A new L Pod calf, initially spotted in Juan de Fuca Strait last week, is the first recorded calf for 20-year-old L82 said Ken Balcomb, executive director of The Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor, Wa.
It is the second L Pod calf of the season, but L47…, the other mom, has not had any of her previous four calves survive,
“This one is doing well so far, so we hope this will break the pattern,”
The daily trips may be done, but that does not mean that I do not still get the chance to get out on the water. Today we had a charter and that is really the way to go if you are a naturalist. Or even if you are a guest. The groups tend to be relaxed and fun-loving and ready for anything. There are usually fewer people on the boat and sometimes the crew even gets snacks. It also means that the routine gets shaken up. We leave at different times and sometimes even from a different location. The goal is always the same though, and that is to provide a stellar trip through the islands showcasing the indigenous flora and fauna.
For this charter Capt. Mike and I got to take the M/V Sea Lion around to Roche Harbor at the North end of the island to pick up a group of restaurateurs. It gave the captain and I a chance to be on the boat by ourselves for awhile like it was a personal pleasure cruise and just added a sense of calm to the day. We also took on a new crew member, Aileen, who works for our sister company San Juan Outfitters as a kayak guide. She was helping coordinate in Roche Harbor, since that is her home port instead of Friday Harbor. This charter today also gave us the opportunity to perform a bit of magic, which is unique since normally the setting provides all of the magical qualities. Actually, I guess it was the orcas that had the magic today, but we were fortunate enough to capitalize on it. Because it is not everyday that you motor for ten minutes down a narrow channel and then right out into the open with orcas zooming past. I could not help myself, I had to do a little “presto” and “ta-da” act to highlight the rarity of the occasion.
Once again the orcas were out in force with all three pods represented in the mix. We even saw J2 “Granny” and J1 “Ruffles”, although he was being difficult per usual. We tried for an hour to get a sighting of him, but he would come up once, we would head in the direction and then he would disappear, only to reappear many minutes later in a completely different location. At one point in all of the looking and watching, Aileen came to me and pointed off in the distance and asked “What is that?” As I looked all I could see was random splashes, but no animals. I thought maybe the salmon were jumping out of the water, but there was a certain amount of progress and purpose to the splashing and way too much spray. I finally realized that it was animals speeding through the water. My first inclination was that the “Lags” were back, Pacific White-sided Dolphins, but then it became clear that it was a huge pod of Dall’s porpoises. Probably the same active group that we had seen a few days before. I radioed the captain and away we went to play with the porpoises.
The Dall’s did not even need the boat today. They raced and splashed and turned back on themselves with such speed and agility that the orcas were no match for them. Interestingly the Dall’s moved back and forth through the area where the orcas were and neither group seemed to be bothered by the other. The orcas were clearly feeding as we had seen much of the same crisscross swimming patterns and changes of direction that were now magnified and sped up in the porpoises. The Dall’s even seemed to dart straight at and over the orcas a few times. Without underwater cameras, we of course have no idea how each species was reacting, but the porpoises were not to be deterred. Whatever they were after or whatever got them wound up and excited could not be repressed. They were a thrill to watch and added another dimension to the sight of orca blows and surfacings stretched across the water.
When it was finally time to end our sojourn on the water Ruffles made his grand appearance. The sun was getting low in the sky and he found a spot to feed that kept him near the top and constantly in motion. He was gorgeous with that tall wavy dorsal fin and the sheer size of him. We spent as much time as we could admiring him, but the clock was working against us and we finally moved away and back to dock.
So, from all of us at San Juan Safaris, to all of you leisure lovers out there, thank you and we will…
See You In The Islands!
~Tristen, Naturalist
Southern Resident Killer Whales. Photo courtesy of NOAA/NMFS
“Until we meet again.”
Well, it is sad to say, but today was our last daily trip. We still have a few Saturdays left, but this is it for the daily grind. It has been a season like no other, with the orcas being found along the coast of San Juan Island most every day. They still do not keep any kind of schedule and there is no guarantee of seeing them, but what a fabulous way to spend one’s days. We have racked up many miles on the M/V Sea Lion and M/V Kittiwake and were well rewarded for our efforts. There were minke, humpback and grey whales; harbor seals and Steller’s sea lions; harbor and Dall’s porpoises and orcas and babies. There were all of the exotic animals on Spieden island and more bald eagles and sea birds than you could shake a stick at. Then there was the all encompassing beauty and majesty of the San Juan Islands and the Pacific Northwest. As always, it was magnificent and our last day was a crowning jewel to the season.
We could not have asked for more. The weather was good and the orcas were near by. I was hoping that there was at least one family group to see, but instead we saw a whole mix of animals. K pod had seemed to have slipped away again, but once more they slipped back in and were traveling with J and L pods. That has been the theme of this summer, occasionally just a single family group from one of the pods was around, but more often than not it was a mixed bag from all three pods. With the excellent return of salmon this year, it appears, to my wondering eyes, that the orcas were well fed enough to spend more time socializing. They did not need to travel as far to hunt, so bonding and interacting became the focus of their energy.
The orcas were not the only animals that had the spotlight for the day though. Another boat happened upon a large pod of effusive Dall’s porpoises, so we went to see them play. Along with the help of another boat, we spotted the pod and, working in tandem, had the porpoises bow riding between the two boats. Passing from one boat to the other and splashing through the waves. You could see the bold black and white markings and hear the blows as they sped along, darting under the boats and then back out. The porpoises finally dipped under and disappeared, so we made our way back to Friday Harbor content with all of the time that we had spent with the fine creatures of this extraordinary location.
So, from all of us at San Juan Safaris, to all of you who made this a truly wonderful season on the water, thank you and we will…
See You In The Islands!
~Tristen, Naturalist
The orcas decided to swim out west past Victoria, B.C., so we went hunting for other wildlife. A valiant, although
Steller's Sea Lion. Photo courtesy of NeteBini
flawed, attempt was made by several boats, ours included, to find minke whales at the south end of Lopez Island. They should have been there and Capt. Mike and I both saw one, but they seemed to be going on forever dives and we never saw them come back up. It hardly qualifies as a viable sighting if all of our guests do not get the chance to see the same things that we do. It was surprising actually that there were not more animals around considering the onslaught of seabirds that were covering the area. It was a flapping, squawking blanket of feathered friends. Which would mean that there was tons of bait fish in the area. The seals and sea lions were not even in the mix, even though the sea lions have once again staked out Whale Rocks as their preferred haul-out.
The sea lions that I speak of are Steller’s sea lions and they are the largest species of sea lions in the world. They are also an endangered species, which means that on many days our guests get to see one or more species of animals that are on the federal endangered list. The Steller’s were hunted for their pelts in earlier centuries and then killed as pests and competition for fishermen in the most recent times. There are still permits in place to shoot “pest” sea lions at the mouths of rivers and fish ladders. Marine mammals continue to be a convenient scape goat for the loss of fish stocks around the world.
As for our Steller’s sea lions though, they are here in the islands to feed and rest for the winter. There are no more territorial disputes and a sexy sea lioness would not find any action here. These animals just want to regain their blubber layer which was lost on the Alaskan breeding grounds over the summer and build up the strength that they will need to make the long migration again next year. The Steller’s breed and pup over the summer while in Alaska and do not tend to do much eating. The males need to defend their territory and harem of females, so any inattentiveness can mean a great loss. That makes this quiet time in the islands an important part of their preparation to further the species and hopefully increase population numbers to the point that they can be delisted. For us, that means that we have one more charismatic megafauna to showcase to our guests and help them understand as part of the complex ecosystem that envelops the San Juan Islands.
So, from all of us at San Juan Safaris, to all of you flipper friends out there, thank you and we will…
See You In The Islands!
~Tristen, Naturalist