reflect that here in the office; once we hit March, people start to realize just how close summer actually is! Today Mark took to the calmest seas we’ve had in a while in search of resident killer whales; but today just goes to show how evasive these animals can be. We had an indication the residents might be around this morning as they could be heard vocalizing on a microphone submerged in San Juan Islands. Apparently however they headed in an unexpected direction and despite multiple spotters on land, working with other boats in the water, and having the most experienced guide in the industry at the helm, no one was able to locate them. There was enough time however to visit one of the staples of our winter trips, the sea lion haul out. These are rocks where sea lions regularly heavy their blubbery bodies to bask in the… well sunshine I guess, not that we’ve had much recently! All of Mark’s passengers were incredibly happy with their trip, with one woman even remarking, when asked about not seeing whales: “Well that’s the BEAUTY of it, isn’t it? We only see them when they want to be seen; and the sea lions were just lovely. Can’t wait to try again!” We’re going to try again tomorrow at 10.
MAR 1, 2014
WILDLIFE: TRANSIENT ORCA, SEA OTTER
LOCATION: RACE ROCKS
CONDITIONS: WINDY, PERIODS OF SNOW
BAT lives to fight another day! Today was another roaring success with Be A Tourist in your own hometown. $50 whale watching is just too good a deal to pass up! We sent out 3 zodiacs full of locals and tourists alike, keen for an adventure. Our 11am trip was first off the dock this morning, driven by Mark, who was determined to "bag a whale". And he did! Mark spotted a lone transient orca feeding in Beecher Bay. T124C is a young male who travels by himself. This is one of the ways to tell resident orca from transient orca; they are physiologically similar, but it would be very unusual to see a resident all by themselves. Transients are mammal eating whales, and while Mark’s boat looked on, T124C consumed at least two harbour seals! Rhonda joined the waves at 12pm and caught up with Mark around Race Rocks. Her passengers were absolutely thrilled with their whale sighting; they spent ages in the suit room after their trip, sipping hot chocolate and grilling Rhonda for every last bit of information she had on whales. And singing her praises obviously. Conditions were challenging and her passengers appreciated Rhonda’s expert boat handling. Mark second trip at 2pm were unable to catch up with T124C but instead got a great look at one of our rare visitors; a sea otter! This little guy put on a show, rolling around in the water and grooming himself. Sea otters are uncommon in the area, but we’re hoping they’re making a comeback. Not only is every day different here, but every trip! Come out and get to know our other locals! Trips on the books for tomorrow: 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm
MAR 1, 2014
First Trip of the Year! First Whale of the Year! We kicked off our 2014 season today with a trip out of Everett to look for whales. Gray whales are the animals we see most often in the spring, and today did not disappoint. We traveled down to Possession Point and Tyson found our first official whale of the year. It was gray whale #53, who I nicknamed 'Little Patch' many years ago. He was feeding in about 50 feet of water during our visit with him. He showed us his tail on multiple occasions during deeper dives. We also saw Steller sea lions, harbor seals, and several bald eagles today. Stoke on a great start of the year! Pictures to come soon. - Michael Colahan
FEB 28, 2014
WILDLIFE: CALIFORNIA AND STELLER SEA LIONS, HARBOUR SEALS
LOCATION: WEST OF VICTORIA
CONDITIONS: WINDY, OVERCAST
Here's a quiz question for you: what do BAT's have to do with whales? If you said: “they both have an extra sense called echolocation, which is an amazing example of convergent evolution that works by the animal emitting sounds and creating an image based on the sound waves that bounce back”… well that’s impressive that you know that, and weird that you knew exactly what I was going to say, but not the answer we were looking for. No, the answer is that you can use BAT’s to go and see whales for just $50! How you ask? BAT is short for Be A Tourist in your own hometown: a promotion encouraging locals to explore the amazing things that tourists come from all over to see and do! Anyone can take advantage of this amazing deal, locals and out-of-towners; simply purchase a coupon passport from Tourism Victoria, then call our office to make a reservation, and present the coupon at the time of booking. Zodiac trips have a regular price of $110; which means BAT is saving you 55%! Let’s hear it for BAT! And bats. Bats are pretty awesome too. Today we sent out 3 zodiacs full of excited passengers, and everyone aboard came back beaming. The winds picked up in the early afternoon making it a wild and wet ride, but as temperatures rise coming out of our recent cold snap, no one was too worried about the extra moisture. When asked about the trips, Skipper Rhonda said the winds peaked and then died down making her morning and afternoon trips ideal. Her passengers were treated to “tons of Steller sea lions, dozens, if not hundreds of harbours seals, many of them yearlings and obvious pregnant females, and some very friendly and curious California sea lions who seemed keen on exploring the boat.” Many passengers remarked that just the boat ride was worth $50. Trips are filling up fast! Many people are making same day bookings, so be sure to come early so you don’t miss out! Trips times for tomorrow: 11:00am, 12:00pm, and 2:00pm Trip times for Sunday: 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm and 2:00pm
FEB 27, 2014
WILDLIFE: DALL'S PORPOISE, ELEPHANT SEALS, SEA LIONS, SEALS, AND BALD EAGLE
LOCATION: BETWEEN VICTORIA AND EAST SOOKE
CONDITIONS: SUNNY WITH CLOUDS, LITTLE TO NO WIND
For many people, especially those local to Victoria, the concept of whale watching is quite familiar. You may have seen the bright yellow boats leaving the inner harbour on a regular schedule throughout the year or coming back from an afternoon adventure in the fall. Most people are aware that a wide variety of marine mammal and bird species are available to be seen in the waters near to Victoria and Vancouver, but when we begin to talk about exactly where the specific species are seen and how often they are seen, that is when people often draw a blank. The truth is, many species (including orca) remain abundant in our waters throughout the year. While some species, such as resident orca and humpback will undoubtedly leave the area, other species such as transient orca will remain. The time of year and the presence of an abundant food source greatly impacts which species you are most likely to see. The frequency in which you are likely to see them on a whale watching trip is generally related to these factors as well as the overall search effort (or the number of boats that are on the water). Our motto is that you will never see whales if you don’t leave the dock! Just yesterday, one of our local resident killer whale pods was seen heading north past San Juan Island. Today, we saw a wide variety of marine wildlife including a large group of energetic Dall’s porpoise playing friendlily behind the wake behind the zodiac. As well, guests on our tours today were able to capture fantastic photos of a few gargantuan Elephant seals battling for position on the rocks at Race Rocks Ecological Reserve. Today marked the start of an amazing annual event called “Be a Tourist in your own Hometown”. Join us today (Feb 27th) through Sunday (March 2nd), and purchase a “Be a Tourist Passport” from one of the many participating locations. With it, you are entitled to a $50 flat rate for a 2.5 - 3 hours whale watching tour (Regular $110 value). This document, worth only $12.50, is full of great discounts on local attractions such a Butchart Gardens and fantastic restaurants throughout the city. We will be whale watching a couple of times each day for the next 3 days, with departure times available at 10am, 11am, 1pm, and 2pm. Give us a call and ask us about what you can expect to see! Space is limited and reservations are strongly suggested if you want to guarantee your spot.
FEB 20, 2014
Whale & Wildlife Update
It's been a wild & wet kind of week with high winds and bigs seas around the San Juan and Gulf Islands, making it almost impossible to safely view our resident orcas known as J-Pod that have been in the area along with L87 Onyx who travels by J2 Granny's side. Transient orcas have also been seen this week along with two gray whales down in the Puget Sound. Over 200 pacific white sided dolphins were spotted by one of the BC ferries around Active Pass, and they were coming this way! Very exciting stuff... Other wildlife in the area include sea lions, seals, porpoise, eagles and tons of seabirds. Most whale & wildlife companies are getting ready for the busy season and will be starting tours in March, a few operate year round. Enjoy the quiet season and book a tour today. You can see who's running tours by checking out the PWWA and SJIVB's websites.
FEB 10-14, 2014
Whale & Wildlife Update
Gray Whales Are Heading This Way! Definitely a great start to the week - hearing our Southern Residents known as J-Pod on the Lime Kiln hydrophones on Monday. We think they were hanging around in the Straits of Juan De Fuca, but with the high winds and rough seas this week it was hard to tell. transient orcas are still being seen, with the most recent sightings down in the Puget Sound and up in the Nanaimo BC area. I forgot to mention last week that maybe as many as 200+ Pacific white-sided dolphins were reported by one of the BC Ferries, with about a dozen transient orcas chasing them. A mother and calf gray whales have also been seen this week. (See story below.) Sea lions, seals, porpoise, eagles and seabirds are being seen on almost every trip. Check out the SJIVB and the PWWA websites to see who's running trips, and tell your guests and friends to come out and visit the real sea world!
The Associated Press / Jan 6, 2014
PWWA WINTER REPORTS!
WINTER WHALE and WILDLFE REPORT from Capt. Jim Maya, : FEB 17, 2014 / Here are some images (above) of our encounter with J-Pod today in Haro Strait, ten minutes from our dock at Snug Harbor. We saw Granny (J2) for sure and it seemed that all of the Js were there. L87 was also there. Jeanne Hyde has prepared a about the journey of L87 from L-Pod to K-Pod to J-Pod. Very interesting!
WINTER WHALE and WILDLFE REPORT from Capt. Hobbes Buchanan, : FEB 15 - FEB 20, 2014 / It's been a wild & wet kind of week with high winds and bigs seas around the San Juan and Gulf Islands, making it almost impossible to safely view our resident orcas known as J-Pod that have been in the area along with L87 Onyx who travels by J2 Granny's side. Transient orcas have also been seen this week along with two gray whales down in the Puget Sound. Over 200 Pacific white-sided dolphins were spotted by one of the BC Ferries around Active Pass, and they were coming this way! Very exciting stuff. Other wildlife in the area include sea lions, seals, porpoises, eagles and tons of seabirds.
WINTER WHALE and WILDLFE REPORT from : FEB 10, 2014 / Exciting news from Edmonds on Sunday, February 10th: the first Gray whale showed up in the area. Craig Smith, of Edmonds, was fortunate to capture this great shot (above) of the whale breaching near the Edmonds Senior Center. This is great news!! We are hoping that this is a sneak peak of a great season to come :)
WINTER WHALE and WILDLFE REPORT from : FEB 8, 2014 / Wildlife: Resident Killer Whales / Location: Race Rocks / Conditions: Cold and Clear. // Intelligent animals have a way of making you eat your words; usually by doing things you’ve just said they never do. Orca are top of the spectrum as far as intelligence goes, and today…well let’s just say my words were delicious. It seems they were listening when I told passengers that if we found whales, they would probably be transient orca. Perhaps it was because of all the attention transients have been getting recently (check out our Twitter or Facebook for a link to spectacular video of transients hunting Pacific white-sided dolphins), but whatever the reason, the residents have returned! Skipper Rhonda and her side-kick Mark took to the frozen water at 1pm today with a gang of furiously gung-ho passengers. Doing their best impressions of the Michelin Man, our bundled up group waddled down to the dock, keen for an adventure. Stopped at one of our favourite spots, Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, to take in the sea lion haul-out, Rhonda spotted blows in the distance. And a lot of them. Mark thought it might have been a mirage, or possibly just wishful thinking, but as they drew nearer there was no mistaking them… J-Pod! Back in the suit room, as guests warmed their hands around cups of hot chocolate they recounted their experiences. Killer whales, harbour seals, Steller sea lions and bald eagles were appreciated by all. And as feeling was regained in fingers and toes, everyone repeated the words that truly sum up the winter wildlife experience: worth it.
WINTER WHALE and WILDLFE REPORT from Capt. Hobbes Buchanan, : FEB 7, 2014 / J-Pod on the hydrophones last night!
WINTER WHALE and WILDLFE REPORT from Capt. Hobbes Buchanan, : FEB 6, 2014 / We have had a couple of transient orca sighting this week, with more being heard on the hydrophones. The biggest challenge has been the high winds and rough seas making spotting whales and wildlife almost impossible. Gray whales are off the Oregon Coast heading this way. We also had an unconfirmed report of a mother and calf down in the Puget Sound area. Sea lions are abundant at Green Pt., Whale Rocks, Kelp Reef, Race Rocks and East Pt. Seals, porpoise, eagles are also in our area. We are beginning to see lots and lots of seabirds which means a good amount of bait fish must be here, let's hope so, it could be a good year for humpbacks and gray whales. Don't forget to check out the San Juan Island Visitors Bureau and the PWWA's websites to see who's still running.
WINTER WHALE and WILDLFE REPORT from Capt. Hobbes Buchanan, : JAN 30, 2014 / Transient orcas were spotted last night by the Edmonds ferry dock heading this way! The resident orcas have been hanging around out by Neah Bay, too far for us to go. But we are still seeing tons of other wonderful wildlife including large groups of Steller sea lions, seals, harbor porpoise, very playful Dall's porpoise, elephant seals, eagles, seabirds, and exotic wildlife on Spieden Island.
WINTER WHALE and WILDLFE REPORT from Capt. Hobbes Buchanan, : JAN 29, 2014 / Well it had to happen, this is the first week since summer when I started writing these articles, that I haven't had any nearby whale sightings of any kind! The resident orcas have been hanging around out by Neah Bay, way too far for us to go. But we are still seeing tons of other wonderful wildlife including large groups of Steller sea lions, seals, harbor porpoise, very playful Dall's porpoise, elephant seals, eagles, seabirds, and exotic wildlife on Spieden Island.
WINTER WHALE and WILDLFE REPORT from Capt. Hobbes Buchanan, : JAN 26, 2014 / Orcas are still being spotted in our area! J pod, along with Onyx L87 -- who travels by J2 Granny's side since his mother died -- were down in the Puget Sound area for most of this week, then on the 19th the J's met up with part of L pod known as the L12's who came down from the north at Lime Kiln Point State Park. Jeanne Hyde recorded vocalizations of the residents with transients being heard in the distance, awesome stuff! Then the two groups went back down to the Sound. On Wednesday they came back up past Whidbey Island and are now out around the Neah Bay area. And we still get the occasional report by Captain Jack and crew on the inter-island WA State Ferry of transient mammal-eating orcas, with the last sighting being in the Pt. Caution area of San Juan Channel. Another group of transients was spotted up in Cowichin Bay, BC. Other wildlife still being seen include sea lions, sea lion pups being nursed by their mothers, seals, harbor porpoise, Dall's porpoise, elephant seals, eagles, and tons of seabirds.
WINTER WHALE and WILDLFE REPORT from Capt. Hobbes Buchanan, : JAN 16, 2014 / The week started off with transient orcas spotted late in the day in San Juan Channel at Pt. Caution, and today, Thursday, our Southern Resident orcas were heard on the Lime Kiln lighthouse hydrophones at 5:45 am. It could be an orca kind of weekend! There’s tons of other wildlife to see out on the water even if orcas are not present, like seals, sea lions, harbor porpoise, Dall's porpoise, eagles, seabirds and the exotic wildlife on Spieden Island.
WINTER WHALE and WILDLFE REPORT from Capt. Hobbes Buchanan, : JAN 9, 2014 / Our Southern Resident orcas known as K-Pod came out of the Puget Sound, turned left, and went out to sea a couple of days ago. J-Pod looked like they were going with them, but they said good bye at Race Rocks and turned around and headed north. They are north of Nanimo, BC at the moment pointed south. So they might be showing up in our area tomorrow. No sign of L-Pod, they are most likely off-shore also. Other wildlife in our area include seals and sea lions, including a first-ever sighting that I know of - a female mother and pup nursing at Whale Rocks! Usually we only see males there. Also, we have been seeing very playful Dall's porpoise and harbor porpoise. Harbor porpoise tend to be shy, but this week I saw a full out-of-the-water breach and some very frisky behavior that tends to happen when they are mating; also reported this. Eagles galore and tons of seabirds are around including some very colorful harlequin ducks. Don't forget to tell your guests to come and visit the real SeaWorld - the San Juan Islands! Cheers from the PWWA.
WINTER WHALE and WILDLIFE REPORT from : JAN 4, 2014 / Wildlife: Resident Killer Whales / Location: Sooke / Conditions: Sunshine, Calm Waters. // Crisp weather usually means clear skies and asmooth ride for our passengers, and today was no exception. Our ever-enthusiastic and always-awesome skipper Rush took a sold-out zodiac into the serene Salish Sea at 1pm this afternoon. Everyone bundled up against the cold and set out for an adventure. They were not disappointed! As the boat unloaded all you could see was rosy cheeks and huge grins. People never know what to expect on a winter tour, and this group was pleasantly surprised. Capt. Rush had found resident killer whales off of Sooke! Specifically, members of K-Pod, whom he said were traveling extremely quickly. They were making their way towards Victoria, so we're keeping our fingers crossed that they will bein the area for our 1pm trip tomorrow.
WINTER WHALE and WILDLFE REPORT from Capt. Hobbes Buchanan, : JAN 3, 2014 / Just when I thought that this was going to be my first wildlife update with no orca sightings to report, our resident J- and K-Pod orcas showed up along with transient orcas. Talk about bringing in the New Year with a bang! The weather has been a bit warmer and some boats are still doing tours, and will continue all winter. Other wildlife in the area includes very playful Dall's porpoise, harbor porpoise, seals, sea lions, eagles, seabirds, and exotic wildlife on Spieden Island. Cheers from the PWWA.
Compiled by Capt/Naturalist and Naturalist
NOV
17
Last Trip of 2013... How About a Superpod of Orcas!!!
After running over 250 trips this year, our season has come to an end. And what a way to end 2013. The wind and rain were whipping through the marina at Cap Sante as we boarded our passengers. This was a hearty group, dressed for November and ready to search for whales. We saw harbor porpoise and harbor seals in Rosario Strait. A mature bald eagle was perched on a tree at Willow Island. We continued west through the San Juan Islands when Capt. Carl did a quick 180 degree turn. The word came in from another captain, a few orcas were near Friday Harbor, San Juan Island. We cruised into that area, thankful for the call. A few orcas turned into many, many orcas as we realized we had a superpod of resident orcas! We were surrounded by whales and they were putting on quite the show! One whale breached right next to the boat, followed by multiple breaches in the distance. We identified animals from all three pods including Granny, the 102 year old leader of JPod as she made a close pass by the boat. So great to see her! Spy-hops to the left. Tail-lobs to the right. Breaching whales on both sides of the boat. INCREDIBLE! We stayed with the whales for a long time, thrilled to spend the day with such magnificent animals. After seven years and well over 1100 trips out on the water in this region, it never gets old for me to see the resident orcas. They feel like family, and we are truly blessed to catch a glimpse of their lives, in their world. We branched off and visited Whale Rocks near Salmon Bank, where we watched over a dozen Steller sea lions hauled out on the rocks. Another dozen plus animals were swimming close to the boat as well. Two mature bald eagles were also perched on the rocks. We moved back to the whales as they entered Cattle Pass and they sure gave us the 2013 Grand Finale! The whales went off, double-breaches and cartwheels were seen as we waved goodbye to the whales and another fantastic season! -Michael Colahan
NOV
9
Humpbacks in Canada!
We had a really nice trip today, with a hearty group of passengers, and a great variety of animals. We left the dock today without a lick of wind. No rain for us either, as we enjoyed a very nice weather day out in the Salish Sea. We saw several common loons and some harbor porpoise in Guemes Channel. Two Steller sea lions popped up pushing against the current in Rosario Strait. One of them had something it was feeding on, but never brought it back to the surface. We cruised out to the west in the nice conditions and finally found a whale way out near Race Rocks, B.C. This was a small humpback whale that showed it's tail on the first round of looks. He became pretty shy, and we continued on to look for more. It paid off with sightings of another humpback north toward the Victoria waterfront. This whale spent more time at the surface and gave us some nice, close looks for sure. A mature bald eagle swooped in close by to perhaps try to grab a meal out of the water as we waited for the whale to resurface. We had a long trip out, so turned back to the east to head home, always looking for more wildlife. We spotted some Dall's porpoise near Salmon Bank, and some of them engaged and rode the bow wake for a few minutes! We ended our trip, thankful for such good weather and wildlife, only a few more trips left for the season!
OCT
27
Orcas in October!
The weather was really nice for our trip today, with the fog lifting and calm seas. The sun even came out for the second half of the trip! We traveled west into Canada today and caught up with a group of transient orcas who were moving west. Along the way we saw harbor porpoise in Rosario Strait. A harbor seal was bombarded by some gulls as he brought his lunch, a big chunk of salmon, to the surface. We saw common loons, a Pacific loon, common murres, and some surf scoters in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The orcas we saw were two sisters and their families, the T46B's and T46C's. Both moms have young calves, and one of the highlights of the day was watching the youngsters pop up right next to mom. At one point, they changed direction and swam close to the boat, giving us a great look! We turned to head home and Capt. Carl pointed out a group of at least a hundred harbor porpoise near Salmon Bank. A report came in at the end of the day that many, many orcas were headed in from the Pacific Ocean, so stay tuned and make sure to join us for one of our weekend trips!
OCT
23
Foggy fluke day
We got off the dock, with high hopes that the fog would dissipate quickly. We saw some harbor porpoise right off the bat in Guemes Channel. We saw several different species of birds throughout our journey, including: common murres, the three cormorants species (double-crested, pelagic and Brant's), pigeon guillemots and black oystercatchers. When we slowed down at Minor Island, about a dozen black oystercatchers took flight and were making all sorts of calls! There were also several harbor seals hauled out along the shoreline. We continued on our search today, slowing down and making stops at the major banks in the area. We used our eyes, ears and noses to try and find a whale today. We saw a few more harbor porpoise and harbor seals throughout the day. We broke out into the sunshine when we entered back into Bellingham Channel and Guemes Channel. The fog cleared and we could see Mt. Baker, Guemes Island, Cypress Island, Fidalgo Island and Orcas Island. We searched on the way back to the dock, but we didn't see a whale on our trip today. Our customers get to join us again, for life, until they see a whale! It was a flat calm, crisp fall day out on the water!
OCT
20
Orca Superpod!
Another spectacular day on the water today! Just like yesterday, the fog stayed clear and we had flat calm water conditions!
The trip began with a great blue heron on the breakwater of the marina and several common loons in the water. We had some pretty close looks at a few harbor porpoise as they swam through the waters of Guemes Channel. We made our way to the south and did a slow down at the south end of Colville Island and found some harbor seals hauled out, warming up. We continued to the west on our search. There were a few different bait balls that we encountered, but nothing big showed up to feed. On the west side of San Juan Island, we found orcas! It turned out to be members of all three fish-eating orca pods! Some of the whales we were able to identify were: Mega, Mystery, Nigel, Mike, Alki, Slick and Echo. The whales were incredibly spread out. A couple of the whales were engaged in some adult behavior. We had a couple of great passes as two different groups of whales decided to do a little people watching. The first group that gave us a "swim-by" was Mystery, Nigel and a female. The next group that wanted to check us out was Slick's family: Slick, Mike, Alki and Echo. We were also in for a different treat today! Captain Shane and Captain Carl were delivering the newest member of the Island Adventures fleet to Anacortes! The new boat, soon to be renamed, the Island Explorer 4, got her first look at orcas in the Salish Sea today! We are all so excited for next season, when we can debut the new boat! Eventually, we had to head back toward home port, but not before making a quick stop by Whale Rocks to visit with some Steller sea lions! There were some playful sea lions today, making lots of noise and fighting a bit. We did a slow down through the south end of Lopez Island and Swirl Rocks and Castle Rock. We had a mature bald eagle perched on Swirl Rocks and another one perched in a tree on Lopez. We made our way home after another wonderful day with the wildlife!
OCT
20
Dall's porpoise and two minkes with no fog!
We had a great day on the water today! The fog dissipated really quickly and we had great visibility with calm water conditions all day!
Our day began with a common loon as we exited the marina. As we rounded the corner of Cap Sante, there were 14 more common loons in a raft! We hadn't seen that many loons together in a while! We saw several harbor porpoise in the waters of Rosario Strait and Guemes Channel. There were two great blue herons on Guemes Island, one even took flight! Then Captain Michael spotted a mature bald eagle, also in flight! We headed to the south on our search. At Bird Rocks, there were a few harbor seals hauled out on the rocks and another mature bald eagle perched on the National Wildlife Refuge sign. We got out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the fog continued to burn off! We did a sweep down to the south on our search. We caught up with two different groups of Dall's porpoise. The first group didn't want to engage with the boat, but the second group was a different story! The second group rode both our bow and stern wake for a few minutes! It was awe-inspiring to see the fastest cetaceans, actually slow down to enjoy our wake! Absolutely incredible! As we approached Middle Bank, we spotted a big group of birds actively feeding on a bait ball! We were in luck, because a minke whale also thought that bait ball was a great spot to stop for lunch! He was surfacing repeatedly right amongst the birds, causing them all to take flight. It was amazing to see such a frenzy of feeding action! There were so many birds and this active feeding went on for quite some time. Then Tyson spotted our minke a little further to the south, apparently, he had his fill of bait fish for the moment! The birds were still going crazy, but our minke continued on his way, in the wrong direction. We had to head back toward homeport. We found numerous Steller sea lions hauled out on Whale Rocks! We could hear them grunting and growling. We even were privileged to be down wind of these incredibly stinky animals! One of our passengers found another minke whale for us to hang out with for a few minutes, before he too, headed in the wrong direction. We did a nice slow down through the south end of Lopez Island and Castle Rock before we eventually made our way back to Anacortes. What a wonderful fall day out in the Salish Sea! No fog and a plethora of wildlife!
OCT
13
Humpback and a minke in our backyard!
We had a special day today with a whale right in our backyard! We put out the search right away for whales as we normally do. Not long after leaving the dock we got word from our friends on the water taxi about a large exhalation to the north in Rosario Strait. The crew searched and searched until we also saw the large blow of a humpback whale! We were stoked! We spent hours with this whale and saw many different behaviors, including pectoral fin slaps and a tail throw. We eventually left and Capt. Carl spotted another whale, a minke. This whale was pointed at some birds that we're feeding on bait fish. After some looks we visited some seals hauled out on the rocks before catching up with our humpback again. He was lined up with Mt. Baker in the background and brought his tail out of the water on a deep dive to say goodbye. What a day!
OCT
12
All the way out to Race Rocks to find a humpback whale!
Great October weather was on tap for our trip today! We headed out with cool, crisp temperatures and sun. We traveled west past Victoria, Canada to see a humpback whale today. Along the way we saw harbor porpoise and harbor seals and even a quick look at some Dall's porpoise in the distance. Our humpback friend gave us some nice looks in the calm seas. We got home late today, having gone the extra miles to see the biggest whale you can see in this region!
OCT
8
Island Explorer 3 finds the Orcas...again!
Our trip today took us south into the Strait of Juan de Fuca toward Canada to look for whales. We saw porpoise in Rosario Strait and some harbor seals at Colville Island. One of the seals had a big chunk of salmon it was thrashing around with at the surface. We traveled out near the US/Canada border when Capt. Carl spotted something in the distance to the south. The waters were a bit choppy, so we strained to find out what it could have been. It turned out to be orcas! They were tough to spot at first, as the little ones were getting lost in the waves, but we soon dialed them in, thanks to the dorsal fin of an adult male. It was T30a, a male born in 1986. We briefly glimpsed the other members of the family before they disappeared for awhile. This group consists of Mom T30, T30a, T30b, T30c, and T30b1, the calf of T30b. The big guy was very consistent for us, coming to the surface quite often so we could see his large dorsal fin. We stuck with him for some time before moving on to try and find the others in the bumpy conditions. Eventually they were found a little ways in the distance. They passed right by the bow of the boat before we had to say goodbye. We stayed in the sun throughout the trip, making for a nice day on the water with orcas.
OCT
6
Great Transient Orca Action!
What a day we had today! We had clear skies and calm water for our entire trip. We got a call from our friends on San Juan Island who spotted a pod of orcas off Salmon Bank and so we headed in that direction to start things off. At Colville Island we stopped to look at some harbor seals and just as we pulled away Captain Michael spotted a minke whale. We followed along and watched this minke whale for quite a while with Mount Baker as a nice backdrop. Next we headed northwest and offshore from Salmon Bank and Michael spotted the orcas circling in the distance with a large flock of gulls following them. As we got closer and closer it was obvious that they had made a kill. Earlier we heard from our friends that the orcas were chasing a Steller sea lion right before they disappeared in the fog. Perhaps they caught the sea lion and were making a meal out of it now? The gulls were feeding on scraps as the orcas fed in one spot for most of our visit with them. It was 6 orcas, 3 each from the T36A pod, and the T124 pod. They were very active as they fed! We got in position and just shut the engines down to watch. The orcas breached, tailslapped, spyhopped, and swam around in circles as was watched them. Gradually they swam our direction and we got some amazing views of them up close at our stern! That was the highlight of our trip today. Next they passed by us and surfaced at the bow and T36A1 did a big breach, upside-down! Amazing, the water was spraying everywhere! Then the orcas followed that up with more spyhopps including a double spyhop! Next, Michael noticed a harbor seal swimming right toward the orcas. Oh, no, we thought......this wasn't a very smart seal. He was probably attracted to the area because of all the bird activity. Within a few minutes the orcas started slashing around and it was obvious they were chasing the harbor seal. It didn't take long before they grabbed it for another meal. That was an easy chase for sure. Shortly after that drama we said goodbye to an amazingly entertaining group of orcas. On our way back toward the dock we stopped at Whale Rocks to look at a bunch of Steller sea lions hauled out there! Other wildlife we spotted today included Dall's porpoise, harbor porpoise, a Columbian black-tailed deer, marbled murrelets, common murres, cormorants, and western grebes. What an awesome day! Naturalist Bart Rulon
OCT
5
Minke, Orcas, and a humpback! Oh my! And Dall's porpoise and Steller sea lions!
Oh wow! What a perfect October day in the Salish Sea! We got off the dock, not knowing what the day would hold (just like everyday), but what a rare treat was in store! A triple header!
Our day started with sunshine and calm seas. We saw a common loon just as we were departing the marina. We saw several harbor porpoise swimming in the waters of the Guemes Channel and Rosario Strait. At the south end of Lopez Island, Captain Michael found us our first whale of the day! He was elusive in the beginning, in fact, we searched, couldn't pick him back up and as we departed, he resurfaced! We spent a few minutes with him and he popped up right next to the boat! Much to our customers' delight! We wanted to push further to the west, so we continued on our journey. A mature bald eagle was perched on Swirl Rocks. At Whale Rocks, we saw several dozen Steller sea lions hauled out, enjoying the sunshine. There were quite a few in the water as well, some attempted to haul out, much to the aggravation of the sea lions that were already out of the water. We headed toward Canada and got word of some marine mammal eating orcas heading along the shoreline of San Juan Island. Before we got on scene, we were given a rare opportunity. The orcas had just made a kill and the lungs of the animal still remained. As we made our way to the orcas, we caught a glimpse of the site of their kill. A rare case indeed. The orcas we found were the T36As and the T124s! They were all grouped up and swimming side by side. They passed right next to the Lime Kiln Lighthouse, along the shoreline! It was breathtaking! We stayed with them for quite some time and Captain Michael began to leave. The only problem is we were still pointed toward Canada, not toward home port! He took us into Canada to catch up with a humpback whale! Before we could reach the humpback, a pod of Dall's porpoise hooked up with our boat and rode the bow wake! It was amazing to watch them dart around, enjoying the wake! They are so fast! Eventually, the Dall's turned away from the boat and we continued toward the humpback! That made our total whale species count three! We saw him for a few respiration sequences and we were even treated to a couple of flukes! Then, one more big treat was in store! Captain Michael took us further into Canada to meet up with two more marine mammal eating orcas! They happened to be T20 and T21! They were headed right for our boat! It was amazing to see the huge dorsal fin of T20! They went on their deep dive and we had to turn and make our way back home. We saw our humpback friend one more time as we departed. We returned home a completely different way, through the inner islands. We saw a great blue heron and another mature bald eagle as we wove our way home. It was a spectacular day spent with three different orcas family groups, a minke, a humpback, several Dall's porpoise and numerous Steller sea lions! Oh, October! So beautiful!
SEP
30
We find the Orcas today!!!
What a day we had out in the Salish Sea! As we left the dock a mature bald eagle passed right by the boat. We started the trip heading south in Rosario Strait. The skies were dark in all directions, but we began the day with the sun breaking out, making for very dramatic lighting. This was the case throughout the trip. We would pass from sun into intense rain and back again, with dark, ominous clouds always present in the background. We had rainbows popping up throughout the day. A very cool experience out on the water. The seas were very comfortable for the most part today, with the strongest winds having passed through in the middle of the night. No reports of whales were reported in our zone, so we pushed out to the west to continue the search. We saw harbor porpoise and Dall's porpoise briefly, and a harbor seal that had found a chunk of salmon to feed on. It was getting later in the day, and some of our guests continued to help with the search, when several passengers and crew spotted something in the distance in Haro Strait. The waters were choppy here, so we strained our eyes to see what we had. Orcas were what we had found! A huge cheer ran through the crowds as we quickly got on scene. We identified this group as the T60 Pod, a female and her four calves. The calves ranged from age thirteen to a one year old. They moved to the south into the rougher waters, where the whales had to really hit the surface hard to get a breath. We were just thrilled after putting out such a long search to find the whales! Some other boats came out to see the whales as well. As we turned to leave the whales popped up with a rainbow in the background, ending a special day with this family of orcas! We passed by another bald eagle perched on some rocks near Thatcher Pass as we cruised home. Love it when we find the whales!
SEP
28
We braved the rain and wind today to look for wildlife!
The weather sure changed quickly, as we went from sun and warm, to wet and breezy within a day here in Washington. One thing to remember, the wildlife doesn't worry about rain, and we don't either, so we set out to look for whales. We saw two common loons as we left the dock. The wind waves picked up in Rosario Strait, so we traveled west through the San Juan Islands. We stopped to watch a Steller sea lion, that seemed to make quick work of a fish as the gulls circled. Harbor porpoise would pass by, some playing in the stern wake from time to time. We ventured into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where the winds and rain intensified. We turned to find some calmer waters and passed by Whale Rocks, seeing some Steller sea lions hauled out on the rocks. A harbor seal popped up with a big chunk of salmon it was feeding on. We cruised through Peavine Pass and back into Rosario, but could not find a whale. I have gotta say, this was a really hearty group on today. We had passengers brave the elements to help us on the search all day long, most just happy to be out on the boat. Well, no whales found today, so these folks will have another chance to join us whenever they would like, for free for life, until they see a whale.
SEP
26
LPod Orcas all day long in the beautiful, sunny Pacific Northwest!
Oh yeah! More to come!
Well, we sure had a great day today out on the waters of the Salish Sea. The sun was shining and the conditions were glass calm throughout the trip. We saw harbor porpoise and two Pacific Loons on the back side of Guemes Island. It wasn't long before we were watching orcas! Another boat in the region from Bellingham found many members of LPod today, swimming south in Rosario Strait. We first got on scene along the eastern side of Orcas Island, near Lawrence Point. The lighting was phenomenal, with the whales running in the dark waters and exhalations back lit with the sun. The whales were very playful at first, with several tail-slaps and breaches. They continued south and entered a resting pattern, with several different groups traveling together. It was amazing to watch so many whales popping up everywhere you looked in the calm seas. A few of the young animals started to wake up, with some tail-lobs from the youngsters. Two whales breached in the distance. We took a break and enjoyed the beauty of Cypress Island, eventually catching up with the whales near Tide Point. We stayed with them until Thatcher Pass, near Anacortes, enjoying a tremendous amount of time with orcas today! Capt. Carl lined up the whales with the Washington State ferry before we said goodbye. We stopped by Bird Rocks to see some harbor seals before we cruised toward home. What an amazing day we had, with incredible looks at over thirty orcas in beautiful conditions!
SEP
24
Orcas and a Minke in Canada!
We had a great day out on the water! The sun was out and the seas were glass calm. We traveled west out toward Canada, seeing many, many harbor porpoise along the way. At one point some Dall's porpoise were seen from a distance as well. We made our way to the Victoria waterfront, where we encountered some transient orcas who were traveling eastbound. This was the T10 pod, a mother and her two calves, T10B, and T10C. Both of the calves are adult males. It was great to watch these animals swim together as a family. At one point a couple of harbor seals popped up, looking very nervous. The whales passed by, not quite interested in lunch. After we left, Capt. Carl found us a minke that passed right by us several times, giving us great looks. We did a nice slow down at Castle Rock and watched some harbor seals hauled out on the rocks. What a great day on the water!
SEP
21
5 Minke Whales
We headed south today and Captain Michael found our first whale of the day near Lawson Reef. It was a minke whale and we watched him circle around with Deception Pass Bridge in the background. A Steller sea lion came to the surface with some food while we were watching the whale, so for a while there we had some wildlife tennis going on; Look to the left for the sea lion, no look to the right for the whale, now back to the left...etc. A few other whale watching boats came over to visit the whale we found and we cruised off to look for more. The conditions were ideal for spotting wildlife on the water today with very calm seas. Our next stop was at Minor Island where we found about 100 harbor seals on the beach and lots of Brandts and double-crested cormorants. Next we headed over to look for whales at Partridge Bank and I spotted our second minke whale of the day. At the same time Michael spotted a Steller sea lion on the Partridge Bank buoy and we took a look at him before heading over to watch the whale. This whale was very cooperative and we got several close up views of him before realizing that there was another minke whale nearby, so we had two! After lots of great views of these whales we headed west to look for more. One of our sharp eyed passengers spotted our next minke whale that was heading toward a big flock of gulls feeding on a bait ball. We set ourselves up for a good view in anticipation of the minke whale surfacing right under the gulls. Sure enough, all the gulls got up at once, and wouldn't you know it, two minke whales surfaced at the very same time near the bird activity! After leaving minke whales number 4 and 5 we headed over to the south end of Lopez Island and found a bald eagle, marbled murrelets, and more harbor seals. Later, in Rosario Strait we came across some unusually friendly harbor porpoise. The gave us so much surface time that Captain Michael circled three times to watch them! What an awesome day! Naturalist Bart Rulon
SEP
20
Double Header, Jumping for Joy!
Our day started with word that orcas were swimming south through Rosario Strait, near James Island, about an hour before our trip started. We managed to get off the dock ten minutes early, but by the time we reached the whales they were already at Eagle Point! The first two whales we spotted were L87, Onyx, and J27, Blackberry. Onyx was swimming along in a straight line while Blackberry was busy swimming in circles, chasing a salmon. He was definitely trying hard for his meal. Eventually he peeled off and swam with his sister J31, Tsuchi. Next we spotted a group of L pod orcas heading our way from offshore. This subpod included L25, Ocean Sun, L77, Matia, and her daughter L119, Joy, plus others. Matia and Joy swam by with Matia in the lead and Joy trailing behind in a very playful mood. Right as this, one year old, calf swam by us she started breaching! She must have performed a total of 7-8 breaches in all, along with several tail slaps, lots of rolling around, and plenty of swimming upside down! She was having a great time just entertaining herself, and us! She was the star today! While all this was going on an adult female did a cartwheel in the same vicinity, but it was hard for us to take our eyes off Joy. After leaving this group we slowly started heading east and stopped for a look at J34, Doublestuf, who was swimming in circles in hot pursuit of a salmon. We left before the chase was over, and headed to Whale Rocks to look at several Steller sea lions hauled out on the rocks there. Later we cruised by Swirl Rock for a look at a bald eagle perched on the top of the island with some harbor seals resting on the rocks below. At Castle Island we spotted a few more harbor seals and a belted kingfisher. Next we aimed toward Deception Pass and Brooke spotted a minke whale at Lawson Reef. This whale was a little hard to keep track of, but we did manage to get one good, closeup view before pulling away. We didn't get far before we spotted a second minke whale. This one was much more cooperative and gave us several great views before we headed back to the dock. Awesome double header day! Naturalist Bart Rulon
SEP
19
Very active Superpod near Turn Point!
Our trip today started with a great blue heron that had just caught a fish near the marina. We cruised out to the west through the San Juan Islands to find some whales. Along the way we saw harbor seals and harbor porpoise. We passed by Spieden Island and saw some of the fallow deer that were lined up under the trees. Soon we were with orcas, as a superpod had moved back into the area during the night! We first saw some animals from KPod, including Sekiu and her son Tika, with Lobo in the background. Soon some JPod animals were close by and Eclipse breached right next to the boat. She breached several other times throughout our trip! The whales continued moving north, and grouped up along Stuart Island. Then, the orcas started to go ballistic! We saw dozens of breaches and spy-hops, with some tail-lobs mixed in! Blackberry passed close by and started to chase some fish. He showed off his true power as he quickly changed direction back and forth to track down his lunch. The whales approached Turn Point and soon we had great views with the lighthouse in the background. The amazing day with the whales continued as we then watched them cruise into Boundary Pass with Mt. Baker in the background! We stopped by Flattop Island on the way home to see some harbor seals that were out sunning on the rocks. The weather was perfect, the whales were amazing and we couldn't have enjoyed a better afternoon!
-Michael Colahan
SEP
18
T20 (Transient Orca) way out in Canada
We had a great, sunny day out on the water today with calm seas as we looked for whales. We pointed out to the west as far as we could, burning out our eyes to look for animals. Many harbor porpoise were spotted in Rosario Strait., as well as some harbor seals that closed in near a bait ball. No whales reported yet, so we kept going west. We crossed into Canada and a friend from Victoria called in a lone male orca coming eastbound from Race Rocks as we approached. This was T20, a marine mammal eating orca who usually travels with T21. T21 was nowhere to be seen, but we had great looks at the large orca for some time. He was moving quickly to the northeast, which gave us some extra time to visit with this huge orca. We stayed as long as we could, and then started to move back to the east. We continued under sunny skies as we cruised on home.
SEP
17
Minkes in flat calm water!
We had a gorgeous day in the Salish Sea today! We had some purple sea stars clinging to the pilings of the breakwater, a harbor seal hauled out on the rocks and two common loons in the water! We rounded the corner into Guemes Channel and saw numerous harbor porpoise in the flat calm water. Captain Carl spotted a single Steller sea lion hauled out on Bird Rocks! We continued south and found our first whale of the day! It was a minke whale swimming in circles at the south end of Salmon Bank! He gave us some of our best looks of the day as he surfaced right next to the boat three times! We passed our first whale off to another boat and continued on our search. We pushed further to the southwest and had all eyes out on the water. Tyson was the one who found the second whale of the day, another minke whale! It was a great find! He led us to another minke whale who had just taken out a bait ball for lunch. The third minke whale popped upright next to the boat too! It was awesome! We continued to the north and did a slow down through the south end of Lopez Island and Castle Rock. We saw a couple of black tail deer, a great blue heron, a flock of Canada geese and several belted kingfishers! It was a gorgeous spot to have the sun start breaking through the clouds! It was an amazing day full of wildlife!
SEP
16
Orcas and Minkes
We started out the day with rain and thick fog that was spread out throughout the northern section of the San Juan Islands. We passed by Pea Pod Rocks and watched some harbor seals that were hauled out on the rocks. We eventually made our way down to the Strait of Juan de Fuca to search for whales. We continued south, and got word from a boat that some orcas were traveling along the Olympic Coast. We made the long run today, and it paid off with a small group of transient orcas. This was the the T46 family, that consists of five whales. The whales were in an area we don't usually get a chance to visit, and kept their southward trend all of the way down toward Sequim, WA. We had some looks at the family together until we had to turn back to the north and head home. Capt. Carl spotted two more whales near Smith Island. These were minke whales, and they were actively feeding on a bait ball. We had some great looks at these animals, as the birds circled in a frenzy to feed on the fish nearby. On of the whales swallowed the bait right in front of the birds to finish of the meal! We headed home, and stayed out of the rain for the rest of the trip.
-Michael Colahan
SEP
15
Orca Superpod!
Wildlife viewing for today's trip started at Colville Island where we spotted a handful of harbor seals hanging on to what was left of the rocks with the rising tide. We reached southern resident orcas just as we neared Lime Kiln Park. Early on we saw a few orcas scattered about, but then we spotted a larger group to the north so we headed that way. It was a K pod group including K14, Lea, K26, Lobo, K36, Yoda, and K42, Kelp. We spent the majority of our time with this small subpod as they continued northward, and they gave us some great views. Eventually they were joined by members of J-pod, J19, Shachi, and J41, Eclipse, and L92, Crewser. At that time one of the females did a big spyhop for us! All the orcas seemed to be joining up and grouping together at this point. We also saw L72, Racer, and her son L105, Fluke join in among others. Right before we peeled off to say goodbye Racer did two huge breaches for us! What a thrill. She looked very healthy! In one of my photos shown above her body almost looks out of proportion as she hit the water. Although it sprinkled early in our trip the rain held off for our entire time viewing the whales and it didn't start falling again until our trip was over. Yet another fantastic superpod day! Yahoo for September! Naturalist Bart Rulon
SEP
14
Playful Superpod!
Our wildlife viewing started right outside the marina today when we spotted a common loon right next to our boat! Later, in Rosario Strait we spotted several pods of harbor porpoise, and a Steller Sea Lion near Peapod Rocks. We were on our way northward into Georgia Strait to meet up with an orca superpod that was swimming southward from Canada. As we were just starting to arrive on scene we could see the action was already going. Orcas were breaching to the left and to the right and it looked like they were all in a playful mood. A group of K-pod orcas was the first to pay us a close visit. K20, Spock, K38, Comet, K27, Deadhead, K 13 Skagit, K34 Cali, and others were among this first group. As they approached Deadhead breached for us three times in a row at close range. Wow! She even looked fat enough to possibly be pregnant! Let's hope! After they passed us we turned to the other side of the boat and watched J8, Speiden, and J2, Granny pass by. We also saw K25, Scoter, L92, Crewser, and L72, Racer too. It seemed like every few minutes we would see a random breach or spyhop in any direction! We saw J19 Shachi, J41, Eclipse, and K26, Lobo mixing it up in the distance. Toward the end of our visit we watched Spock swim by with her son Comet, and she was also babysitting K44 for Deadhead too. The two young orcas were playing it up as they swam right behind Spock. One of the youngsters did an upside down breach! K12, Seqium, was swimming out in front of this playful group too Eventually we had to say goodbye to the orca superpod, but everyone was in awe of the great show they gave us today! Awesome! Naturalist Bart Rulon
SEP
13
Transient Orcas Inside the San Juan Islands
When we left the dock today we heard that a pod of transient orcas had been spotted near Friday Harbor. So we cut through the fog in Rosario Strait to reach the inner San Juan Islands where it was clear. By the time we reached the orcas they had split up into two groups and the group we joined was T37A, T37A2, and two other young orcas in Wasp Passage. Right as we arrived on scene the orcas were making a kill and they were circling to eat it! We couldn't tell what it was, but a gull was also circling above and swooping down to try and pick up some scraps. T37A2 turned upside down on several occasions, along with one of the other youngsters that T37A was babysitting. Then something very unusual happened. A great blue heron flew in and started to circle along with the gull as if to try to pick up some food scraps of his own. He eventually glided in and dragged his feet over the water then flew off. I've never seen this behavior before from a heron in open water. After the pod finished their meal they started swimming very quickly and porpoising toward Shaw Island. They worked their way through a kelp forest, as if looking for more prey, and afterward the youngsters got very playful, with multiple tailslapping displays, both upside down, and right side up. The play continued for a while as the orcas swam toward Friday Harbor, and then they decided to turn around and start swimming northward through San Juan Channel. Before long they really started to pick up the pace and we saw lots of porpoising, presumably to catch up with the other transient orcas they split off from earlier, who were near Flattop Island at the time. On our way back to the dock we cruised over to look at about 60 harbor seals hauled out on Peapod Rocks. Other wildlife we spotted today included common loons, harbor porpoise, common murres, rhinoceros auklets, cormorants, marbled murrelets, and red-necked phalaropes. What a day! Naturalist Bart Rulon
SEP
12
Orcas all by ourselves!
We had a wonderful day on the water today! It started out with some fog in Rosario Strait. We saw broke out of the fog in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It wasn't too long after the fog lifted, we found our first whale! It was Mystery (L85), he was headed back into the fog, so we headed north following the shoreline of San Juan Island. Around Lime Kiln Lighthouse, we found some more whales! The first whale in this group was Crewser (L95). There were several orcas further inshore. It look like a couple of little ones were having fun rolling around and chasing each other! The whales all turned to the south and gave us more time with them. Then we headed off in search of Mystery because the fog had continued to lift to the south. We made our way to Salmon Bank with no sign of the whale. We saw so many salmon jumping today! It was crazy! We were scanning the whole area and caught a glimpse of a whale a few miles to the south! It ended up being a group of at least six whales! The first whales we spent time with were Ocean Sun (L25) and Mega (L41). Ocean Sun gave us some great looks as she passed right by the boat! Then Calypso (L94) went by on the one side and her older sister, Matia (L77), went by on the other side of the boat. Then a couple of little ones, Cousteau (L113) and Joy (L119) came alongside the other side of the boat. They were swimming side by side quickly, catching up to their mothers! The last whale who passed by headed to the west was Mystery! Our time with whales was bookend by Mystery! On our way home, the fog continued to clear and we saw some harbor seals hauled out on Colville Island. Captain Carl even spotted a peregrine falcon perched on the rocks. As we entered the marina, an osprey was soaring overhead! What a way to end a spectacular day on the water!
SEP
11
More orcas, and more sunny, beautiful conditions!
We traveled way out to the west today to spend time with whales, and enjoyed one of the most beautiful days on the water this season. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the air temperature was perfect on the water, reminding me how much I love being out on trips in September. We saw harbor seals and harbor porpoise today, spread out throughout the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We crossed into Canada and found J and K Pod orcas moving toward Victoria, B.C. from the southwest.
SEP
10
Wow! Wow! Wow! That's really all I can say!
Today the stars aligned to give us one of the more memorable trips of the year! We started our day with some looks at a common loon feeding right at the marina. Harbor porpoise were spotted throughout Rosario Strait. We stopped at Colville Island to visit with some harbor seals, and Swirl Rocks to see a mature bald eagle. We continued on and slowed down near Whale Rocks to watch some Steller sea lions hauled out.
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9
Orcas at lunchtime!
Today, our trip started out with some fog, but Captain Michael took us along the backside of Guemes Island where the fog wasn't as thick! We didn't spend too much time in the fog, soon the sunshine broke through and we enjoyed a gorgeous September day traveling through the inner San Juan Islands. We spotted a great blue heron on Towhead Island. We saw several harbor seals and numerous harbor porpoise in the waters of Rosario Strait.
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8
Orca Superpod!
Crazy thick fog choked the harbor about two hours before we left the dock today, but by the time we started our trip, we lucked out with sunny skies, and glass-calm seas. It was not long before we spotted harbor porpoise in Rosario Strait. We had great looks today at many different birds, including common murres and rhinoceros auklets. We pushed out to the west, getting word that orcas were in the area.
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7
Minke whales today
Our trip today first took us north to search for whales. We spotted a California sea lion hauled out on a navigational marker near Jack Island. We stopped near Lummi Rocks to visit with a dozen or so harbor seals on the rocks. We turned south in Rosario Strait, watching quite a few harbor porpoise cruising through the current lines. We passed by Pea Pod Rocks and saw some more harbor seals basking in the sun. The fog rolled in as we made it to the south, crossing into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
SEP
6
Playful Superpod took us to Canada!
Today was a fantastic day on the water! We left the marina and had some purple sea stars clinging to the rocks and a great blue heron perched on the shoreline. We spotted several harbor seals and harbor porpoise in the waters of Guemes Channel. The fog started to settle in Rosario Strait, which made for some stunning looks at the ferries emerging from the mist. We made our way inner island and the fog continued to come and go.
SEP
5
Great weather for orcas and a minke!
What a wonderful day to be on the waters of the Salish Sea! It started out with just a little bit of liquid sunshine that soon gave way to no rain and even some splashes of sun! The trip began with some purple sea stars clinging to the pilings of the breakwater and a mature bald eagle perched in a tree on Cap Sante. We saw several harbor porpoise enjoying the current lines. There were numerous harbor seals hauled out on the rocks of Colville Island.
SEP
4
Orca Superpod!
J, K, and L pods were spotted again today, and we headed straight out to meet them off the south end of San Juan Island. Small groups of orcas were spread out over miles north from this spot. The first whale we visited was Lobo, K26, and he swam along and joined a few others, including his younger brother, heading north. Suddenly they all started really picking up the pace and we saw lots of porpoising for about 10 minutes. Next, Mike, J26, showed up and gave us a few good views.
SEP
3
Southern Resident Orcas Come Back!
We headed south in very calm sea conditions to start our trip today. In Rosario Strait we saw several porpoise swimming along, and we stopped at Colville Island to look at a ton of seals hauled out on the rocks. All three pods of resident orcas were spotted along the west side of San Juan Island and offshore, spread out over a few miles. We headed out there and found a couple of groups to watch offshore of South Beach.
SEP
2
Transient Orcas Off Decatur Island!
Our trip started with us heading west through Guemes Channel and into Rosario Strait. That is when we got a call from the Island Transporter to let us know that he had seen some whales in the area. We looked hard, and eventually Brooke spotted the orcas just north of James Island. Yahoo! Within a half an hour of leaving the dock we were on scene with orcas! It was 8 orcas in two pods; The T185 pod and the T137 pod.
SEP
1
Humpback and Minkes in the morning! Orcas in the evening!
The first day of September ended up being a lovely day to have our last double of the year! We enjoyed sunshine and blue sky all day! We always say, "no two trips are the same" and today was a most perfect example!
Our morning trip began with several harbor porpoise swimming in the waters of Guemes Channel and Rosario Strait.
AUG
31
Transient Orcas on both trips
We started our morning trip by traveling through the inner San Juan Islands. Along the way we spotted a bald eagle on Willow Island, and several harbor porpoise in Rosario Strait. We cruised around Shaw Island and started to head south when a call came in from our friends from Bellingham who had spotted a pod of transient orcas just north of Patos Island. We turned around immediately and started heading that way.
AUG
30
Double Header with Ideal Conditions!
We couldn't ask for more with the water conditions today. The water was calm and the skies were sunny, making for some excellent wildlife watching! We spotted many harbor porpoise, and breaching pink salmon throughout our trip today. A tug boat called in a sighting of orcas near the Dungeness Spit this morning swimming northeast, and we headed in that direction right away. By the time we reached the 7-8 transient orcas they were already past Hein Bank and heading north.
AUG
29
A Minke Whale and Steller Sea Lions
We battled with a little rain today, but most of our passengers spent their time outside during our trip today! We started out wildlife viewing at the south end of Lopez Island when we stopped to look at a bald eagle perched in a tree then we cruised over to look at her nest. Next we cruised offshore and searched with another boat. They spotted a minke whale so we cruised over to take a look.
AUG
28
Two minkes and a nice variety of wildlife
More to come soon...
AUG
27
Transient orcas near downtown Victoria!
Check out T60C going after the harbor seal on the right!
T60F, the youngest calf of the family
We left the dock today to start out another adventure aboard the Island Explorer 3 with a bald eagle perched in the trees near the harbor. We saw plenty of harbor porpoise throughout the day, they seemed to pop up everywhere you looked! We stopped at Colville Island to visit with some harbor seals and another mature bald eagle.
AUG
26
Orcas having lunch around Waldron Island!
Our trip began with an osprey flying high over Cap Sante! We saw several harbor porpoise swimming through the waters of Guemes Channel and Rosario Strait. We headed to the south on the search and almost got out to the Strait of Juan de Fuca when Captain Michael got some news that caused us to make a quick course change back to the north, through Lopez Pass and through the inner islands. Captain Michael spotted a mature bald eagle perched majestically in the trees.
AUG
25
8 Transient Orcas In Swanson Channel
This is the third day in a row where we traveled all the way into Canada to watch transient orcas from various pods. We started our trip today by heading north because resident orcas had come in from the west and were swimming through Active Pass. Unfortunately they swam too far north for us to reach them, but luckily some transient orcas showed up in Boundary Pass.
AUG
24
5 Transient Orcas in Canada
Today's trip took us in to Canada again to find transient orcas. Transient orcas were found by another boat near Java rocks at the same time we were heading east in Guemes Channel so we cut through the fog and into the inner San Juan Islands in order to take the quickest route to Canada. By the time we reached the orcas they had made it all the way to Swanson Channel. It was the T30 pod including T30, T30A, T30B, T30B1, and T30C.
AUG
23
90 mile round trip to get Transient Orcas
We had to travel 45 miles and into Canada for a round trip of 90 miles to get transient orcas today! We started the day by heading north through Rosario Strait. Our first stop of the day was near Peapod Rocks to look at a bald eagle and a bunch of harbor seals hauled out on the rocks. We even had the seals lined up perfectly for photographs with the bald eagle right above them.
1
AUG
22
Orca playtime!
Our gorgeous day in the Salish Sea began with several harbor porpoise swimming in the currents of Guemes Channel and Rosario Strait. We travelled through Thatcher Pass and went inner island. On Blakely Island, Captain Tyson pointed out a turkey vulture. We went made our way toward Haro Strait. We passed by Spieden Island, where we saw a few harbor seals hauled out and a couple of the exotic animals that call Spieden home.
AUG
21
Twenty-something Transients Orcas!
We enjoyed a beautiful, flat calm, sunshine-filled day on the Salish Sea. Captain Tyson took us to the Strait of Juan de Fuca on our journey today. We saw several harbor porpoise swimming in the waters of Guemes Channel, Rosario Strait and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We pushed far to the west on the search and it certainly paid off! We got on scene with over twenty transient (marine mammal eating) orcas just east of the Race Rocks Lighthouse! When we arrived, they were in two groups.
AUG
20
Five minkes and Steller sea lions!
The sun was out all day and Captain Michael kept us out of the fog throughout the entire trip! We saw several harbor porpoise in Rosario Strait. We headed through the inner islands and down San Juan Channel. We stopped to see some Steller sea lions. There were a couple sea lions enjoying the strong current around Whale Rocks and a few hauled out basking in the sunshine.
AUG
19
Orcas, a minke and Stellers! Oh my!
What a gorgeous day in the Salish Sea today! Our day began with a harbor seal right as we exited the marina, followed by a plethora of harbor porpoise throughout Guemes Channel and Rosario Strait! At Colville Island, we spotted a mature bald eagle and several harbor seals. We pushed west, all the way to Canada today and it paid off! We found some marine mammal eating orcas! It turned out to be: T30, T30A, T30B, T30B1 and T30C.
AUG
18
Resident Orcas and Minke Whales Today
Two days in a row with no fog and we were thrilled for our morning trip to be in the clear! With the low tide at our departure we were able to spot plenty of common sea stars lined up on the Cap Sante breakwater, along with a great blue heron. Rosario Strait brought us plenty of harbor porpoise sightings, and we stopped at Colville Island to look at some harbor seals resting on the rocks. A few minutes after seeing the seals we spotted our first whale of the day off Swirl Rocks.
AUG
17
Breaching Minke Whale, and Orcas!
We had double headers on both of our trips today with orcas and minke whales! The morning trip started with one of the biggest surprises of the year! While we were heading south in Rosario Strait one of our eagle eyed, passengers spotted our first whale of the day.
AUG
16
Minke Whales
We started our trip today by heading north into Rosario Strait, and we made our first stop at Strawberry Island to watch an immature bald eagle perched beautifully on a tree that looked like it was shaped by the wind. We searched for whales past Point Lawrence by about a mile before we turned back southward again. The conditions were clear in this area but fog was persisting almost everywhere else.
AUG
15
Orcas on both trips! Woohoo!
Our morning trip started out in the clear, then about midway down Guemes Channel the fog closed in. Of course, that didn't stop us from finding the wildlife! There were harbor porpoise swimming in the current lines of Rosario Strait. At the south end of Colville Island we spotted a few harbor seals hauled out on the rocks.
AUG
15
Way, way out tonight for LPod orcas
We did a quick turn-around from the morning trip and were right back out to search for more whales. Harbor porpoise were plentiful on the p.m.tour with many excellent looks at these animals in the glass-calm seas. We saw some harbor porpoise near one of the shallow banks in the Strait of Juan de Fuca when Tyson spotted a minke whale. This whale was several miles away, so we continued on.
1
AUG
14
Nice conditions and a minke whale on the a.m. tour
Our water conditions were ideal today as we searched for whales out on the Island Explorer 3. We saw a harbor seal as we left the dock, followed by many harbor porpoise in Rosario Strait. A bald eagle was in a tree right at Tide Point. We saw two more eagles at Cattle Pass as we continued to push south into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We cruised way down south to search for humpback whales that another boat had found.
AUG
13
Orca morning, minke madness evening!
We began our morning trip under beautiful blue skies and a belted kingfisher on the breakwater of the marina. We even watched as he grabbed some food out of the water! Next, we spotted some harbor porpoise swimming in the current lines of Rosario Strait. At Colville Island, we saw a few harbor seals hauled out on the rocks and a mature bald eagle perched on a sign.
AUG
12
Orcas in our backyard in the morning! Superpod in the evening! Great Day!
Our day started out under a little bit of cloud cover but soon, no one noticed because within about 20 minutes of getting off the dock, we were on scene with some orcas! Another boat spotted them earlier in the morning and we were able to locate them! It turned out to be members of our fishing-eating K pod! It wss the K-13 subgroup consisting of: Skagit, Spock, Comet, Scoter, Deadhead, Ripple and Cali! We were treated to quite the show.
AUG
11
Orca superpod morning, doubleheader afternoon
Exciting news came in this morning when we found out that all of J, K, and L pods were in the Salish Sea! It has been a long wait for us and we were so glad to have them back. They were swimming toward Canada so we didn't waste any time heading north in their direction. We reached them at East Point and they were all grouped up in a resting pattern. It was a beautiful scene to watch so many orcas swimming right up next to the sculptural rocks on Saturna Island.
AUG
10
L pod Orcas all Day plus a Minke in the Morning
Wildlife viewing for our morning trip got started at Colville Island where we spotted several harbor seals and a bald eagle. The bald eagle was perched on a sign and at one point she lost her balance and had to flap her wings in order to keep from falling off the sign! Just as we were pulling away I spotted a Steller sea lion swimming right toward us so we stopped to watch him for a while as he surfaced a several more times. We reached L pod orcas as we neared Eagle Point.
1
AUG
9
Orcas and a minke in the morning! Orcas and a beautiful sunset in the evening!
The morning trip began under a layer of fog that we broke out of in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We saw several birds and some porpoise on our way west. It wasn't too long before we found some orcas! They were members of L pod! The first whale we saw was Wave Walker and he came right over to give us a great look as he passed under the bow! We hung out with him for a while and caught glimpses of Nyssa off in the distance. We moved further inshore and found Ino, Indigo, Coho and Keta.
AUG
8
Orcas again! Both trips!
Our morning wildlife adventure start before out guests even boarded the boat! A mature bald eagle was being chased and harassed by a number of gulls. He flew right alongside the boat! We got underway and managed to dodge the fog for the most part, we saw a few harbor seals hauled out on the rocks on the north side of Colville Island. We pushed further to the west and found some orcas, members of L pod! The orcas were: Ino, Indigo, Coho, Keta, Wave Walker and Nyssa.
AUG
7
ORCAS!
Our morning trip started with thick fog to the south so Captain Michael chose a route to the north, then through Peavine Pass and into the inner San Juan Islands to start our trip out. Along the way we spotted several bald eagles, harbor seals and harbor porpoise. We were not far from Friday Harbor when we got the call from a Boat from Victoria that just ran across some orcas a in the fog near Middle Bank. We were very excited and didn't waste any time heading in that direction.
AUG
6
A beautiful day on the water with a minke whale
We left the dock today as a great blue heron flew overhead. We were soon in dense fog, the thickest pea soup you could imagine. We broke out of the fog after crossing Rosario Strait, and beautiful blue skies were to be seen for the remainder of our trip. Harbor porpoise and harbor seals were abundant throughout the day.
AUG
5
Unique looks at a Minke at Waldron Island on both trips!
Our morning trip began under sunny skies, but soon we were in the fog. It was a beautiful start to our morning. We made our way out toward Salmon Bank where we had a report of an animal and some good visibility. When we got into the area where the report was, the fog had moved back in and we were on the search, using all of our senses: sight, smell and sound. We continued on the search toward the north and eventually broke out of the fog in San Juan Channel.
AUG
5
Minkes and 7 puffins in the morning, minkes and spectacular sunset in the evening!
Our morning trip began with a little bit of cloud cover and as we were leaving the dock, we saw two great blue herons and a belted kingfisher! As we made our way out toward some bigger water, we saw several harbor porpoise swimming in the current lines of Rosario Strait! We slowed down at Colvile Island and saw a lot of harbor seals hauled out and a mature bald eagle perched on the National Wildlife Refuge sign.
AUG
3
Minke morning (and a puffin) Minke evening (and two Steller sea lions)
Our morning trip began just as we were leaving the marina, there were two harbor seals swimming on the inside of the breakwater! There was also a great blue heron who took flight a couple of times as we watched him.
1
AUG
2
Minke whales on both trips
Our morning trip started out with us finding lots of purple sea stars lined up along the breakwater at Cap Sante Marina. At the same time we spotted a bald eagle perched in a tree getting drenched in the rain. Yes, I said rain....we finally had some rain today after about a month of dry, sunny weather! In Rosario Strait we spotted lots of harbor porpoise, and we stopped at Colville Island to look at several harbor seals and another bald eagle perched on a national wildlife refuge sign.
1
AUG
1
Minke Whales on Both Trips
Today's morning trip started out with a good sighting of a pair of bald eagles perched in a tree just outside Cap Sante Marina. We headed southwest today, and our journey took us out to Hein where our friends from Orcas Island spotted a minke whale. We watched this whale for a while, but he was hard to keep track of so we decided to push further west in case any other whales were coming in, knowing we could come back to Hein Bank and look for our first whale again.
JUL
31
Fluke in the morning, Minke Whale Afternoon
Our morning trip started out with a report that a fisherman might have seen an orca near Mitchell Bay so we headed in that direction along with the rest of the whale watching fleet. We cruised through the inner San Juan Islands and spotted three adult bald eagles along the way, and we were able to get very close to one of them perched in a tree on Willow Island.
JUL
30
A Humpback whale and a Minke whale in the morning and four humpbacks in the evening!
We started our trip today with a mature bald eagle in the marina at Cap Sante. We saw a mom and pup harbor seal as well as harbor porpoise in Rosario Strait. The fog was in and out for the first half of our trip as we searched for whales. We saw a close -up of another eagle on James Island. We slowed at Colville Island to view some harbor seals in the fog. At Salmon Bank one of our sharp-eyed passengers spotted the first whale of the day.
JUL
29
Minke in the morning and a beautiful sunset cruise in the evening!
Our morning trip began before our passengers even got down to the boat! Two mature bald eagles flew overhead with gulls dive bombing them! They created quite the ruckus! We got underway with a low laying marine layer of clouds still enabling us to have great visibility. As we passed by Washington Park, there were six great blue herons flying alongside the side of the boat! At Colville Island, we stopped to see some harbor seals hauled out and a mature bald eagle perched on a post.
JUL
28
Our morning began with a lot of fog throughout the islands, but Captain Michael took us on a beautiful route today and we didn't see one patch of fog! We went around the east side of Guemes Island. We spotted a bald eagle perfectly silhouetted, perched in a tree on Huckleberry Island. There was also a great blue heron standing on a rock in front of the island. There were several bald eagles spotted throughout our entire day.
JUL
27
Minke madness!
Our morning trip began under sunny skies. We spotted a belted kingfisher when we exited the marina. We did a slow down at the north side of Colville Island and found a mature bald eagle perched majestically on the rock. A harbor seal mom and pup were also hauled out on the rocks of Colville Island.
JUL
26
Minke Morning, Fluke Afternoon
We lucked out on our morning trip not to have any fog! So we headed south and eventually ended up looking hard for whales around Hein Bank. I spotted a minke whale near the northern marker, but we only saw him one more time before he disappeared. Next we cruised over to Salmon Bank where we had a minke whale pop up right in front of us! I think he surprised us as much as we surprised him. We saw this whale one more time before he vanished.
JUL
25
Our longest ever whale sighting streak comes to an end
Today's trip started out with fog dictating what our route would be. Thick fog in the Strait of Juan De Fuca kept us from venturing into the water we wanted to be in. We had some good wildlife viewing starting out our trip as we exited Cap Sante Marina, with a belted kingfisher and a great blue heron just outside the breakwater. We headed north along the east side of Guemes Island where we spotted a bald eagle perched in a tree.
JUL
24
Two Minke Whales
Today's trip started out with fog, but we cruised into the San Juan Islands and it cleared out by the time we left Thatcher Pass. Shortly after turning the corner at Blakely Island I spotted a peregrine falcon fly by and land on the beach. Within a few minutes he was back up in the air again flying away, but just down the shoreline we spotted a bald eagle perched in an evergreen tree! Then a couple hundred yards away we spotted another one.
JUL
23
T20 and T21 visit the San Juan Islands
We enjoyed another day of great weather out on our trip this afternoon. We saw some purple sea stars as we left the dock under a negative tide. A belted kingfisher flew past and perched on a marker right next to us. A great blue heron was fishing in the shallows, and a mature bald eagle was perched above him in a nearby tree. All of this took place within 5 minutes of our departure! We saw some harbor porpoise in Rosario Strait before we encountered some fog.
JUL
22
Orcas and Minke whales!
We had a great today out on the Island Explorer 3! The islands were full of dense fog today, but Capt. Carl dodged the pea-soup throughout the trip. Our day started with a run through the inner San Juan Islands. We passed by Willow Island and watched as a mature bald eagle gazed back at us. We made our way down Upright Channel and saw many harbor porpoise. Traveling through Cattle Pass we saw some harbor seals hauled out on Goose Island.
JUL
21
Transient Orcas in the morning, Eagles Galore and Minke Whale afternoon
This morning's journey started in the fog as we worked our way southwest to look for whales. We stopped at Colville Island to view a bunch of harbor seals hauled out on the rocks. Some transient orcas were spotted On the west side of San Juan Island by the Center for Whale Research. We headed that way and reached 8 transient orcas just north of lime Kiln Lighthouse. When we arrived they were speed swimming and appeared to be chasing some prey, possibly some porpoise.
JUL
20
K & L pod Orcas on both trips
The action for our morning trip started right as we left Cap Sante Marina today. The low tide meant we saw lots of purple sea stars at the breakwater. We also saw a great blue heron fishing along the rocks at the same time. A minute later we saw two bald eagles fly right in to land in the trees. We headed out on a northerly route today with word that K pod was up in Canada. By the time we reached them they were just across the border heading for Turn Point.
JUL
19
Fish eating orcas (K and L pods) in Canada on the morning trip!
The morning started out under a layer of fog, but that didn't stop us from finding wildlife. A great blue heron was standing in the shallows outside of the marina. We spotted a mature bald eagle perched in a tree on Cap Sante. As we entered Rosario Strait, Tyson spotted our first whale of the day! It was a minke whale that popped up right in front of the boat! He surfaced a couple of times before we moved on in search of other wildlife.
JUL
18
Orcas pass off the stern of the IE3!
Our day began with quite an unusual sighting, there was an orca walking around the parking area near the dock! We hadn't even left the marina yet! Our trip started under a little bit of cloud cover, but it wasn't too long before the sun broke through! We spotted a belted kingfisher just after leaving the marina, perched on a sign.
JUL
17
Marine mammal eating orcas feeding all day!
Today was a beautiful day on the water! We set off on our journey and saw some harbor porpoise swimming through the waters of Guemes Channel and Rosario Strait. At the south end of Colville Island, we saw several harbor seals hauled out on the rocks.
JUL
16
A red tail and some orca whales!!!
We left the dock today under beautiful, sunny blue skies and Captain Michael took us south down Rosario Strait. As we made our way south we were surrounded by multiple harbor porpoise and had an eagle fly over head. We had a nice slowdown between Lopez Island and Castle Rock. As we made our way through we saw a nice group of pigeon guillemots. We then made our way over toward one of our known resident eagles nests, we found no adult birds but were excited to see an eaglet sitting in the nest.
JUL
15
Orcas in Crescent Harbor!
Our trip took us on an unusual route again today! The same orcas that were spotted yesterday in between Whidbey Island and Camano Island, had returned to the same area! So we set off toward Deception Pass. Captain Michael spotted a belted kingfisher perched on the breakwater. On our way we stopped by Williamson Rocks and spotted a few harbor seals hauled out. There were numerous harbor porpoise swimming in the waters of Rosario Strait.
1
JUL
14
Transient Orca Morning, Resident Orca Afternoon!
We took a very unusual route to find orcas on our morning trip today! Some transient orcas were spotted in Saratoga Passage by a boat coming up from Seattle so we decided to take a chance and head that way. We had to pass under Deception Pass Bridge in order to get there, and it was a beautiful sight to behold as the fog was rolling in behind us.
JUL
13
Orcas and Minke Whales
Our morning trip took us to the west side of San Juan Island where three L pod orcas were milling around feeding on salmon near Eagle Point. It was L22, Spirit, and her two sons L79, Skana, and L89, Solstice. We visited with Spririt first and Solstice as they foraged within 200 yards of each other. We saw lots of salmon breaching throughout our visit with them. These two orcas were weaving in and out of fishermen trolling for salmon. Next we cruised up to look at Skana as he swam alone.
JUL
12
Orcas whales all day!
Our guests on both trips enjoyed lots of orca time today!
Our morning trip began with a mature bald eagle perched on a tree on Cap Sante. A turkey vulture was also soaring overhead. We saw several harbor porpoise swimming throughout the various current lines of Guemes Channel, Bellingham Channel and Rosario Strait.
JUL
11
Orcas off of San Juan Island!
We enjoyed a beautiful day full of sunshine and members of J and L pod orcas!
Our trip began with a mature bald eagle perched in a tree on Cap Sante with a turkey vulture soaring overheard too! We made our way toward Thatcher Pass and found several harbor seals hauled out on the rocks. We also found another mature bald eagle perched in a dead snag on Blakely Island. We headed down through San Juan Channel and went alongside the south side of San Juan Island.
JUL
10
J, K, and L Pod Orcas!
We left the dock today on our tour to look for whales under bright, sunny skies. The wind had really kicked up out of the south, so we took a run through the inner San Juan Islands. We saw harbor porpoise and rhinoceros auklet in Rosario Strait with the big swells. Stopping at Pointer Island, we saw about two dozen harbor seals hauled out on the rocks at low tide. Some bald eagles were seen perched on nearby trees throughout the trip as well.
JUL
9
Orcas! J and K pods! Plus adventures back on the dock!
Our guests today enjoyed sunny skies and calm waters all day! We headed north on our journey today. Within the first ten minutes of the trip, we already seen a great blue heron, two turkey vultures and perched along the tree line of Guemes Island, five mature bald eagles! We saw numerous harbor porpoise throughout our trip. We made our way toward Canada.
JUL
8
Orca Superpod! All three pods! J, K and L!
What a day! We welcomed back all three pods into the Salish Sea this afternoon!
Our trip began with a great blue heron stealthily hunting on the shoreline. In Rosario Strait, we saw several groups of harbor porpoise swimming in the current lines. We continued south toward Colville Island and stopped to see dozens of harbor seals hauled out on the rocks. We pushed further west toward Canada.
JUL
7
Orcas and Minkes on both trips!
Our morning trip began with a belted kingfisher flying along the shoreline of Cap Sante. As we made our way out into Rosario Strait, we saw harbor porpoise swimming in the current lines. We did a slow down at the south end of Colville Island and saw several harbor seals hauled out enjoying the sunshine! We pushed further to the west and found a few different minke whales at Salmon Bank.
JUL
6
Orcas and Minke Whales on Both Trips
For our morning trip our wildlife viewing started with a bald eagle flying by us just as we left the dock. The gulls were in hot pursuit, trying to harass him out of the area. Our next wildlife stop was at Colville Island where we found several harbor seals resting on the rocks. A bald eagle was also perched on top of the island, and she Took flight, then landed about a hundred yards away on the rocks.
JUL
5
3 Types of Whales Today !
Our morning trip started with some close up viewing of two belted kingfishers at the Cap Sante breakwater. We cruised southward today and made our first wildlife stop at Colville Island where we spotted many harbor seals resting on the rocks. Soon afterward we found a beautiful adult bald eagle perched on the top of Swirl Island. At Salmon Bank Captain Carl spotted our first whale of the day, a minke whale. This whale was feeding on bait balls along with a ton of birds.
JUL
4
Orcas and Minke Whales
What a great 4th of July we had! Our trip started out appropriately with our national symbol, the bald eagle, putting on a show within the first couple of minutes of our trip. We spotted a bald eagle on the shoreline and he was feeding on something in the rocks. He was flapping his wings around and eventually he pulled up a crab, then he took flight and gave us all a great photo opportunity. A belted kingfisher flew right by him at the same time.
JUL
3
Orcas and Minkes!
The awesome weather continues here in early July, with sun, sun, sun in the forecast! The breezy conditions tapered off and we enjoyed a fantastic day on the water this afternoon. We saw harbor porpoise throughout Rosario Strait. Stopping at Colville Island we saw a Steller sea lion in the foreground, and many harbor seals hauled out in the background. Soon after we found our first whales of the day. Four minke whales were swimming around Salmon Bank in circles.
JUL
2
Historic day! Orcas galore! Three separate groups! In three different locations!
We had an adventurous group of passengers who were in for quite the treat today!
Our day began with turkey vultures soaring high above the boat as we departed the dock. We saw some harbor porpoise swimming in the waters of Rosario Strait. We made our way out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca and found a group of marine mammal eating orcas! This group included the T75 pod (T75 and T75A) as well as the T77 pod (T77, T77B, T77C and T77D).
JUL
1
Marine mammal eating orcas playing in the waves!
Our trip began today under sunny skies and three turkey vultures flying around Cap Sante. We headed up Rosario Strait and found several harbor porpoise swimming in the current lines. We found a mature bald eagle perched in a tree on Blakely Island. We headed through Peavine Pass and pushed on toward Upright Channel. We continued through San Juan Channel into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
JUN
30
A beautiful day with minke whales!
Really tough to beat the conditions we had on the water today. One of the most spectacular, sunny days we have had this year! We left the dock, seeing harbor porpoise in Rosario Strait. A nice slow down at Minor Island gave us views of two bald eagles, a common loon, many rhinoceros auklet and harbor seals hauled out on the spit. We passed by Partridge Bank where we saw several large bait balls, harbor seals and harbor porpoise, but no whales. Soon after, Capt.
JUN
29
Orcas and minke whales on the west side of San Juan Island
Today was a beautiful day full of sunshine and two types of whales!
Our day began with a belted kingfisher perched on a sign as we exited the marina. There was a turkey vulture flying around Cap Sante and a mature bald eagle flew over the houses along the shoreline. We made our way toward Thatcher Pass. We saw several harbor porpoise swimming in the current lines. We went through the inner islands.
JUN
28
All the way to Race Rocks to get Orcas
Today's conditions were ideal with very calm seas throughout the day. We started our wildlife viewing in Rosario Strait where harbor porpoise surfaced in several different locations. At Colville Island we watched a bunch of harbor seals lounge around on the rocks and we witnessed an adult seal fighting with a young one. The squabble appeared to be all about needing more space for sleeping. Offshore from Salmon bank we stopped to look at a couple of minke whales that were surfacing.
JUN
27
Humpback and Minke Whale double header
We found two species of whales for our trip today. Our wildlife viewing got kicked off early in the trip when we had a bald eagle buzz by us just as we departed Cap Sante marina. The eagle was getting chased by a crow and he circled back around and followed us all the way to Guemes Channel! Shortly after that we got a call from our friends from Port Townsend who spotted a humpback whale near Bird Rocks.
JUN
26
A Humpback whale and 3 Minkes
Today's wildlife viewing started when we spotted a bunch of harbor seals at Colville Island. We headed west from there and a minke whale surfaced right in front of us at Hein Bank! He gave us a couple of good views before we continued west. We had a report that a humpback whale was spotted near the border of Canada and we wanted to make sure we reached him as soon as we could.
JUN
25
5 more minkes!
Today our route took us back into the Straits of Juan de Fuca to look for wildlife. A bald eagle flew overhead in Guemes Channel. We traveled south in Rosario Strait and saw many harbor porpoise. A stop at Colville Island provided looks at dozens of harbor seals, including a very cute little seal pup! A mature bald eagle was perched behind the seals. We made our way down to Partridge Bank and found three minke whales. They were elusive at first, but soon gave us some nice looks.
JUN
24
Seven minke whales today!
We started our day with some rain, but things changed quickly and we stayed dry for most of our trip today aboard the Island Explorer 3! We watched many, many harbor porpoise throughout our trip today, the highest concentration of animals in Rosario Strait. Capt. Carl pointed the boat south and we stopped in at Minor Island for a slowdown. There we saw Double-Crested Cormorants, Harlequin Ducks, and five bald eagles.
JUN
23
Two Minke whales today!
The forecast called for rain all day, but we dodged most of it throughout the day. We had calm seas and misty conditions today as we searched for wildlife. We cruised out toward Hein Bank and stopped in the shallow areas to look for whales. A bait ball formed and the birds swarmed to feed on the fish. A minke whale hit the surface aiming for the food. Another minke popped up on the other side of the boat. We hung out with these two whales for quite awhile.
JUN
22
Orcas and Minkes!
Today the weather was perfect out on the water for our trip. Sunny skies and glass calm waters were in store for our passengers aboard the Island Explorer 3. We saw many harbor porpoise in Rosario Strait. We stopped at Colville Island where newbie Captain Tyson did a slow down to show our guests some harbor seals and a mature bald eagle. Soon we found our first whales of the day. Two minke whales were circling at Salmon Bank giving us some great looks.
JUN
21
Triple Header!! Orcas, Humpback and Minke!
Our guests were in for a treat today! Our day started out with some purple sea stars clinging to the pilings of the breakwater of the marina and a belted kingfisher on the shallow water piling. There was also a mature bald eagle perched on driftwood; he was being harassed by two crows. We had a harbor seal pop his head out of the water to check us out in Guemes Channel. As we made our way to Rosario Strait, multiple harbor porpoise surfaced in the current lines.
JUN
20
Over 90 miles roundtrip to get orcas today!
We definitely went the extra mile today (over 90 in total) to get whales! The liquid sunshine didn't deter our hardy passengers from enjoying the wonderful tour today! Our day started with harbor porpoise swimming in the currents of Rosario Strait and Guemes Channel. We also had our first mature bald eagle perched on the south side of Blakely Island. We found another bald eagle on Orcas Island. There were more porpoise swimming in Spieden Channel. We continued on toward Canada.
JUN
19
3 lunge feeding minke whales
Today's trip started out with no whale reports so we decided to start the day by heading into the inner San Juan Islands. Along the way we spotted several harbor seals and three bald eagles. We exited the San Juans at Cattle Pass and we looked hard for whales at Salmon Bank. Despite lots of bird activity we couldn't find any whales so we headed toward Hein Bank.
JUN
18
7 Transient Orcas near Smith Island
The Island Explorer 3 was booked for a private whale watching trip today. The conditions couldn't have been any better either because we had sunny skies and very calm sea conditions. Two pods of Transient orcas were spotted swimming north from Point Wilson this morning so we headed in that direction and we reached the killer whales near Partridge Bank. It was T65Am T65A2, T65A3, T65A4, T75B, T75C, and T75B1.
JUN
17
L pod orcas, including a wonderful encounter with the youngest member, L119!
The day started off with a mature bald eagle flying right above the boat as we departed the marina. As we started down Guemes Channel, a California sea lion popped up, we waited for a few minutes and we were treated to a few more looks as he swam over toward the Anacortes waterfront! We pushed further to the west and encountered several harbor porpoise, as well as a few harbor seals. At the south end of Colville Island we spotted several harbor seals hauled out enjoying the sunshine.
JUN
16
7 Transient Orcas in Griffin Bay
The same two pods of orcas we saw yesterday stuck around for our trip again today! Eric Shor, of Anacortes Kayak Tours, spotted the orcas this morning near Friday Harbor while he was riding the ferry and notified us. We headed in that direction by way of south Lopez Island and we spotted harbor porpoise in several locations along the way. When we arrived the transient orcas had just made a couple of kills in Griffin Bay. They were celebrating by playing around like crazy.
JUN
15
Transient Orcas
We had a fantastic day with transient orcas today. They were spotted in the morning by a fisherman north of Orcas Island. We heard the report and headed north in that direction as quickly as possible. By the time we reached the scene the orcas were swimming toward Orcas Island, and they were in a tight resting pattern, coming up and going down together. We had a total of 7 orcas in two pods. One was the T65A pod including 4 orcas, and the other was a pod with T75B, T75C, and T75B1.
JUN
14
Double Header Day
Our wildlife viewing today started with a belted kingfisher that dove into the water and caught a fish at the Cap Sante breakwater. After catching the fish she smacked it, repeatedly, against the top of a piling in order to kill it. We took a route through the inner San Juan islands to start the trip and watched some harbor seals at Shark Reef and again at goose Island.
JUN
13
Humpback, Minkes, and First Heermann's Gull of the season!
What a wonderful day on the water today!
Our day began with some harbor porpoise swimming in the current lines of Guemes Channel and Rosario Strait. Within the first hour of the trip, we were on scene with a humpback whale! He was headed south out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. He was maintaining a rhythmic breathing sequence and he showed us his tail a few times. We continued with him as his breathing sequence changed and he was no longer showing us his tail.
JUN
12
Best Minke show of the year!
We left the dock today under the threat of rain, but we stayed dry all day long. A mature bald eagle flew over the boat as we traveled in Guemes Channel. We saw many, many harbor porpoise in the calm seas of Rosario Strait. At Colville Island we stopped to look at dozens of harbor seals hauled out on the rocks. Soon we saw our first whale of the day. Some other boats had found a minke whale near Salmon Bank.
JUN
11
Orcas take down a harbor porpoise!
Great, great day on the water aboard the Island Explorer 3! The transient orcas we found yesterday were spotted early this morning close to our dock. We left the harbor and cruised along the eastern side of Guemes Island. There, we saw a mature bald eagle soaring next to the boat. A few more eagles were lined up in the trees on Guemes and Jack Island. Soon, we were hanging out with orcas in Rosario Strait. This turned out to be the T65A's and T75B and her calf.
JUN
10
Minkes and marine mammal eating orcas! Captain Carl saves the day!
Doubleheader!
Our day began with sticking our nose up into Bellingham Channel to give the waters to the north a good look. We saw several birds involved in an active baitball! There were some harbor porpoise swimming through the waters of Guemes Channel and Rosario Strait.
JUN
9
Oldest (J2) and youngest (J49) orcas spotted on our trip today! Plus other members of J pod!
What a great day full of sunshine and wildlife!
Our day began with a few purple sea stars clinging to the pilings of the breakwater. Then two turkey vultures crossed behind the boat and landed on Cap Sante! We continued through Guemes Channel into Thatcher Pass and saw some harbor porpoise, a couple of harbor seals and some evidence of a baitball, but nothing really big was actively feeding in the area. We saw a mature bald eagle perched on Blakely Island, and another perched on Willow Island.
JUN
8
J pod off San Juan Island
Todays trip started out with some purple sea star viewing at the Cap Sante breakwater courtesy of the low tide. We cruised southward and stopped at Colville Island to watch some harbor seals and an immature bald eagle. The bald eagle took flight and flew right over our bow with a crow chasing him close behind. We reached J-pod orcas heading north along the west side of San Juan Island just south of Lime Kiln Park.
JUN
7
J & L pods in from Canada
Today's wildlife viewing started at Colville Island where we spotted about 30 harbor seals hauled out on the rocks, and a bald eagle standing up in the grass. We got word that orcas were spotted coming in from the west in Canada and we wasted no time heading in that direction. By the time we reached J and L pod orcas they were swimming slowly off Discovery Island, and they were all grouped up into three tight pods.
JUN
6
L'22 Subgroup and Best Minke Show of 2013
Sorry there are no photos from today's trip, but it was a fantastic day out on the water. It was calm and sunny in the Straights of Juan De Fuca (I forgot to put on sunscreen and am certainly going to be feeling it!). We spent quite a bit of time with L22 (Spirit) and her two kids. They were fishing near Pile Point along the west shore of San Juan Island.
JUN
5
57 orcas today! L pod returned to the waters of the Salish Sea!
Oh my! What a day! It all started right as we left the dock, a mature bald eagle flew right alongside the boat (practically at an arm's). The eagle was being harassed by three gulls! There was a bait ball in Bellingham Channel, but we only saw birds actively feeding. We continued south down Rosario Strait and made our way to Salmon Bank.
JUN
4
Hey guess what? We saw Llamas! Oh yeah, and two kinds of whales!!!
We are loving June right now, as we have been having a blast hanging out with resident orcas! We watched three pigeon guillemots up close as we left the harbor, with nice looks at their bright red feet. Some very active harbor porpoise entertained us in Rosario Strait. We did a slow down near Swirl Rocks and saw some harbor seals hauled out, including some smaller animals.
JUN
3
WOW-Another doubleheader!!!
We are loving the start to June here in Anacortes! Sometimes we refer to June as Junuary, but not this year! Sun, sun, and more sun are on tap for the week, and we have been enjoying the weather. Today we left the dock and turned south to look for whales. We saw many harbor porpoise near Colville Island. A sharp-eyed passenger spotted a minke whale near Iceberg Point. It was several miles away, so we continued west and decided to look for it again on our way home.
JUN
2
Doubleheader! Orcas and a Humpback!
Wow! Another great day out on the Island Explorer 3! A bald eagle flew over the boat as we left the harbor. We traveled south in Rosario Strait, seeing many harbor porpoise in the current lines. We passed by Castle Rock and saw about a dozen pigeon guillemots. We continued north into Haro Strait and had a great look at the Lime Kiln Lighthouse. Soon, we encountered our first whales of the trip. J Pod and the L 12's were swimming together northbound toward Henry Island.
JUN
1
Great day with J and L pods
Today's viewing again started with a bald eagle sighting and a belted kingfisher perched near the breakwater at Cap Sante Marina. Orcas were spotted heading north on the west side of San Juan Island so we took a route through the inner San Juan Islands in order to come out at the north end of San Juan Island to meet up with the whales. Michael's plan worked perfectly and we met up with them north of Henry Island.
JUN
1
Perfect Whale Watching Weather!
The current 10 day forecast is looking perfect to be out on the water.
MAY
31
J-pod and porpoising Minke Whales
The water was like glass today and we had a double header with orcas and minke whales. The action started as we left Cap Sante Marina when we spotted a great blue heron, a belted kingfisher, and two bald eagles. Rosario Strait brought us some harbor porpoise sightings and we found a couple of harbor seals at Swirl Rocks. After leaving the rocks it wasn't long before Captain Carl spotted two minke whales surfacing at the same time off Iceberg Point.
MAY
30
J pod!
We had a wonderful day out in the Salish Sea today!
Our trip began with a turkey vulture soaring above Cap Sante. We had several harbor seals and harbor porpoise in the waters of Guemes Channel and Rosario Strait. We headed south in between James and Decatur Island. We had a belted kingfisher land on the dock of James Island. We continued toward Colville Island and saw several harbor seals hauled out, warming themselves up.
MAY
29
Humpback whale in Canada!
Story to come soon!
Our day started with a great look at a bald eagle on Southeast Point. Several more bald eagles were spotted on Guemes Island, including a pair, side-by-side. We saw many harbor porpoise and harbor seals on this misty morning as we pushed north to look for whales. A California sea lion briefly popped up near Vendovi Island to take a look around.
MAY
28
Double Header! Orcas and a Humpback!
We ran quite a trip today out on the Island Explorer 3! The day started out with some wind and rain, but the weather improved throughout the afternoon. We took a tour of the San Juan Islands westbound, and ended up in Canada to find whales. We enjoyed slow downs in some beautiful areas, and saw a wide variety of wildlife. Animals along the way included harbor porpoise, harbor seals, Canada geese with new born goslings, rhinoceros auklet, pigeon guillemots, and a great blue heron.
MAY
27
A Humpback Whale!
It rained and rained on us all day long, but we still had a great trip on the Island Explorer 3! We saw many, many harbor porpoise in Rosario Strait. A mature bald eagle was sitting in a tree on Blakely Island. Some black oystercatchers were at the narrows of Pole Pass. We pushed on to the west toward Canada when we received word of a humpback whale near Saturna Island. This turned out to be BCY0324, a female we have seen several times this month.
MAY
26
5 Minke Whales and Puffins
Today's wildlife viewing started with harbor porpoise in Rosario Strait, and continued with a bunch of harbor seals at Colville Island along with a black oystercatcher. Next we viewed four minke whales off Salmon Bank. Our first whale in particular gave us some great views at the surface. The second whale was also very good to us and he broke the surface with his rostrum high out of the water time after time! We spotted the other two whales a little more in the distance.
MAY
25
A Humpback Whale and 3 Minkes
The rain shadow effect was in full force today around the San Juan Islands. We had blue sky above us and you could see clouds in the distance in all directions. In Guemes Channel we had a bald eagle soar right above us. With a really low tide we were able to see lots of common sea stars lined up on the Cap Sante breakwater as we pulled away from the dock. Our first stop of the day was at Colville Island where we watched several harbor seals hauled out on the rocks there.
MAY
24
Transient Orcas and a Humpback Whale
We had fantastic weather for our trip today, and the wildlife was great too. Some transient orcas were spotted in Canada before we left our dock so we knew what our plan would be. At the south end of Lopez Island we spotted a pod of very quickly moving harbor porpoise and a bunch of harbor seals hauled out on the rocks at Colville Island. Next we headed straight to Canada where a group of 5 transient orcas was swimming gradually toward Andrew's Bay.
MAY
23
A familiar Humpback whale!
They were calling for some nasty weather today, with thunderstorms and hail. You gotta love it when they are so far off the mark! Despite wearing my rain pants today, the rain never came, and we enjoyed a beautiful day on the water. We saw about a million harbor porpoise in Rosario Strait, and a mature bald eagle near Blakely Island. A half dozen harbor seals were hauled out on Leo Reef. Our tour took us through the heart of the San Juan Islands toward Canada, where we saw a Humpback whale.
MAY
22
A Minke whale today
The Island Explorer 3 left the dock today under the threat of rain, but we never felt a drop. The weather definitely held out for us, and we had a really nice trip, with a good variety of wildlife. We first turned north in Rosario Strait, as we received word of a possible whale near Obstruction Island. We searched and searched, but could find no evidence of a whale in the vicinity.
MAY
21
T124A's off of Sidney Island!
Our day started off with a little bit of liquid sunshine, but within the first twenty minutes, the rain stopped and the clouds continued to burn off. We saw numerous birds as we headed down Guemes Channel and on to Rosario Strait, including: pigeon guillemots, rhinoceros auklets, pelagic cormorants and double creted cormorants. A keen-eyed passenger found our first harbor porpoises of the trip! One of the porpoises was pretty active.
MAY
20
Island Explorer 3 finds the whales again!
We enjoyed another fine day out on the water aboard the Island Explorer 3. We saw some harbor seals hauled out at Allan Island and quite a few harbor porpoise throughout Rosario Strait. We covered quite a bit of territory today on the search for whales. Out in the middle of the Straits of Juan de Fuca, we spotted our first whale of the day. It was a minke whale that was headed toward a bait ball. This minke whale quickly turned into FOUR minkes in this area.
MAY
19
J pod, "swim by" courtesy of Hy'Shqa and J49!
We had an absolutely wonderful Sunday on the water! Before even leaving the dock, a mature bald eagle was getting harassed by a gull. The bald eagle was flipping over in flight, talons extended. He came close a couple of times to catching that gull. When we rounded Cap Sante, there was a turkey vulture perched high on the rock. Then, we spotted a mature bald eagle sitting in a Pacific madrona tree, getting dive bombed by two crows.
MAY
18
J pod Orcas and a Minke Whale
We had a long journey through the San Juan Islands but it eventually paid off with J pod orcas in the end. We started out heading north around the north end of Orcas Island. Along the way we spotted bald eagles, harbor porpoise, harbor seals, and a California sea lion. We didn't find any whales up there so Captain Carl changed our plans and we cut through the inner San Juan Islands headed toward Cattle Pass.
MAY
16
Captain Michael is the hero of the day! Transients!
We had a fabulous day on the water today!
We spent so much time with the orcas today! It was a very large group of transients, including the T100's and the T124A's! In all, there were probably around 15 animals total!
This morning, our guests were in for quite the treat! The sun started breaking through the clouds and the glass calm waters provided beautiful reflections of the islands. We headed north up Rosario Strait to start our journey.
MAY
15
Private trip on Halcyon!
We had an absolutely wonderful day onboard the Halcyon with some returning guests!
We left the dock and headed out into the sunshine on our journey! It wasn't long before we found our first whale of the day! It was a humpback traveling northbound in Rosario Strait! He was maintaining some very rhythmic breathing sequences with a long down time of about 10 minutes. We even got to see him fluke three times! By that time, the Island Explorer 3 was on scene and we left in search of other animals.
MAY
15
J Pod and a humpback!
Wow! Another great day out on the water from Anacortes! We started out by traveling south in Rosario Strait. Soon enough we saw our first whale. Capt. Shane had a trip out on our sister boat, Halcyon, and found a humpback whale! Awesome! This whale was headed north at a pretty good clip. We had some great looks at him before we eventually turned to search for more whales.
MAY
15
Welcome back J POD!!
WHAT A DAY! Today's 5-6 hour tour has been spectacular! This morning we were with 2 Humpbacks, and right now we are with J Pod! Double header today!!
J Pod must be happy to be back, Captain Carl said the show is unbelievable right now, the Orcas are being very playful, with lots of spy hopping.
MAY
14
Some days on the water will never be forgotten...
Our guests today aboard the Island Explorer 3 were treated to a special day indeed! We started the trip under sunny skies. We enjoyed calm waters as we cruised out west toward Canada looking for whales. Along the way we saw pigeon guillemots, rhinoceros auklets, bald eagles, and harbor seals. We received word about some orcas close to the city of Sydney, B.C.
MAY
12
Awesome Transient Orca Show!
We cruised through the inner San Juan Islands again to start our day. We spotted our first bald eagle of the day on a reef marker in Thatcher Pass. On the other side of the islands we stopped at Whale Rocks to look at a bunch of harbor seals, a hand full of Steller sea lions, and another bald eagle. About then we got word from a captain from Port Townsend who found a pod of transient orcas not far from Whale Rocks. We didn't waste any time heading in that direction.
MAY
11
3 Minke Whales
We found whales on our first trip of the year in Anacortes, and lots of other wildlife too. As we were leaving Cap Sante Marina we were surprised when a female belted kingfisher perched on a sign on the breakwater, and then she let us cruise right past her at really close range. Captain Michael chose a route through the inner San Juan Islands to start us out. Along the way we spotted harbor porpoise, harbor seals, and a bald eagle.
MAY
10
What a way to end our gray whale season! Doubleheader!
Our customers today were in for quite a treat!
Our day began with very little visibility; we had a nice layer of fog blanketing Possession Sound. We had a harbor seal pop up numerous times before we were even off the dock. The Caspian terns were flying overhead, the only way we knew that was because of their unusal calls. We got the boat off the dock and found a California sea lion hauled out on the channel marker.
MAY
8
Gray Whale Spyhopping Madness!
Our wildlife viewing started out with a California sea lion hauled out on a channel marker at the end of Jetty Island. Next we cruised slowly over toward Hat Island because Captain Carl thought he spotted a blow. It took a while for the whale to surface again but once he did he was very close. It was #49, Patch, and he gave us his best show of the year. He managed to raise his tail flukes high into the air on five different occasions during our long visit with our old buddy.
MAY
6
Another beautiful day with four Gray Whales!
Story and pics to come soon...
Our wonderful weather has continued this week, as our guests enjoyed flat-calm waters and sunny skies today on the tour. We left the dock and passed by several dozen Caspian terns on Jetty Island. A few harbor seals popped up nearby to check us out. It was not long until we found our first whales. #723 and #56 were traveling side-by-side from Gedney Island toward the river delta. They were very surface active, and showed their tails on occasion.
MAY
5
Four Gray Whales feeding in the Snohomish River Delta
The weather today was fantastic for our trip aboard the Island Explorer 3! A harbor seal greeted us at the dock before we even left for our tour. Several bald eagles could be seen over on Jetty Island. Caspian Terns were calling overhead throughout the trip, some diving into the water to try and catch fish. We found our first whales near Gedney Island. It turned out to be gray whales #723 and #56. They raced toward the river, swimming side by side.
MAY
4
Feeding gray whales basking in the sunshine!
It was a beautiful day out in Possession Sound! Our day began with a couple of bald eagles and two osprey perched on Jetty Island. Within just a few minutes, Captain Carl found us our first two whales! They were feeding in the river delta.
MAY
3
Humpback whale and 4 Grays too!
Our whale watching today started when I spotted a gray whale feeding in the Snohomish River delta. This whale was feeding on his side, showing his pectoral fins and tail flukes along the way. Soon we realized that we had 2 whales instead of one and they were feeding side by side. They were in the shallows so we weren't able to get too close to them. Captain Carl spotted another whale out in deeper water so we cruised over to get some closer views of this one.
MAY
2
Lots of whales in the Delta
We had another great, wildlife filled, day today. Once again we had lots of bald eagles lined up on Jetty Island to start us out. Two of the eagles flew over an osprey nest and the male osprey chased them away right over the boat. Next we cruised over to look at the osprey nest with the female incubating her eggs. By the time we got to the end of Jetty Island we had counted a total of 10 bald eagles! Next we cruised over toward the Whidbey ferry lanes to look southward.
MAY
1
Two Gray Whales Today
We had ideal conditions for today's trip with sunny skies and calm seas. Wildlife viewing started before we departed again today with lots of bird activity on Jetty Island. We had a total of 9 bald eagles and a few great blue herons lined up on the island for our passengers to watch while we waited for our last couple of passengers to show up. Next we found a California sea lion hauled out on a channel marker.
APR
30
Another day with Patch and Little Patch
Our trip today was packed with wildlife and sunny skies. We first saw an immature bald eagle on Jetty Island, followed by a mature bald eagle flying overhead. A California sea lion was hauled out on a navigational marker near the Naval Station. He woke up as we passed, and gave us a glance as he scratched his chin. We quickly found two gray whales near Gedney Island. It was #49 Patch and #53 Little Patch. We enjoyed hanging out with these whales for the next few hours.
APR
28
Little Patch with the Big Spyhop!!!
Awesome day for our guests today aboard the Island Explorer 3! The rain stopped just before we left the dock, and we enjoyed some sunny conditions throughout the trip. We were paid a visit from two harbor seals as we prepared to leave for the day. Two immature bald eagles were sitting on Jetty Island. We cruised over to Gedney Island and found #49 Patch, our first whale of the day. He had some long down times, so we went south to visit another whale Capt. Carl had found near Mukilteo.
APR
27
4 gray whales
Today's trip started with lots of harbor seal and bald eagle viewing at the dock. We headed toward Hat Island and Captain Carl spotted two whales near the east side of the island. The first whale was Patch, #49, and the second was #53, Little Patch. They weren't swimming together but they weren't too far apart. Soon after arriving 53 did a big spyhop! We watched these two whales for a while then we spotted another one closer to Hat Island.
APR
26
5 Gray Whales Again Today!
We had sunny weather again today for our trip. A harbor seal entertained our passengers as we were waiting for our last group to show up. After leaving the dock we stopped to look at a California sea lion hauled out on a channel marker. It didn't take long before Captain Carl spotted our first whale of the day. It turned out to be 2 whales.
APR
25
Awesome 5 Gray Whale Day!
All the stars were aligned for a perfect trip today. The sun was out, the seas were calm, and the wildlife was spectacular today! We started watching wildlife before we even got our passengers on the boat today. While giving a pre-trip talk two harbor seals entertained our passengers. Once we left the dock Captain Michael pulled over so we could look at a pair of ospreys at their nest. Minutes later we passed by an adult bald eagle on Jetty Island.
APR
25
Update from the Island Explorer 3!
Captain Michael just called the office to say that they are next to Gedney Island, watching 4 gray whales in glass calm water.
APR
24
Our baby Lucy meets the whale nicknamed after her! Plus a breaching whale!
Gray Whale 723 AKA Lucy!
Breaching 383!
It was an absolutely gorgeous day on the water today! It was complete with five gray whales and abundant sunshine! Plus, Lucy, who just turned four weeks old, went on her first whale watching trip and we got to see gray whale 723, who we nicknamed in honor of her!
Before we even got off the dock, we had two Caspian terns fighting above the boat. A California sea lion shot out of the water quickly as we made our turn into Possession Sound.
APR
22
Patch, Little Patch, and 723
Great weather today for our trip aboard the Island Explorer 3! We saw two harbor seals at the dock before we even left! Next we saw several bald eagles over on Jetty Island. One lined up nicely with the Olympic Mountains in the background. Continuing on, we spotted our first whales of the day near Gedney Island. It turned out to be Patch and Little Patch, and they seemed to be into a heavy feeding rhythm along the shallows. After a while we cruised to the north where we found another whale.
APR
21
5 gray whales today
We headed toward the east side of Hat Island to find our first whale today. It was #53 and he gave us several good looks at the surface. We watched him for about 20 minutes before we moved on to look for more. Captain Michael spotted two more whales near the shoreline at Tulalip Shores. We cruised over to watch them. One was in next to shore, feeding, and the other was offshore a bit. The offshore whale had long down times so we headed in to watch the more active whale feeding along shore.
1
APR
20
Great show from two gray whales
Our trip started with a bang today because we spotted 5 bald eagles on Jetty Island as we pulled away from the dock. Shortly after that we watched a California sea lion sitting up tall on a channel marker. Because of a report from earlier in the day we headed toward Possession Point to look for whales next. Just as we reached the point Captain Carl spotted two whales off in the distance. It was #383, and 723.
APR
19
Whales and liquid sunshine!
A little bit of rain didn't dampen the spirit of our customers or the activity of the whales!
Our trip began with four bald eagles on Jetty Island. Then we had a couple of California sea lions hauled out on one of the navigational markers. It wasn't very long before we found our first two whales! It was gray whales 49 (Patch) and 53 (Little Patch).
APR
18
Feeding gray whales!
Gray Whale 383 really digging into the sea floor!
Immature Bald Eagle
Before we were even off the dock today, we had a harbor seal pop up a few times to say hello. There were two bald eagles perched on Jetty Island as we departed the marina. We made our turn toward Possession sound and within just a few minutes, we were on scene with two gray whales, numbers 49 (Patch) and 53 (Little Patch). They were going in opposite directions in the shallows off of Hat Island.
APR
17
Three gray whales today
Our trip today proved to be another great one, as we spent time with three gray whales under sunny skies. We hung out with #49 Patch, #383, and #723. We had great looks at the whales throughout the trip and #723 even breached in the distance! We also saw California sea lions, harbor seals, bald eagles, and many different bird species. What day! Photos to come soon.
APR
16
We had another really fun day out on the water with five whales!
Our day started before we even left the dock, as a harbor seal paid a visit, and a bald eagle flew past the bow. We next said hello to a lazy California sea lion hauled out on the navigational marker near the Everett Naval Station. A very cool thing happened next, as the tug Swinomish was bringing a large log tow in toward Everett. This is where the logs are all chained together, with the tug boat towing them astern.
APR
15
Sunny skies and six whales!
It was a lovely day on the water today! Before we even left the dock, we could see two immature and one mature bald eagle! We had a couple of California sea lions hauled out on the channel marker. Then a harbor seal popped up and did a little people watching. Within just about twenty minutes of leaving the dock, we were on scene with our first two whales! They were gray whales 49 (Patch) and 53(Little Patch).
APR
14
Gray whales #49 Patch and #21
We started our day with three immature bald eagles out on Jetty Island. Two California sea lions were hauled out on a navigational marker near the Naval Station. We cruised up toward Langley on Whidbey Island and found two gray whales. These whales were heading south, and we had the opportunity to watch them right along the shoreline. They pushed offshore and turned toward Gedney Island. We were watching Patch and #21. They swam right next to each other throughout our visit.
APR
13
7 Gray Whales, Yahoo!
We had our first two whales of the day spotted from the upper deck of the Island Explorer 3 before we even left the dock today. We didn't waste any time heading in that direction to start the trip. Eventually I spotted them again as they crossed through the ferry lanes. It was #383 and #53 and they swam together for our entire visit with them. They gradually made their way toward The south end of Whidbey Island.
APR
13
Don't be afraid of the rain!!
Today's tour is getting back in a little late because.....they are watching 7 gray whales!
This just goes to show how amazing a day can be, even in drizzly weather. We are full for tomorrow's tour, but we still have lots of space for Monday! More news about today's trip coming soon.
APR
12
4 Gray Whales
After watching a bald eagle on Jetty Island to start our trip cruised out to look for whales. Captain Carl spotted our first whale within minutes of leaving Jetty Island. It was #53, Little Patch, and we watched him for a while at the Snohomish River delta. In the meantime two harbor seals surfaced and did some kissing for a while. While we were on scene with 53, Tyson spotted another whale off in the distance to the north.
APR
11
3 gray whales
Our wildlife viewing today started with a bald eagle perched on some rocks on Jetty Island. Ten minutes later Captain Michael spotted the first whales of the day. We knew we had at least two whales swimming toward us on the east side of Hat Island. Within a few minutes of watching these whales we realized there were actually three of them when all three surfaced together! We identified #22 early on but it took us a while to figure the other two out.
APR
9
Three gray whales today
The Island Explorer 3 was out again today, on the search for whales and wildlife. We started out with quite a few California sea lions hauled out near the Everett Naval Station. We cruised over toward Gedney Island and found two whales heading our way. It turned out to be gray whales #22 and #383. They were awesome, showing their tail on every round at the surface. These two have been hanging out a lot lately, they definitely seem to be buddies.
APR
8
Patch and #723 in calm seas and a surprise visit from #383
A great day out on the water today, with a wide variety of wildlife! Leaving the dock we watched as some crows dive-bombed a mature bald eagle that was resting on Jetty Island. We next saw about a dozen California sea lions hanging out near the Naval Staion. Two harbor seals were watching us as we watched the sea lions! We next searched for whales and found one on the west side of Gedney Island.
APR
7
Gray whales 53 & 723
We didn't have to go very far at all to find gray whales today. Captain Carl spotted two just east of Hat Island. #53 and #723 were swimming together when we joined them. 723 brought his head high out of the water soon after we arrived! Shortly thereafter #53 thrilled our passengers when he raised his tail flukes high into the air on a deep dive. Eventually these two whales separated and we watched them one at a time.
APR
6
Hanging out with Patch and Little Patch all day long!
Another day, another set of adventures aboard the Island Explorer 3. We started our day with a bald eagle on Jetty Island as we left the dock. We found some whales soon after. #49 Patch, and #53 Little Patch were feeding near Gedney Island. We had great looks at these whales, and soon found another whale nearby. The water was pretty choppy and the whale never surfaced far enough to see who it was.
APR
5
3 gray whales today
We had windy but dry conditions today, and our wildlife viewing started right away when a osprey flew by with nesting material in his talons. He flew straight to the nest to continue his renovation of last year's nest. 20 minutes after leaving the dock captain Carl spotted our first gray whales. We could tell that we had at least 2, but Before long it was obvious we had 3 gray whales. #53, #383, and #49 were all hanging out together for our entire visit with them.
APR
4
Patch off Hat Island
Our trip started with a California sea lion on the channel marker at the end of Jetty Island. He jumped into the water shortly after we arrived. Next we searched all the way around Hat Island and spotted a bald eagle perched in a tree at the north end of the island. After circumnavigating Hat Island Captain Carl spotted our first whale of the day in the Snohomish River delta.
APR
3
383 steals the show!
What an amazing April day on the water! We had sunshine, flat calm waters and five gray whales!
Our day started off right with three osprey on Jetty Island! We also had an immature bald eagle perched on a pilling off of Jetty Island. There were two California sea lions hauled out on the channel marker. We headed south on our journey toward Possession Point on Whidbey Island. We gave a search to the south, didn't see anything so we made a turn to the north.
APR
2
Four grays whales and calm seas
It was a wonderful day out in Possessions Sound today!
Our day began with six, yes, six California sea lions on and around the channel marker. There were three sea lions on the marker and the other three definitely wanted to join them! One of the three that was staying dry, was very vocal, letting the three in the water know there wasn't any room for them! The three in the water were trying to scope out the optimal place to haul out. We didn't witness any of them attempting the jump.
APR
1
Today, we had six gray whales under gray skies, with a hardy group of guests!
Our day began with a bald eagle on Jetty Island and several California sea lions on the Navy pontoons. Captain Carl found us our first gray whale at the south end of Hat Island. He wasn't raising his dorsal ridge out of the water very much because he was in shallow water. It was Patch, gray whale 49! We found another whale a little closer to Whidbey Island; it was gray whale 53.
MAR
31
Summer temperatures and 5 grays!
It was a wonderful Easter Sunday on the boat! It was warm, sunny and flat calm with great whale action!
Our trip began with a bald eagle on Jetty Island. We headed off on our journey and within minutes, Captain Michael found us two gray whales of the east side of Hat Island. It turned out to be gray whales 22 and 383. They fluke multiple times for us! There was another whale in the distance. And another...
MAR
31
Five grays!
It was a beautiful Easter Sunday in Everett! We spotted five gray whales and had one great spyhop! Check back soon for details and photos from our naturalist Brooke.
MAR
30
4 whales on both trips
We found four whales on both of our trips today with lots of sunshine. Our first trip started with several California sea lions lined up on the edge of the naval base. 18 minutes into our trip I spotted our first whale of the day swimming toward Hat Island. It was #22 and he raised his tail flukes for us on several occasions to start our day out right. We followed him for a while when Amanda, from Cascadia Research, spotted another whale to the northeast that we cruised over to watch.
MAR
29
8 Gray Whales Today!
Sunshine and 8 gray whales made today hard to beat. We started out our wildlife viewing at the dock when two harbor seals swam by just as we were getting ready to leave the dock, and we spotted several California sea lions around the Navy base perimeter. We cruised northwest toward Whidbey Island and I spotted a group of gray whales in between Whidbey and Hat Islands. It was #56, #383, and #44, Dubknuck.
MAR
28
Beautiful Spring Day spent with Three Gray Whales!
What a wonderful to spend on the waters of Possession Sound!
Before we even got off the dock, Captain Carl spotted a mature bald eagle on Jetty Island.
MAR
26
Six gray whales!
What a day we had on the boat! An immature bald eagle flew right by the bow before we even left the dock. We visited a California sea lion near the entrance to the harbor, and another two dozen on the floats near the Naval Station. At the north end of Gedney Island Capt. Carl found some whales. Did he ever! Five gray whales all traveled together southbound in beautiful flat-calm conditions.
MAR
26
Whales Galore!
We were with numerous Gray whales on today's tour and one new comer, #723! With more grays showing up to feed and with the weather getting nicer as the days go by, we couldn't have asked for a better month. Remember, in April we start running daily and Children 12 and under ride for free, when paired with a regular paying adult!
More news and photos to come about today's tour from our naturalist Michael Colahan.
MAR
24
Three gray whales!
We have had quite a week, with gray whales on every tour. Today was no exception. We started the trip with a great look at two mature bald eagles on a piling. The Olympic mountains were a dramatic backdrop for this photo opportunity! We soon visited with a California sea lion resting on a navigational marker. Capt. Carl pointed us south along the Whidbey Island shoreline, and we soon found some whales. We saw 22, 56, and 383 grouped up together. We spent all day with these three whales.
MAR
24
3 Gray Whales Today!
What a beautiful day in Everett! We spent time with three Gray whales (#383, #22, and #56) who traveled together during the whole trip.
MAR
23
Gray whales on both trips!!! Again!!!
The weather out on the water has been epic, and we have been able to take advantage aboard the Island Explorer 3. On our first trip we saw three mature bald eagles give us a fly-by before we left the dock. We found our first whales soon after leaving, it was 22 and 383. They gave us great looks, showing their tales on almost every dive. We found two other whales in the Snohomish River delta who were feeding.
MAR
22
Gray whales on both trips!
What day we had today out on the water! We first had to clear off the 2-3 inches of snow and slush that was sitting on the deck of the Island Explorer 3! The snow tapered off, and the sun came out and we had an awesome day whale watching. Our first trip it didn't take long to find a whale, as I spotted an animal near Gedney Island. It was 53, Little Patch, swimming near the shallows. We cruised up toward Camano Island and saw a mature bald eagle near it's nest.
MAR
20
21 & 22 save the day!
We had very windy conditions out on the water today, but our rugged passengers braved the waves and were rewarded with a great whale show! The rough sea state dictated, to a large part, where we could search today. We started looking around Hat Island but the waves made it difficult to spot anything at the surface. Captain Carl decided we would head toward the east side of Whidbey Island where the water looked calmer.
MAR
17
Four gray whales today
We didn't have to go far today to find gray whales. Within about twenty minutes we spotted our first two gray whales just east of Hat Island. It was #49, Patch, and #53, Little Patch. They swam close together for our entire visit with them. After watching them for a while in shallow water we decided to head north and look for more. Captain Carl spotted two more gray whales north of Hat Island heading southward. This time it was #21, and #22, and they were swimming side by side.
MAR
16
53 saves the day!
We had quite the journey to find our whale today! It was a bit breezy, but that didn't deter our hardy group of customers from staying outside on the search!
Our trip began with two bald eagles soaring above the boat. Then there were two more mature and an immature bald eagle perched on Jetty Island and four more mature bald eagles fighting over something.
MAR
14
#383 makes an appearance!
We found whales again today aboard the Island Explorer 3, visiting with four whales total! A great blue heron was sitting on Jetty Island as we left Everett marina. We then found a California sea lion resting on a navigational marker soon after. It was not long until Capt. Carl found our first whales of the day. We had some really nice looks at whales 21 and 53 (Little Patch) near the good feeding zone off of Gedney Island.
MAR
13
Gray whale 21 is back!
With gray whale number 21 back in the area now, that brings the total up to five whales! It was such a treat today because we got to see all five!
Before we left the dock, we already had a harbor seal in the marina, two mature bald eagles on Jetty Island and an immature bald eagle flying over our heads! We saw two California sea lions hauled out on the navigational marker and several more on the pontoons of the naval boom. We began our search toward the south end of Hat Island.
MAR
12
Patch is back! And a visit from Rodney?!?!
We had a really nice trip today with some fantastic guests on board. It was a little gray and a bit choppy, but the rain held off all day for our trip. We saw a California sea lion, some harbor seals, and a couple of bald eagles. We found gray whale #56 near Gedney Island. He was traveling right on the edge of the good feeding zone for awhile, and we had some pretty nice looks at him. Our fun guests from Vashon Island named him 'Rodney'. I like it! Soon we realized another whale was in the area.
MAR
12
Welcome back Patch 49!
Another great tour today! Captain Carl (the most spectacular Captain in all the land) spotted gray whales before we even left the dock!
Guests enjoyed tons of wildlife and were greeted by our old friend Patch 49! Patch is our crew's favorite gray whale and a favorite of our guests because he is easily identifiable by the large white patch on his right side.
MAR
10
Spy-hopping Gray Whales!!!
What a day we had aboard the Island Explorer 3! We left the dock and checked out a mature bald eagle on a piling near Jetty Island. We next spotted two California sea lions hauled out on a navigational marker as we exited the marina. One was laying down, lazy-style, and the other portrayed a regal pose.
MAR
10
Spy hopping Gray Whales!
What a great tour we had today! The Island Explorer 3 just got back to the dock and not only did they travel across flat calm water, they managed to dodge the rain throughout the entire trip!
Today was abundant in wildlife, sea lions, sea birds including tons of bald eagles and not to mention, multiple spy hopping Gray Whales!... Stay tuned for some awesome pictures from our naturalist Michael Colahan.
MAR
9
Holy Smokes! Orca whales today!
We had a fantastic day on the water today. Leaving the dock, the Island Explorer 3 visited with about a dozen California sea lions near the Naval Station as the fog burned off. We then saw a mature bald eagle sitting on a navigational marker near the shallows of the Snohomish River delta. We searched to the north for whales, as two additional bald eagles flew directly above the boat. And then things got crazy. We received a report of possible orcas near the town of Langley, on Whidbey Island.
MAR
7
They're Here!!
There have been multiple Gray Whale sightings in Saratoga Passage this week which is fantastic news for the upcoming weeks ahead! Our next tours are on Saturday and Sunday, but they are filling up fast.
MAR
2
Gray Whale season has started!
We headed out into Possession Sound today, as our season has begun with trips from Everett to look for gray whales. We saw a few bald eagles and some harbor porpoise in Port Susan. The water was a little choppy today, and we were not able to find the whale that was reported earlier this week. About a dozen California sea lions were hauled out on the Naval Station floats as we returned to the dock. We dodged the rain throughout the day, and our guests had a nice trip.
FEB
21
Gray Whales Have Arrived!
Our Gray Whale season starts March 2nd! We are very happy to report that there have been many Gray Whale sightings in Saratoga Passage. The first Gray Whale showed up early February, which means more are to follow. This makes for the start of a great season! Once Gray Whales come into the area they historically stay for months feeding on ghost shrimp and other crustaceans.
For those of you who are thinking about going whale watching opening weekend, we still have plenty of space available.
FEB
9
Orca Raspberries!!!
J-Pod is back in the area and can be heard, currently (1:00 PM PST), on the Lime Kiln Hydrophone off the west-side of San Juan Island. It is sure good to hear their squeaks, whistles, and their silly raspberry calls! This is really getting us excited to get back out on the water and back out whale watching.
JAN
16
Orcas near Anacortes today!
Today at 11:50 am a report from the WA State Ferries came in. The report said there was approximately 10 orcas milling and feeding in Thatcher Pass on the NE end of Lopez Island.
Another report came in from the ferry system at 1:20 pm saying the orcas were now moving in a NW dirction off of Frost Island.
2012
DEC
23
Whales in the Area for the Seahawk game and Christmas...
We had a few reports come in yesterday afternoon that there were some orcas seen from the ferry near Turn Island heading towards Friday Harbor, keep your eyes peeled!
Also, on Friday there were reports of a group of 15-20 orcas heading south in the Saratoga Passage area. Maybe they are Seahawks fans and will be making it into the Elliott Bay area for some Sunday Night Football!
We like hearing about who is seeing what out in the waters these days.
DEC
12
Winter Whales Update
The orcas have been spotted this morning in the Seattle area! They have been making frequent appearances in the south sound this winter! There must been some good fishing this year! We are so excited to begin our 2013 season with our first trip on March 2 out of Everett!
NOV
25
Last trip of the year turned out great!
More to come soon...
What a beautiful day on the water! We started our trip with a great blue heron on the breakwater at Cap Sante Marina. Several common loons were also in the area. We saw quite a bit of wildlife today, including harbor seals, harbor porpoise, Dall's porpoise, bald eagles and Steller sea lions. Our honorary crew member Chandler and some sharp-eyed passengers helped find us a whale today near Middle Bank.
NOV
23
Last trip of the season is tomorrow!
We had a great group of passengers today, all willing to brave a little rain and help out on our search for wildlife. We left the dock and shortly found a Steller sea lion in Guemes Channel. It stayed down for awhile, but eventually popped up with some food. It looked like it had half a dogfish, and was trying to rip it apart at the surface. The gulls were swarming to get some scraps, when a bald eagle swooped in out of nowhere and tried to make the steal.
NOV
10
Orcas and sunny skies!!!
Great trip with Transient Orcas today! More to come soon!
We had an awesome trip today! The sun was out all day, helping to ward off the chilly November temperature. We traveled south in Rosario Strait and stopped at Castle Rock for a slowdown. There, we saw two mature bald eagles and some black-tailed deer on the bluff. We cruised west into Canada where Capt. Carl found some orcas! It was so cool to be the boat to find the whales today, and we spent quite a bit of time with them.
NOV
9
Sunny, but Chilly Saturday Ahead!
Humpbacks were spotted in our area yesterday!!
We are really looking forward to our trip tomorrow. It is forecasted to be sunny with light winds, but it is going to be CHILLY! Make sure to dress warm, the more layers the better. We are starting a waiting list for tomorrows trip. If you are interested please give us a call in the office.
NOV
5
November Whale Watching
In the past weeks there have been reports of Humpbacks and Orcas in the surrounding areas of Puget Sound and in the Salish Sea. It is still a great time to get out on the boat to see lots of wildlife, including Humpbacks, Orcas, Minkes, and Gray Whales!
We have a trip going out on Saturday, November 10th that only has 14 spots left! So hurry and book if you would like to join us! We also have a trip on the 17th with lots of space left, as well as, the 23rd and 24th.
OCT
28
Humpback whales and a really nice October day!
More to come with photos soon...
We started out the trip today with a great blue heron on the breakwater at our marina. We traveled south in Rosario Strait and saw many harbor porpoise. At Colville Island there were two harbor seals hauled out on the rocks, hanging on to the last bit of landscape as the tide continued to rise. Capt. Carl spotted a minke whale that decimated a bait ball near Salmon Bank, but the whale did not resurface near us, so moved on to find more wildlife.
OCT
27
Two minke whales today
We started out the trip today with rain, but calm seas in Rosario Strait. We first saw a bald eagle as we rounded Cap Sante lookout. Harbor porpoise were popping up everywhere you looked as we crossed toward the San Juan Islands. We exited Cattle Pass and headed toward Whale Rocks where we saw over two dozen Steller sea lions. Some were hauled out on the rocks, and other were swimming close to the boat.
OCT
21
Humpback whales!!!
We left the dock today in search of whales with sunshine and cool temps on the water. We saw harbor porpoise throughout Rosario Strait. A mature bald eagle was perched on the Davidson Rock navigational marker. We traveled out west toward Canada and got a quick look at a minke whale. This whale wasn't hanging around at the surface much, so we continued on our way. We spotted three humpback whales near Victoria, B.C.
OCT
20
We dodged the rain and found a minke whale
We left the dock today with sun and calm seas. A great blue heron was on the breakwater at Cap Sante. We turned south in Rosario Strait and saw quite a few harbor porpoise. We headed out west toward Canada to continue our search for whales. The weather started to change, with building seas from the west. We stopped to look at a bait-ball near Salmon Bank, when a minke whale popped up right near the boat! It traveled straight toward the bait-ball.
OCT
16
Weather and whale report
If you are thinking about going whale watching this weekend, we have a good weather report of light winds for Saturday and Sunday! Orcas are in the area again today!
As of right now we have 22 spaces left for Saturday and 47 spaces on Sunday. Reservations are highly recommended.
OCT
14
Heavy seas and rain, but a really nice variety of wildlife
We left the dock today with heavy winds forecast, but had a hearty group on board who were ready to help on the search for wildlife. We saw some harbor porpoise in Bellingham Channel as we headed north to try and bypass the large swells from the south. We stopped at Barnes and Clark Islands to see some harbor seals that were hauled out on the rocks. The large squall lifted as we approached the Canadian border, giving us a good viewing window to continue the search for whales in Boundary Pass.
OCT
13
No whales today, hoping for good luck tomorrow!
This weekend has called for heavy rain and big seas, but we managed to dodge both for most of the day. We traveled well into Canada on our search for whales, along the way seeing common loons and murres, harbor seals and porpoise. We also had a brief look at a minke whale, with one quick exhalation near Salmon Bank. Only about half of our guests saw this whale, and it was not very surface active, so we continued to search for more. We encountered some Dall's porpoise throughout our trip as well.
OCT
7
Island Explorer 3 goes the extra, extra miles to see Orcas and a Humpback!!!
Photos and story to come soon!
We had an awesome day on the water today! We saw three great blue herons as we left Anacortes to search for whales. Our trip took us south in Rosario Strait to Colville Island, where we saw a few harbor seals hauled out on the rocks at the wildlife refuge. Close by was a mature bald eagle as well, perched on a sign. The weather has been great all weekend, feeling like a mid-summer day. We took advantage and pushed the boat out west toward Canada.
OCT
6
Orca whales in October...or is it July?
Wow-our weather out on the water was tremendous today, with sun and flat-calm seas! We left the harbor and saw a harbor seal, a common loon and two great blue herons. Capt. Carl saw a Steller sea lion in Rosario Strait. We got looks at both harbor and Dall's porpoise today on the trip. We traveled out to Canada to see orcas today! We caught up with two families of transient orcas, the T36A group and the T49A group.
OCT
2
Weekend Tours
Even though we are only running trips on the weekends, killer whales have been in the area yesterday and today! We still have space available for this Saturday and Sunday, but we are filling up fast.
SEP
30
Minkes and amazing Steller sea lions!
We had another beautiful, sunshine-filled day on the Salish Sea today!
Our day began with some harbor porpoise throughout Guemes Channel and Rosario Strait. In the middle of Rosario Strait, we encountered a little bit of fog; it only lasted until Colville Island. We were even able to see a couple of harbor seals on Colville Island.
SEP
29
Transients, Minkes and Playful Dall's Porpoise
What a spectacular September day on the boat!
Our day began with a couple of common loons and a couple of harbor seals just outside the marina. We continued around Cap Sante and got in to a little bit of fog. The fog only stayed until we were midway down Rosario Strait! At the south end of Colville Island, we saw numerous harbor seals hauled out. We found a minke whale at Salmon Bank. He gave us some great looks as he swam in circles.
SEP
28
Orcas and a ton of other wildlife!
We had such a cool trip today! Everywhere we turned we found more and more wildlife to visit with!
We started out with a harbor seal that was hauled out on a rock near the marina. We soon saw a common loon and a great blue heron around the corner from Cap Sante.
SEP
27
J and K pod orcas in sunny skies!
We had a great trip today aboard the Island Explorer 3. We left the marina and saw a harbor seal trying to get comfortable on a rock near the breakwater. We saw harbor porpoise and a great blue heron as we entered Rosario Strait. More harbor seals were hauled out at Colville Island. The waters were glass-calm all day long! We found orcas near Salmon Bank.
SEP
26
Transients!
We had an amazing day spent with T18, T19, T19B and T19C in Haro Strait! We saw a plethora of other wildlife as well including: Steller sea lions, seals, Dall's porpoise, harbor porpoise, turkey vultures and the animals of Spieden Island. We got word in the late afternoon that the resident orcas were inbound as well!
A more detailed report and photos to follow!
Our day began with two great blue herons and a harbor seal hauled out, just on the other side of the breakwater.
SEP
24
Two Minke Whales in the Fog
We had challenging conditions today with thick fog in the area we wanted to search, but we managed to find a couple of minke whales near Salmon Bank. Carl spotted the first one in the thick fog and we had a few looks at it before it disappeared. Another boat called and told us they had a minke whale in an area with less fog nearby so we cruised over to see. We managed to get better looks of this minke whale since the fog wasn't as thick in that spot.
SEP
23
Orca Superpod!
Our resident orcas were still around today and we saw a superpod! We started our trip by heading through the inner San Juan Islands in order to meet the orcas west of Spieden and Henry islands. When we first arrived we spotted a group of orcas circling around, feeding, including several females and young and J27, Blackberry. We watched them for a while until they started to move southward and then K21, Cappuccino came swimming up behind them.
SEP
22
L-pod and a Minke Whale
We headed south to start our trip today and we spotted several harbor porpoise in Rosario Strait. We slowed down to cruise in between Castle Island and Lopez Island to look at a few harbor seals, and a belted kingfisher, and then more harbor seals at Swirl Rocks. We reached the orcas off the west side of San Juan Island and as soon as we arrived a research boat was following an orca that they had attached a suction cup tag to.
SEP
21
J Pod and Pacific White-sided Dolphins!
We headed south today through Rosario Strait to start our trip out. After watching harbor porpoise and harbor seals in Rosario and at Colville Island we worked our way toward the west side of San Juan Island where orcas had been reported earlier. We started spotting a few dorsal fins just north of Eagle Point and we stopped to view a big male first, J27, Blackberry. This is one of our favorite whales and he gave us some fantastic views to start our trip off.
SEP
20
K Pod Orcas Today!
Our trip today started with thick fog, but we had reports of orcas off San Juan Island so we were excited for the possibilities. We stopped at Colville Island first to look at harbor seals then about fifteen minutes later, near Salmon Bank a Steller sea lion came to the surface thrashing around an octopus! He spent several minutes tearing off sections of it, throwing it around, and eating it above the water! It wasn't long after that before we spotted our first orca in the fog.
SEP
19
Beautiful day in Salish Sea
We had a wonderful trip through the San Juan Islands, trying to dodge the fog.
Our trip began with some harbor porpoise swimming in Guemes Channel. We headed south down Rosario Strait, into a layer of fog. We were in luck, the fog cleared just enough at the south end of Colville Island to see some harbor seals hauled out on the rocks. We continued to the west and the fog layer started to dissipate.
SEP
18
Orcas and Humpbacks! Yeah!
The weather this past couple of weeks has been exceptional, and today was no different. We had glass-calm seas and sun all day. Our trip took us out near Victoria, B.C. Canada to see two different species of whale. We first saw a common loon near our dock. A Steller sea lion surfaced in Guemes Channel eating a fish. We saw dozens of harbor porpoise throughout the day.
SEP
17
So many orcas! And a minke!
We spent the day with members of J, K, and L pod with amazing conditions on the water! A fantastic trip! More to come later...
We had a spectacular day on the water, with an amazing time spent with orcas! We left the harbor and enjoyed seeing many harbor porpoise in Rosario Strait. We traveled down south toward Whidbey Island, where we caught up with J, K, and L pod whales. We first saw Samish with her family including her grandson J49.
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16
Js and Ls in Georgia Strait!
It was another gorgeous day in the Salish Sea.
Our trip began with two great blue herons chasing each other under the tree line of Cap Sante. There was another one perched on the shoreline. We headed north on our journey today along the east side of Guemes Island. We saw several pelagic cormorants perched on a cliffside. There were harbor porpoise swimming throughout the current lines.
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15
T10s off of the Victoria Waterfront!
It was awesome to be able to go the extra mile (plus a few more miles) to reach the orcas today for our customers!
Our trip began with a belted kingfisher perched on the breakwater. He didn't move for quite some time, allowing our customers to get a wonderful photo! We also saw a great blue heron on the shoreline of Cap Sante. We pushed further west and found harbor porpoise everywhere! We also saw a seal just finishing up his lunch.
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14
Humpback whale and her calf
Today's trip took us all the way to the Dungeness Spit on the Olympic Peninsula to find whales! The water contitions were perfect for spotting wildlife today with calm seas and sunshine. Just two minutes into our trip we spotted two harbor seals and a great blue heron on the rocks as we left Cap Sante Marina. In Rosario Strait we spotted lots of harbor porpoise swimming in all directions. Next we cruised all the way out toward the Olympic Peninsula to look at two humpback whales.
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13
Orca Superpod!
Our southern resident orcas returned for a spectacular day on the water today! Reports came in that they were off the west side of San Juan Island and so we headed south to meet them. First we stopped at Colville Island to watch a bunch of harbor seals hauled out on the rocks along with a bald eagle that flew by. Shortly after pulling away from the island Captain Carl spotted a minke whale.
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12
Two humpbacks and a minke
We had incredible conditions on the water today, with sunny-skies and glass seas. We stopped at Colville Island where we saw many harbor seals and a Steller sea lion hauled out on the rocks. We traveled well into Canada today to see some humpback whales our friends from Victoria had found. It was two whales we had seen before, BCX1057 and BCZ2098, also known as 'Split-Fin'. We had many great looks at these two beautiful animals, including multiple looks at their flukes.
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11
At least 5 minkes, Steller sea lion and a feeding harbor seal!
It was a beautiful day on the water!
We began our trip with a harbor seal hauled out on the rocks just outside of the marina. We found several harbor porpoise throughout our journey today. We saw some harbor seals hauled on the rocks of Colville Island. It wasn't very long before Captain Carl found us our first minke whale! It was very cooperative and surfaced in a rhythmic breathing pattern. He headed in the opposite direction, so mwe moved off and found another minke around Salmon Bank.
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10
Superpod in the Salish Sea!
We enjoyed a fantastic day out on the water and had a chance to visit with orcas near the Canadian border. We left Anacortes and first traveled northbound, along the eastern shoreline of Guemes Island. Our route took us toward Barnes and Clark Islands where we saw harbor seals hauled out on the rocks. We saw many, many harbor porpoise near Skipjack Island. Soon enough, we got the call. Superpod of orcas! J, K, and L pod whales had made their way north into Canada.
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9
Wonderful day spent with transients!
We began our journey today out through Guemes Channel. We got a call and headed north up Bellingham Channel. We had just gorgeous looks at the Cone Islands. Eventually, we made it up to Alden Bank, where the orcas that had been spotted were! It ended up being T18, T19, T19B and T19C! They were very spread out but came together and started heading west toward Sucia Island. We had some great looks as they continued to maintain a rhythmic breathing pattern.
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8
Minkes, bald eagle and Steller sea lions!
It was simply a wonderful day to be on the water!
Our trip began with a a great blue heron flying over the back of the boat as we departed the marina. We saw several harbor porpoise throughout our journey south in Rosario Strait. At the south end of Colville Island, we saw several harbor seals hauled out, warming up in the sunshine! We pushed further west and several of our passengers spotted something in the water that created a big wave.
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7
Over 100 miles to get the orcas today!
We went the distance to find the orcas today!
Our day started out with a harbor seal just outside of the marina. We saw more harbor seals on Colville Island. We headed out toward the Strait of Juan de Fuca and found harbor porpoise throughout our journey.
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6
Resident Orcas are back!
We left the dock today under the most beautiful conditions. Flat calm seas and sunny skies were on tap throughout the day. We traveled west out to San Juan Island to see the L 12's, a sub-pod of the residents. Along the way we stopped at Colville Island and watched several dozen harbor seals hauled out on the rocks. A Steller sea lion was also there, in a regal pose. Capt. Carl spotted another Steller close by.
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5
T60s take down a harbor seal!
Oh my, what a day with the transients!
Our whole day was spent in the flat calm, sunshine-filled Strait of Juan de Fuca! We did a slow down at the south end of Lopez Island and found several harbor seals hauled out as well as a Steller sea lion! We pushed as far west as we could today and made it to Canada! It was well worth the journey. We came across T2B and T60 group of orcas including: T60, T60C, T60D, T60E and T60F! Captain Michael also spotted a minke whale near where the orcas were.
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4
Orcas and a minke whale!
We had a double header today with one minke whale and two transient orcas! Our wildlife viewing started early on in Guemes channel when we spotted several harbor porpoises. Our first stop was at Castle Island and Swirl Rocks where we spotted a belted kingfisher, harbor seals, and a black oystercatcher. Next we cruised over to look for whales at Salmon Bank then we stopped in at Whale Rocks and looked at a bunch of steller sea lions.
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3
A Friendly Minke Whale
We had ideal conditions for searching for whales today with calm seas and sunny weather. We cruised southward first and stopped at Colville Island to look at a bunch of harbor seals. Next we headed as far west as we could to search for whales just in case any animals worked their way in from the ocean. We went through a big concentration of lion's mane jellies after crossing the Canadian border. Eventually we had to turn around and we searched hard as we covered some new water.
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2
Transients off Coal Island
Today's trip took us to an unusual spot in Canada in order to watch transient orcas. We started to work our way southward in search of whales. Along the way we stopped at Colville Island to watch a large group of harbor seals, and we were surprised to see a young Steller sea lion hanging out with them. After reaching San Juan Island we got a call that transient orcas had been spotted in Canada so Captain Michael wasted no time heading toward them.
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1
Orcas on both trips
We saw southern resident orcas on both of our trips today. Our morning trip got started with viewing several harbor seals, and a bald eagle at Colville Island. Next we stopped at Whale Rocks and watched 25 Steller sea lions resting on the rocks. By the time we reached the south end of San Juan Island we started to see some dorsal fins. It was two sub pods of L pod.
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31
Orca whales today
Today we traveled into the Strait of Juan de Fuca to see orca whales! We saw many harbor porpoise along the way, but did not make any stops, as the report we got had the whales moving quickly westbound. Well that sure changed when we arrived! We were almost to Canada to see the orcas when they turned and started heading back our way! We spent time with many whales today, including members from all three pods.
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30
Orca whales back in the Salish Sea!
Our trip today started with some purple sea stars we saw on the breakwater as we left the marina. There were many harbor porpoise swimming in Rosario Strait. We took a route through the middle of the San Juan Islands and got a look at a harbor seal mom and pup on Willow Island.
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29
Two minkes and flat calm water!
It was a beautiful afternoon to spend out on the Salish Sea!
We began our trip with a few purple sea stars clinging to the pilings of the breakwater, a mature bald eagle perched in a tree and a great blue heron flying to land in a tree! Throughout out journey today, we saw tons of harbor porpoise and a few harbor seals popped up too! We saw a couple of harbor seals hauled out on the rocks off of Colville Island and a mature bald eagle was perched on the rock above them! We pushed further west w
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28
T18, T19s and the T60s!
It was a wonderful day out on the water today!
Our trip began with a harbor seal hauled out on a rock right outside of the marina. There was also a mature bald eagle perched in a tree on Cap Sante. At the south east side of Lopez Island, we caught a quick glimpse at a Steller sea lion! We made our way out in to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and saw a few more harbor seals and another mature bald eagle on Colville Island.
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27
Part of L pod by ourselves!
What a wonderful sunshine filled day hanging out with L pod!
Our day began with an osprey flying over our boat! It only got better from there. A belted kingfisher flew along the shoreline of Cap Sante. We headed south on our journey today and saw some harbor porpoise and harbor seals throughout Rosario Strait and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
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26
L pod off Stuart Island!
Southern Resident Orcas came swimming in from the west late yesterday and we were very excited to see them today! The three pods were spread out in several locations, and we decided to aim for an L-pod group that was heading north toward Stuart Island. When we arrived we spotted Baba swimming by herself offshore, but soon her grandson Crewser came swimming over to join her. The two teamed up to chase some fish around at the surface as they swam around in circles and made a couple of lunges.
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25
Transient orcas on both trips!
What an absolutely gorgeous morning to spend on the water!
We began our trip with several harbor porpoise and harbor seals throughout the current lines of Rosario Strait. We searched up Bellingham Channel and north up Rosario Strait before turning south, making our way to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We did a slow down through the south end of Lopez Island and Castle Rock. We saw several pigeon guillemots.
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24
Another beautiful day in the Salish Sea!
Our morning trip began with a great blue heron perched on the shoreline of Cap Sante. Throughout our trip south we saw numerous harbor porpoise and harbor seals. At the south end of Lopez Island, we did a slow down where we saw two belted kingfishers and quite a few pigeon guillemots. There was even a single harbor seal hauled out on the rocks. On Swirl Rocks, we found a mature bald eagle perched majestically on top of the rock, as well as several harbor seals hauled out.
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23
Nice sunny day on the water
We left Anacortes today with the threat of rain, but enjoyed sunny skies throughout the trip. We first traveled south toward the Strait of Juan de Fuca, seeing harbor porpoise and harbor seals looking for food in the current lines. As we headed west the wind picked up and so the seas, making it tough to find a whale in the lumpy conditions. We stopped at Whale Rocks and were treated to views of about a dozen Steller sea lions.
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22
Superpod!
Today we were blessed with a super pod of orcas including members of all three pods! The orcas were located off the west side of San Juan Island and they were milling around looking for salmon. One of the first orcas we came across was J26, Mike, as he appeared to be following some fish. Nearby we spotted K14, Lea. Next we spotted a few females with their calves and we moved offshore to look at them. It was J pod members Shachi,Eclipse, Princess Angeline, Moby, and L pod orca, Marina.
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21
Elusive Minke
We got off the dock today and began our search for animals! We made our way down south and found some harbor seals and a mature bald eagle on Colville Island. We didn't make it far before Captain Carl found some quick moving harbor porpoise and an even quicker minke whale! The minke surfaced twice before he went down on a deeper dive. A few of our customers caught a glipmse, but the minke never popped up again! We waited for a few minutes, all eyes on deck, but didn't see him.
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20
K 13 subgroup sticks around the Salish Sea!
What a wonderful summer day spent on the water!
Our trip took us through the inner islands today. We saw some harbor porpoise throughout our trip, starting in Rosario Strait! There was a mature bald eagle perched on Orcas Island. We continued to the west and we were in luck! Thwe Lund orcas near Henry Island. Right when we got on scene, all of the orcas switched directions from northbound to southbound.
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19
Four Transient Orcas off Stuart Island
We saw four transient orcas near the Canadian border today! We started heading southward through Rosario Strait in order to start our trip today. We were approaching the south end of Lopez Island when we got a call that transient orcas had been spotted up at the north end of the San Juan Islands! We didn't waste any time turning around to head in that direction. It took us through Lopez Pass and into the inner San Juan Islands. We spotted harbor seals, and great blue herons along the way.
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18
Minkes and Pacific White-Sided Dolphins
This morning's trip was full of wildlife!
Our guests were treated to a mink scurrying along the shoreline! He was very light brown and super cute! As we were getting off the dock, there was a California sea lion in the marina! There was also a belted kingfisher flying from boat to boat! What a way to start the trip! We made our way out of the marina and found some harbor porpoise swimming throughout Rosario Strait.
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17
MInke whale in sunny skies on the morning trip
We enjoyed a beautiful day on the water this morning and found a very friendly minke whale for our guests. Our tour took us through the San Juan Islands and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Along the way we saw many harbor porpoise, and a wide variety of bird life. We enjoyed watching several dozen harbor seals hauled out on the rocks at different locations with the low tide. The minke whale we found was very surface active, and made a few close passes by the boat.
Southern Resident Orca Community Demographics
Composition of Pods, Births and Deaths Since 1998
Updated November 1, 2013
All data provided by the Center for Whale Research, San Juan Island.
As of November 1, 2013, the Southern Resident killer whale (orca) population was comprised of 80 individuals.
J-Pod has 25 members; K-Pod has 19; and L-Pod has 36, including (approximately):
11 post-reproductive females (over 40 years old)
26 adult females (12-40 years old)
15 mature or adolescent males (over 12 years old)
10 juvenile females (under 12 years old)
15 juvenile males (under 12 years old)
7 juveniles of unknown gender
J-Pod:
IDM/FDOB
J2F1911*
J14F1974
J16F1972*
J17F1977
J19F1979
J22F1985
J26M1991
J27M1991
J28F1993
J31F1995
J32F1996
J34M1998
J35F1998
J36F1999
J37F2001
J38M2003
J39M2003
J40F2004
J41F2005
J42F2007
J44M2009
J45M2009
J46F2009
J47M2010
J49M2012
K-Pod:
IDM/FDOB
K12F1972*
K13F1972*
K14F1977
K16F1985
K20F1986
K21M1986
K22F1987
K25M1991
K26M1993
K27F1994
K33M2001
K34M2001
K35M2002
K36F2003
K37M2004
K38M2004
K42M2008
K43F2010
K44M2011
L-Pod (1):
IDM/FDOB
L22F1971*
L25F1928*
L27F1965*
L41M1977
L47F1974
L53F1977
L54F1977
L55F1977
L72F1986
L77F1987
L82F1990
L83F1990
L84M1990
L85M1991
L86F1991
L87M1992
L88M1993
L-Pod (2):
IDM/FDOB
L89M1993
L90F1993
L91F1995
L92M1995
L94F1995
L95M1996
L100M2001
L103F2003
L105M2004
L106M2005
L108M2006
L109M2007
L110M2007
L113F2009
L115M2010
L116M2010
L117U2010
L118U2011
L119F2012
Dates of births marked with an asterisk (*) are estimated based on actuarial tables of mortality rates combined with observed association patterns to determine family relationships, from Life history and population dynamics of resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the coastal waters of British Columbia and Washington State, Olesiuk, P.F., M.A. Bigg and G.M. Ellis (Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C., Canada V9R 5K6) (1990). In: P.S. Hammond, S.A. Mizroch and G.P. Donovan (eds.): Individual recognition of cetaceans: Use of photo-identification and other techniques to estimate population parameters. Special Report #12, International Whaling Commission, Cambridge, p. 209-243.
Since 1998, 37 orcas have been born and survived:
J49 male, born to J37, August, 2012
L119 male, born to L77, May, 2012
K44 male, born to K27, July, 2011
L118 unk., born to L55, January, 2011
L117 unk., born to L54, December, 2010
L116 male, born to L82, October, 2010
L115 male, born to L47, August, 2010
K43 female, born to K12, February, 2010
J47 male, born to J35, January, 2010
J46 female, born to J28, November, 2009
L113 female, born to L94, October, 2009
J45 male, born to J14, February/March, 2009
J44 male, born to J17, February, 2009
K42 male, born to K14 (Lea) her fourth calf, June, 2008
L110 male, born to L83, her first calf, summer, 2007
J42 female, born to J16 (Slick), her third calf, spring, 2007
L109 male, born to L55 (Nuggett), her third calf, winter or spring, 2007
L108 male, born to L54 (Ino), her second calf, June, 2006
J41 female, born to J19 (Shachi), her second calf, July, 2005
L106 male, born to L86 (Surprise), her first calf, first seen June, 2005
K38 male, born to K20 (Spock), her first calf, December, 2004
J40 female, born to J14 (Samish), her fourth calf, December, 2004
L105 male, born to L27 (Ophelia), her fifth calf, October, 2004
K37 male, born to K12 (Sequim), her fourth calf, January, 2004
K36 female, born to K14 (Lea), her fourth calf, September, 2003
L103 female, born to L55 (Nugget), her third calf, first seen June, 2003
J39 male, born to J11 (Blossom), her fourth calf, Spring, 2003
J38 male, (Cookie), born to J22 (Oreo), her second calf, Spring, 2003
K35 male, (Sonata), born to K16 (Opus), her first calf, Fall, 2002
L100 male, (Indigo), born to L54 (Ino), her first calf, Fall, 2001
K34 male, born to K13 (Skagit), her fourth calf, Oct./Nov. 2001
J37 female, (Hy'Shqa), born to J14 (Samish), her third calf, early Jan. 2001
K33 male, born to K22 (Sekiu), her first calf, early Jan. 2001
J36 female, born to J16 (Slick), her third calf, early 1999
K31 male, born to K12 (Sequim), her third calf, June 1999
J35 female, born to J17 (Princess Angeline), her second calf, 1998
J34 male, born to J22 (Oreo), her first calf, 1998
Since 1998, 58 orcas have gone missing or have died:
J8 (Speiden) Female, born est. 1933; missing Fall, 2013
L79 (Skana) Male, born 1979; missing Summer, 2013
L2 (Grace) Female, born est. 1960; missing Fall, 2012
L26 (Baba) Female, born est. 1956; missing Spring, 2013
L78 (Gaia) Male, born 1989; missing Summer, 2012
K40 (Raggedy) female, born est. 1963; missing Spring, 2012
L5 (Tanya) female, born est. 1964; missing Spring, 2012
L12 (Alexis) female, born est. 1933; missing Spring, 2012
J30 (Riptide) female, born to J14, 1995; missing Spring, 2012
L112 (Victoria/Sooke) female, born to L86, February, 2009; found dead Feb. 11, 2012
J48 unk., born to J16, December, 2011; missing January, 2012
J1 (Ruffles) Male, born +/- 1951; missing Nov. 2010
L7 (Canuck) Female, born +/- 1961; missing Sept. 2010
J33 (Keet) Male, born 1996; missing August 2010
K11 (Georgia) female, born est. 1933; missing June 2010
L114 unk., born to L77, February, 2010; missing June 2010
L73 (Flash) male, born 1986; missing May 2010
L74 (Saanich) male, born 1986; missing late 2009/early 2010
L57 (Faith) male, born 1977, missing November, 2008
L67, (Splash) female, born 1985, missing September 2008
L111, female, born August 12, 2008; missing late August 2008
J11, (Blossom) female, born +/- 1972; missing July 2008
L21, (Ankh) female (Ankh), born +/- 1950; missing summer 2008
L101, (Aurora )male, born 2002 to L67, her fourth calf; missing summer 2008
K7, (Lummi) female, born +/- 1910, missing spring, 2008.
J43 unk., born to J14 (Samish), her fifth calf, born 11/07; missing April 2008
L104 unk., born to L43 (Jelly Roll), her third calf, born 10/04; missing June, 2007
K41 unk., born to K22 (Sekiu), her second calf, August, 2006
K39 unk., first calf of K28 (Raven), born June, 2006, missing October 21,2006.
K28, (Raven) female, born to K12 in 1994, last seen Sept. 19, 2006, calf K39 born June 6, 2006.
L43, (Jellyroll) female, born ca. 1972, last seen Sept. 2, 2006, mother of three.
L71, (Hugo) male, born to L26 in 1986, missing summer of 2006.
L98, (Luna) male, born to L67 in 1999, died March 10, 2006 in Nootka Sound, BC
K31, male, born to K12 in 1999, her third calf, missing in summer 2005
L32, female, born +/-1955, missing in summer 2005
L107 unk., born to L47 (Marina) in June, 2005, her fifth calf, missing in summer 2005
K18 (Kiska), born +/-1948, missing in December, 2003
L58 (Sparky), born 1980 to L5 (Tanya), missing in June 2003
L3 (Oreana), born +/-1950, missing in June 2003
L102 unk., born to L47 (Marina), her fourth calf, Fall 2002
L60 (Rascal) female, 30, washed up on outer WA coast in May, 2002
K32 calf born 2000, last seen 2000, mother K16 survives
L99 calf born 2000, last seen 2000, mother L47 and 2 older siblings survive
L62 (Cetus) male, 20, last seen 2000, mother L27 survives, 3 younger siblings deceased
L39 (Orcan) male, 25, last seen 2000, mother L2 and 3 younger siblings survive
L11 (Squirty) female, est. 43, last seen 2000, mother of five offspring - 3 surviving
L1 (Oskar) male, est. 41, last seen 2000, one surviving sister L-54
J18 (Everett) male, 23, son of J10, found at Tsawassen, Canada, March 2000
J10 (Tahoma) female, est. 37, last seen 1999
K4 (Morgan) female, est. 66, last seen 1999
L97 unk., born to L51, died as infant in Oct. 1999
L51 (Nootka) female, 26 (found at Race Rocks, Canada in Sept. 1999)
J11's calf, unk., died as infant Dec. 1998
L93 (Nerka) female, 3, last seen 1998
L38 (Dylan) male, est. 33, last seen 1998
L44 (Leo) male, 24, last seen 1998
K3 (Sounder) female, est. 44, last seen 1998
J20 (Ewok) female, 17, daughter of J10, last seen 1998
