Posts Tagged ‘henry island’
Monday, September 10th, 2012
Around 10:40 AM this morning we received a Southern Resident Killer Whale report: members of J, K, and L pod headed north in Haro Strait. We were extremely excited yet a bit uneasy knowing they were headed for Active Pass (Canada). Luckily enough by the time we boarded and headed out for the strait the whales had turned around. It couldn’t have been more perfect timing.
As we made our way into the gut of the strait, reaching a center point between Stewart, Moresby, Sidney, and Henry Island (48°38.51N 123°14.37W), we began to see the leaders of the pods headed in our direction; all we had to do was sit and wait. As the whales began to pass our boat we realized they were coming in all directions so our best option was to cut the engine and simply watch. No words can describe this experience, but I’ll try my best to summarize.
It was one of those moments in time where everything became frozen. The boat and the people were frozen. The sky was frozen. Other boats on the water were frozen. The islands off in the distance were frozen. The only thing moving around us were the whales. It grew completely silent. The only thing you could hear was the sound of your own heart pounding through your chest and the exuding exhalations of the whales as they broke the water’s surface. At this point in time, the only thing that seemed real, were the whales.
We were lucky enough today, to watch members of all three pods swim past our boat. They moved across our bow, across our stern, and even alongside us. They were also chattin’ up a storm on the hydrophone, some of the best vocalizations to date! It seemed as though several of them had swam past us just to say hi and at one point a female and calf stopped right alongside our boat and simply sat there logging at the surface.
Man, what day!
Naturalist Tara and Captain Mike! San Juan Safaris
Tags: Active Pass, Haro Strait, henry island, Moresby Island, Sidney Island, Southern Resident Killer Whales, Stewart Island
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Tuesday, August 28th, 2012
We journeyed north around San Juan Island today, first passing Spieden Island en route to Haro Strait. Several mouflon sheep and sitka deer were feeding and resting on the hillside of Spieden Island. Somehow they can carefully traverse the cliffs just above the chilly waters. We circled exposed rocks to the southwest of the island where six harbor seals were resting. We spotted at least one pup. After we were south of Henry Island (48°35.33N, 123°12.53W) we began to see spray…the spray of four transient orcas! They were moving towards the northeast, hugging the shoreline. We believe this group included T19B. Just to the west, closer to Sydney Island (48°37.30N, 123°15.69W), we observed another group of four transients, possibly T60s, milling and then moving to the northeast. Upon our return to Friday Harbor, we encountered two bald eagles sitting together at the very top of a tree on the north side of Spieden Island. The appeared to be watching the surface waters for their next meal. Calm day on the water with so many things to see!
SJS Naturalist Jenny
Tags: Bald Eagles, Harbor Seal, Haro Strait, henry island, Mouflon Sheep, Orca whale, san juan island, Sika Deer, Transient Orcas
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Friday, July 20th, 2012
In my post yesterday, I mentioned how I could not find words to describe how amazing our Orca encounter was. Well, surprisingly everything that I said yesterday can be applied to our afternoon trip today! There was another super pod of killer whales, but we didn’t realize this right away.
We departed Friday Harbor heading north, and did not have to travel far. We caught up with three killer whales just on the north side of Henry Island (48°36.720’N 123° 12.300’W). We watched for a while before seeing blows off in the distance. Three, four more killer whales were in the area. They changed direction, so did we. Then, all of a sudden we saw at least twenty dorsal fins slice through the surface of the water, all less than a body length from each other! We also noticed there was a large group near shore. The sky was full of their misty exhalations. I got to see my second greeting ceremony in two days when the two large groups came towards each other. They seemed to synchronize their surfacing as they lined up. But, as they met I saw something different from yesterday: the whales circled each other once before moving off in the same direction they came from! It was spectacular!
All in all there were at least thirty whales, from all three Southern Resident pods. Again, they were being very active, lob tailing, breaching, and spy hopping. It was difficult to identify individuals since fins and saddle patches were everywhere, but we were able to distinguish J-27 Blackberry, J-14 Samish, L-87 Onyx, L-86 Surprise, and K-21 Cappuccino out of the wave of dorsal fins in the groups. Plus, cheery on the top of the trip was being able to view three bald eagles, soaring in the sky, as well as harbor seals (plus pups!), muflon sheep, and fallow deer.
~Kristen, Naturalist, San Juan Safaris
Tags: Bald Eagles, Fallow Deer, friday harbor, Harbor Seals, henry island, j pod, K Pod, killer whales, L pod, Mouflon Sheep, Orcas, san juan island, Southern Resident Killer Whales
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Tuesday, July 10th, 2012
Great whale watching out in Haro Strait today! Whales were spread out between Stewart Island and Lime Kiln State Park. We caught up with our first pair, mama and calf, just off Henry Island, near Kellet Bluff (48°34.60N, 123°12.03W). They were moving extremely fast, almost to be confused with porpoise, looking as if they were trying to catch up with the rest of the pack on the western side of San Juan.
After traveling with them for a bit, another female appeared out of nowhere. Captain cut the engine and we just sat there in complete silence, listening to their majestic blows, taken back by their serenity.
Once they passed, we moved on and caught up with a larger male, Onyx (L87) and man did he put on a show! He started off swimming on his side, pectoral fin raised high in the air, and then did a full body cartwheel, leading into his grand finale a double breach!
Another amazing day.
Naturalist Tara, San Juan Safaris
Tags: Haro Strait, henry island, Kellet Bluff, Lime Kiln State Park, orca whales, san juan island, Stewart Island
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Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012
Today we hung out with 7 members of J-pod in Haro Strait between Henry and Stewart Island (48°38.88N 123°12.07W). What can I say, they had us at hello—from the minute we arrived they seemed excited, yet kind, greeting us with a spy hop and adult breach. It was almost as if they were welcoming us into their home and from that point on a connection evolved.
After a few minutes of riding alongside them, they merged into a single family unit, moving as one. The love, the passion, and the history amongst them seemed so real, and so strong, it was almost tangible. We were able to identify the presence of Blackberry (J27) and his sister Tsuchi (J31) along with Oreo (J22) and her son Doublestuff (J34).
But like any good neighbor, we weren’t looking to overstay our welcome so we just stopped in, said hi, and let them continue on–as I’m sure they had other errands to run.
Naturalist Tara, San Juan Safaris
Tags: Haro Strait, henry island, j pod, orca whales, Southern Resident Killer Whales, Stewart Island
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Sunday, April 22nd, 2012
California Sea Lion
A Warm Spring Day of Whale & Wildlife Watching from Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
Today we took off with reports of our resident orcas coming north on the west side of San Juan Island.
We headed out of Friday Harbor going north making a stop at NWR Yellow Island, and rock outcroppings with 43+ snoozing Harbor Seals. We made our way along the coast of Speiden Island. Often times this is a great place to spot Bald Eagles – no Eagle this time. But we did see about 10 Sea Lions. All but one was a Stellar. The other was a California Sea Lion -deep dark brown in color with the telltale knot on his forehead as if he had been clobbered.
We made our way slowly into Haro Straight between Henry Island and Stuart Island. Up came dorsals. Out came whale breath. Over all there may have been 15 – 20 animals. They were traveling in small groups of 6 – 8 and it appeared to me that they were in a resting-style mode.
Residents can be very vocal. No vocalizations today – we dropped the hydrophone three separate times.
Residents can be very playful and energetic. None of that today. Lots of slow “up” and sinking back “down”. The water was glass-like. No wind. No noise. It felt very peaceful bobbing in the water with the engine off.
On the way home we did see at least two mature bald eagles, one in a nest. The boat made another quick stop on the end of Speiden. The Stellars and California Sea Lions were still in the water where we left them. Just before pulling into Friday Harbor we spotted a California Sea Lion hogging a red buoy. I think I saw some zzzzzz’s over his head.
And there was one Common Murre fishing next to the buoy to complete our wildlife viewing for today.
Naturalist, Colleen Johansen
San Juan Safaris Whale & Wildlife Watching
Tags: Bald Eagle, Cactus Island, California Sea Lion, Common Murre, friday harbor, Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seals, Haro Strait, henry island, j pod, K Pod, L pod, Orca whale, orca whales, Orcas, san juan island, san juan islands, Southern Resident Killer Whales, Spieden Island, Stellar sea lion, Stuart Island, yellow island
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Saturday, July 30th, 2011
A group of killer whales that were hugging the coastline came into sight as we rounded the southwestern end of Henry Island. Cappuccino (K-21), one of the mature males of K pod, was spotted with his open saddle patch. Within the first ten minutes two mature orcas spyhopped, bringing half of their bodies above the surface, and there were a few lobtails from the juveniles. Then all activity ceased as they slipped into resting with a typical tight, slow moving formation. The mood was tranquil as dorsal fins of all shapes and sizes broke the surface in unison and the orcas took a lingering breath before sinking back into the Salish Sea.
Resting, or unihemispheric slow wave sleep (USWS), is when only one of the cerebral hemispheres engages in sleeping and one eye remains open. This form of sleep occurs in all the species within the Cetacea order, along with various marine mammals and birds.
Kirsten, naturalist
Tags: henry island, K Pod, Lobtail, Resting, salish sea, San Juan Safaris, Spyhop, unihemispheric slow wave sleep (USWS)
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Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
L
Orca off South West End of San Juan Island Sunset Whale Watch Tour
Last evening I got out from behind the computer and went on the 5:30 whale watching tour. It is the “lighting”. I just love it around 7:00 pm when eveyone’s faces are warm from the sunlight. The Madrone trees seem firey and the summer grass on the hills glows.
There were many, many whales out off San Juan Island last evening. A guest took a photo and Serena ID’d the orca as Cappucino. The orcas were doing lots of fishing. The movements they were making near the surface – back and forth, back and forth – then there were some spy hops and some well, was it “love” in the water?
The seabirds were partying on an outcrop. Sea Lions and Harbor Seal were all having a snooze – lazin’ about. A couple bald eagles were circumnavigating Spieden Island.
We passed through Mosquito Pass (Roche Harbor) named so because the boats through that passage were as thick as mosquitoes. We slowly passed homes gleaming in the late light, little private docks, little private boats, large private boats (none with helicopters tonight) and more Madrone trees popping out past Pearl Island near Spieden Island.
18 knots and 25 minutes later we came around the corner and there was our little town on the hill – Friday Harbor with its evening lights twinkling. Home Sweet Home.
Sea Lions and Seals Sunset Whale Watch Tour July
Male Southern Resident Orca Whale Sunset Whale Watch Tour
Madrone Trees on the Sunset Whale Watch Tour
Guest on the Sunset Whale Watch viewing snoozing harbor seals
Male Orca Dorsal on the Sunset Whale Watch Tour July
Lookin' Around (spy hop) Taken on a Sunset Whale Watch Tour
It's a Sea Bird Party! Sunset off San Juan Island
Young Guests Viewing Wildlife at Sunset
There's A Serious Photographer - Photographers Love the Sunset Tour
Tags: Bald Eagle, friday harbor, Harbor Seals, henry island, j pod, Orca whale, san juan islands, seattle whale watching, Southern Resident Killer Whales, whale watching near seattle, whale watching tour
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Tuesday, July 26th, 2011
Right out the gates, we headed south and just before Cattle Pass we encountered a harbor seal munching on a salmon it had just caught! At first, two gulls were interested in the seal’s catch but each time it surfaced, another gull and then another and then another came on until there were ten gulls fighting for a piece of the salmon prize. Wait a minute, did the gulls even do any of the dirty work to catch that salmon?! Oh, scavengers.
Around the west side of San Juan Island, we started to see the tell-tale dorsal fins of the orca whales! We saw a cow-calf pair, two females and then a lone male traveling south along the island. Eventually, we saw three females/juveniles playing pass-the-bull-kelp! One animal had the kelp crossed over its dorsal fin while the others swam around in random directions to potentially catch it as the first orca dropped its “toy”. Among some of the vessels offshore, we saw another eight whales in a closer group. Based on the vocalizations we heard on the hydrophone, we were seeing a very spread out resident pod of orcas.
As we continued around the northern part of San Juan Island and then Henry Island we saw more bald eagles on Henry and Battleship islands, both perched at the tops of their respective trees scanning the sea. At O’Neal Island, we saw one more bald eagle and then headed for home.
Serena, Naturalist
San Juan Safaris
Tags: Bald Eagle, Cattle Pass, Harbor Seal, henry island, orca whales, san juan island
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Saturday, July 9th, 2011
Southbound from Friday Harbor, we went in search of Pacific northwest wildlife. Along the way, we saw harbor porpoises just in the San Juan Channel north of the harbor. A few harbor seals were spotted frolicking in the waves, perhaps foraging or playing. As we rounded Henry Island along the northern end of San Juan Island, we headed south along the Haro Strait and began to see boats in the distance spread out over several miles. Upon closer viewing, those boats happened to have numerous southern resident killer whales around them! We saw some orcas tail slapping or tail lobbing and one even tail slapping on its back! At one point, we had a large male swimming straight for us! We pulled forward to give him some space and eventually he turned towards another boat; was this a curious whale investigating his surroundings? Over the radio we heard that we were seeing a mixture of J and K pods. On our return trip, we passed by Cattle Point and saw countless sea birds including cormorants, gulls, rhinoceros auklets, pigeon guillemots and rare heermanns gulls. Whale rocks had harbor seals warming up and drying off with some playing in the water. And to top it off, we found an eagle perched on a branch just south of the harbor and we were fortunate enough to see it leap off and take flight!
Serena, Naturalist
San Juan Safaris
Tags: Bald Eagle, Cattle Pass, friday harbor, Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seal, henry island, j pod, Orcas, San Juan Channel, san juan island, Southern Resident Killer Whales
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