Posts Tagged ‘minke whale’
Thursday, August 4th, 2011
The killer whales were close today so we had plenty of observation time and were able to see a smorgasbord of species. We first encountered L pod and successfully identify the 34-year-old male Mega (L-41) who was traveling alongside the 22-year-old male Gaia (L-78). What was really exciting was the amount of calves that were traveling and playing together. There were at least three youngsters who were taking turns lob tailing, propoising, spy hopping and breaching next to each other. It was just amazing to watch!
After spending our fair share of time with the killer whales, minke whales were next out by Salmon Bank. There were two whales which surfaced more frequently than normal and surprised us by coming up right next to the boat, close enough to hear them breathe. We then passed Long Island and saw an eagle perched at the top of a tree next to his large nest of twigs. As we made our way back to Friday Harbor, we noticed two behemoth brown bodies basking on Whale Rocks. These male steller sea lions were met shortly by another male who leaped out of the water to join them. They were an interesting comparison to the small pinniped cousins, the harbor seals, which were hauled out on the other end of the rocks. It was a great trip full of fun, not only for our passengers, but for us as well.
Kirsten and Kristen, naturalists, San Juan Safaris
Tags: Bald Eagles, friday harbor, Harbor Seals, L pod, minke whale, Orcas, Salmon Bank, san juan island, Southern Resident Killer Whales, Steller Sea Lions
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Monday, August 1st, 2011
Today, even the Kittiwake had an adventure! We traveled over to Orcas Island to pick up a family of ten for a private charter and from there on, we were surrounded by a continuous showing by Pacific Northwest wildlife!
First, it was a little harbor seal between Lopez and Shaw Islands. Next, it was one then two stellar sea lions (BIG ones too–they can weigh up to 2,200 pounds and be ten feet long!) swimming in the currents between Lopez and San Juan Islands. Further into the Cattle Pass, we discovered two bald eagles perched side by side above a water-front home.
Out into the waters off Salmon bank, where the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Haro straight meet, we found exactly what we were still holding our breaths for: L-pod of the Southern Resident Killer Whales! The pod was spread out near and off shore and from Cattle Pass up towards False Bay. It was every whale for itself, with a few being social and in pairs and trios. Some seemed to be traveling, others hunting and one frisky pair may have been mating (was he an outsider from J or K pod?). They were heading south but after thirty minutes of viewing, they all of a sudden went offshore and started traveling north. At this point we decided to test our wildlife luck and moved on away from the orcas.
The visibility was excellent (we could see Mount Rainier and Mount Baker!), the wind was a mellow breeze and the ocean was flat: a rare and perfect combination for Minke whale searching! We found “bird balls” (high densities of birds sitting on the water, potentially on a ball of bait fish like herring). One bird ball took off all at once and minutes later, we found out why: a minke whale had come in to eat their herring! We watched it for about twenty minutes and then moved on.
On the way back to Orcas Island, the wildlife continued to appear! More stellar sea lions and harbor seals swimming and sunning at Whale Rocks; and our finale of harbor porpoises between Lopez and San Juan Islands. Whew, we were exhausted after that (as evident by the six passengers–teenagers–napping on the ride back in)! A truly wonderful day on the water. Big thanks to the Lower family!
Serena, Naturalist
San Juan Safaris
Tags: Bald Eagles, Cattle Pass, Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seals, Haro Strait, L pod, Lopez Island, minke whale, orca whales, orcas island, san juan island, Southern Resident Killer Whales, Stellar sea lion, Strait of Juan de Fuca
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Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
Today was one of those rare perfect days to be a wildlife watcher. The sun was shining and the water glassy as we made our way south from Friday Harbor. Our first stop was at whale rocks where there were the most wildlife species I’ve ever seen at one time. There were cormorants, gulls, harbor seals in and out of the water, and two animals we do not see often: a brown pelican and not one, but two giant Steller’s sea lions, one of which was in the water and came up right behind our stern.
We then headed to the west side of San Juan Island and found killer whales spread out and traveling towards cattle point. And as we were watching them, we were surprised by a few salmon leaped out of the water! It was a very unusual site. We stayed with the killer whales for a while longer, watching one tail slapping, and two pass us on either side of the boat. Then we made our way to salmon bank in search of minke whales. As soon as we turned off the engines, we spotted one. It came up twice before disappearing, so we slowly made our way around that area and had two more minke sightings before we headed back to town. But the trip was far from over; on our way back we spotted some harbor porpoises playing in a rip and relaxed while soaking up some of the warm sun. Perfect Day!
Kristen, Naturalist, San Juan Safaris
Tags: Cattle Point, friday harbor, Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seals, minke whale, orca whales, san juan island, Southern Resident Killer Whales, Steller\'s Sea Lion
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Sunday, July 24th, 2011
Today we had a wonderful encounter with my old friend, the Minke whale. We left the harbor and headed south. Just before Cattle Point we noticed lots of splashing. We moved toward the disturbance and saw two harbor seals acting very peculiarly. One seal would lay, flat out, on the surface of the water. The other seal would lunge at it, bite it, and then porpoise and slap its back flippers on the surface. Over and over again we watched the same scene play out. Perhaps a bit of courtship?
We moved on to give the seals some privacy. We approached whale rocks to check out some seals that were hauled out. We saw a massive brown head peek out from around the corner and moved in its direction. It was a huge male Steller’s sea lion! When we got around the corner we saw that there were two of them! They were the first I have seen in a couple of months. They looked fat and happy and seemed to be enjoying the sunshine. Next we moved south toward Salmon bank. There were birds fishing everywhere. Just a couple minutes of patience rewarded us with a Minke sighting a couple hundred yards away. We watched the whale surface a couple more times and then noticed another a little farther away. We watched as the little Minke repeatedly stole the fish out from under the feisty aggregation of sea birds. It is always amusing to watch the sneaky little Minkes in action.
When we finally pulled away from the scene we were surprised as one last Minke surfaced just off our port side. It was a great way to wrap up the trip.
I know people are focused on the Orcas when they come out here, but the Minkes are my secret favorite; kind of like the underdogs of the whale watching community. They are stealthy, graceful, mysterious, and, in the height of the season, often overlooked. Minkes need our love too. I will always be happy to hang out with a Minke whale.
Laura, Naturalist, san juan safaris
Tags: Bald Eagle, Harbor Porpoise, minke whale, whale watching near seattle
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Saturday, July 16th, 2011
Sky and sea blended together as we left Friday Harbor this afternoon. It was overcast and a bit foggy, but spirits were high in the hopes of finding killer whales. We headed south, and as we turned around Cattle Point it started to clear up, giving us good visibility. As soon as we reached False Bay, off in the distance was a large, triangular dorsal fin. Soon after that we were surrounded by killer whales, and even got to see a younger one breach three times before swimming off.
We followed the whales back towards Cattle Point then headed towards Salmon Bank in search minke whales. It didn’t take long for us to spot a lone minke occasionally coming to the surface to take a breath. After watching the minke disappear one last time we headed back into Friday Harbor, but we weren’t done watching for wildlife. Near Long Island there were three bald eagles sitting on top of the rocks. We also slowed near whale rocks to see an acrobatic group of harbor seals in the water. Finally, we stopped to watch a large pod of harbor porpoises, some of them popping up close enough for us to hear them exhale. This dreary weather day turned into an amazing day full of wildlife.
Kristen, Naturalist, San Juan Safaris
Tags: Bald Eagle, Cattle Point, False Bay, friday harbor, Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seal, killer whale, minke whale, Orcas, Salmon Bank
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Friday, July 15th, 2011
We headed out of Friday Harbor with some very fun and excited passengers. Our first stop was right around the corner with some harbor seals hauled out on the rocks and we even saw a tiny little pup trying to climb on its moms back while swimming in the current. We continued on through Cattle Pass and quickly found a great group of Orcas near False Bay. As we slowly approached and started watching one group, we saw even more whales in every direction around us. The word from other vessels on the scene was that Ks and Ls were moving in to the area to hang out with the Js. It seemed like just about every member of the Southern Resident Community was spread from close to shore to the Olympic Peninsula. It was incredible!
Unfortunately we had to head back to the harbor, but on the way we encountered a Minke whale as well as the most harbor seals I’ve ever seen around the boat playing and feeding in the tide rips. Another great day on the water!
Mike – Naturalist
San Juan Safaris
Tags: friday harbor, Harbor Seal, Harbor Seals, j pod, L pod, minke whale, Orca whale, Orcas, Southern Resident Killer Whales, whale watching tour
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Thursday, July 14th, 2011
We headed south out of Friday Harbor this afternoon with word that there were killer whales around False Bay. On our way to the west side, we spotted a few harbor porpoises in the distance and some harbor seals poking their heads out of the water. Once at False Bay we caught a glimpse of three dorsal fins and some spouts, then there were six+ dorsal fins all coming up from underneath the glassy Salish Sea. It was J-pod. They were slowly traveling close to each other, nearly synchronized in their surfacing. It was an amazing site to see.
After spending some time with the whales, we headed back towards Salmon Bank. As soon as we got to that area, we spotted a single minke whale and watched it surface a few times before it disappeared into the depths. Then, on the way back into town, we came across another minke whale! Plus we stopped to check out a large group of harbor seals that were checking us out from the water, and a large pod of harbor porpoises that surrounded the boat and were proposing out of the water. It was an exceptional day in not only the numbers of species we encountered, but in the quantity of each species we saw as well!
Kristen, Naturalist, San Juan Safaris
Tags: False Bay, friday harbor, Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seal, j pod, minke whale, Orcas, Salmon Bank, San Juan Safaris
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Friday, July 1st, 2011
We headed south with word that there were killer whales heading towards False Bay. It was a beautiful sunny day; both the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges were visible in the distance. As we rode past south beach we saw at least ten harbor seals bobbing their heads out of the water near shore. Shortly after, there were spouts in the distance. It was J-pod! After seeing the first spouts, dorsal fins came up from all directions. On male was identified as Blackberry. The pod was changing direction, coming together, and then splitting apart again. A few of them were lob tailing and spy hopping as well!
We stayed with the whales for a while then went in search for more wildlife, and boy did we find some. Minke whales! More than we’ve ever encountered, estimating that there were between seven and ten of them. Plus, in that area were flocks of seabirds in the water and the air. It was an amazing site. As we headed back to Friday Harbor we stopped to see some harbor seals hauled out on the rocks. What an amazing day!
~Kristen, Naturalist, San Juan Safaris
Tags: Cascade mountains, friday harbor, Harbor Seals, minke whale, olympic mountains, Orcas, whale watching near seattle
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Monday, June 6th, 2011
Another beautiful day on the water!
We headed south through Cattle pass, stopping to take a quick peek and a steller hauled out on the rocks. When we got a little closer we were surprised to see a male California sea lion lounging beside the steller. I have spent a lot of time around CA sea lions. I have seen them in the water and the big males can be quite intimidating. The CA we were looking at was certainly a big male with a huge sagittal crest, but the steller beside him made him look like a tiny little stuffed animal. It was a great opportunity to get a good idea of just how big the steller’s are.
Once through the pass we cruised straight out toward salmon bank. Birds were everywhere! Porpoises started popping up all around us. Next came a posse of seals. Obviously we were headed in the right direction. A minute or two later we found what we were looking for. A minke whale surfaced next to an aggregation of birds, undoubtedly stealing away a portion of their hard earned fish. We watched as the sleek, stealthy animal surfaced a few more times and then slid below the surface. We sat and waited to see where the minke would surface. It was far from where he dove and in a completely different direction than he was going. We observed a second minke surface about a half a mile further out. It was hard to guess where they were going to come up. They changed direction with every dive and were constantly on the move.
When we finally left the minkes we cruised by the green buoy to take a look at another steller – ca seal lion pair. We headed over to long island to look for seals and eagles. We worked our way back around to whale rocks and noticed that the green buoy pair of sea lions had apparently jumped ship and we trying to commandeer the rock the other sea lions were lounging on. There was a bit of noise and teeth were bared, but eventually the duo on the rock moved over to accommodate the incoming pair.
It was a gorgeous ride back to the harbor. I hope this weather never leaves!
Laura, naturalist
Tags: Bald Eagle, Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seal, minke whale, Steller\'s Sea Lion
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Sunday, June 5th, 2011
What a day. If I go into every detail this blog could be of epic proportions. I’ll try to reign it in a little bit and we’ll see what happens.
It all stated with the nicest, warmest day of the year; the first day I have worn a t-shirt without several other layers over and under it (and that lasted until we picked up speed). Toward Cattle pass we could see Mt Ranier, tall, majestic, snow covered, and over 100 miles away. We headed out toward the Straight of Juan de Fuca on glassy, calm water. Behind us Mt Baker was illuminated as though from the heavens. We continued on toward Victoria. It was a perfect day for a nice, long drive.
After an hour of eye-straining binocular use a blow appeared in the distance. A large, dark body rose to the surface. We continued on in the direction we were headed. As we drew closer we could see that this was one of our more infrequent visitors. It was an animal I knew very well. My old friend the humpback whale. My second sighting of the season, the solitary giant was taking slow, frequent breaths at the surface. The first fluke up dive brought a hushed cheer from the enraptured group. Knowing the humpback’s penchant for lengthy dives I started to explain the incredible breath holding abilities of the species. Just then, as if to prove me wrong, the whale surfaced. More slow breaths and then another dive. Again the whale surfaced relatively soon after the dive. We stayed until the next dive and then turned back to begin our long drive home. On the way back in we spotted another black body at the surface. This time there was no visible exhalation, which could only mean…minke. Species number two. As we were moving in for a better look a second Minke surfaced about 200 yards off our starboard side. Surprise minke! Just when the day couldn’t get any better we spotted a pair of stellar’s sea lions hauled out on a buoy and a pair of bald eagles sitting on a rock near another pair of HUGE steller’s. We returned a little bit late, but ecstatic from out epic day on the water.
Laura, naturalist
Tags: Bald Eagle, Harbor Seals, Humpback Whale, minke whale
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