Posts Tagged ‘San Juan Channel’
Saturday, September 15th, 2012
Once again, it was beautiful day in the San Juan Islands with bluebird skies and flat calm waters. And, the Salish Sea was teeming with wildlife and seabirds.
In the San Juan Channel and Cattle Pass we saw Harbor Seals, Harbor Porpoise, Steller Sea Lions, and a number of different seabird species. Here the tide is funneled through Lopez Island and San Juan Island creating upwelling. Eager for a meal, marine mammals and seabirds congregate in this area, taking full advantage of the abundance of prey. Marine mammals are intelligent animals and focus their efforts in areas where food tends to be predictable and abundant. Sure seemed like they were having a feast.
Further south a Minke Whale was also busy foraging in the highly productive waters over Salmon Bank, evident by the 100’s of seabirds attacking a number of different bait balls of fish! The Minke Whale was unusually cooperative, surfacing every few minutes and providing excellent views and photographic opportunities. This Minke Whale was definitely not a “sneaky Minke” today!
On our return to Friday Harbor we saw another 15 Harbor Seals, packed in like sardines on Mummy Rocks where a mature Bald Eagle perched above overlooking the scene as if playing “King of the Mountain.” Then we swung by Whale Rocks where over 20 Steller Sea Lions were either swimming, resting, or visibly arguing over prime haul-out territory.
Naturalist Amy, San Juan Safaris Whale Watching and Wildlife Tours
Tags: Bald Eagle, Cattle Pass, Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seals, minke whale, Salmon Bank, San Juan Channel, Steller Sea Lions
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Friday, September 14th, 2012
What a fabulous day on the water! We started the trip off with an abundance of wildlife as we made our way through San Juan Channel. We saw dozens upon dozens of Harbor Seals hauled out, sun bathing on any rocky islet available and bobbing through the riptides in search of food. We also saw three Steller Sea Lions swimming amongst the riptides, what seemed to be another marine mammal thanksgiving!
Once we reached Haro Strait we encountered our first Minke Whale just south of Salmon Bank about a mile offshore of San Juan Island (48°25.00N 122°56.00W). We watched it surface a few times and then all of a sudden another Minke popped up right across our bow. Soon after, a third surfaced on our starboard side. Once we were surrounded, we cut off our engine and simply watched. Surprisingly the Minkes weren’t being very mysterious, instead they were being extremely active! They came up multiple times by our boat, allowing us to hear their blows and see the full extent of their 30-35 ft long bodies and they were lunging like crazy showing us their full rostrum and stealing away the food from any birds in sight.
The Minkes were surprising, the birds went flying, and the people were smiling!
On our way back in we visited the Bald Eagles nest and the Steller Sea Lions hauled out on Whale Rocks. They too were enjoying the sun, about 15+ of them out basking away, and about 5 or so playing around in the water.
Another great day full of wildlife and whales!
Naturalist Tara, San Juan Safaris
Tags: Bald Eagle, Harbor Seals, Haro Strait, minke whales, Salmon Bank, San Juan Channel, san juan island, Steller Sea Lions, Whale Rocks
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Tuesday, August 14th, 2012
Minkes today!
Although our Southern Resident Killer Whales were nowhere to be found today, we did have luck finding Minke Whales. Not just one, but two (maybe even 3!) Minkes were in the Salmon Banks area, on the south side of San Juan Island (48°25.33’N, 122°59.94’W). Just rounding the corner out of Friday Harbor, a Bald Eagle majestically perched at the top of a fir on Turn Island. On the way out of San Juan Channel, eight Stellar Sea Lions sunned themselves on Whale Rocks, while young Harbor Seal pups seemed to be everyone in the water. On Goose Island, Glaucous Winged Gull chicks still covered the east side of the rocks, while Cormorants sunned themselves near the water’s edge. Along with the wild life viewing, today’s sunny weather, and an exciting current racing with the flood tide through Cattle Pass, it was another excellent day on the water!
Shelly, Naturalist
Tags: Bald Eagle, Bald Eagles, Cattle Pass, friday harbor, Harbor Seal, Harbor Seals, killer whales, minke whale, Salmon Bank, San Juan Channel, san juan island, san juan islands, seattle whale watching, Steller Sea Lions, Steller\'s Sea Lion, whale watching tour
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Monday, August 6th, 2012
Exciting day on the water! Leaving the harbor under rainy skies, we traveled north around San Juan Island. Happily, the skies dried and the sun soon came out just as we caught up with members of the Southern Resident Killer Whales in Haro Strait. Traveling along the west side of Stuart Island and milling in the Turn Point area (first sighted at 48°40.67N 123°14.92W) were: Onyx (L87), along with Slick (J-16) and her calf, Echo (J-42), Mike (J-26) and Alki (J-36). Our next sighting include Granny (J-2) along with Tsuchi (J-31), and Mako (J-39). The orcas were active and didn’t seem to be in any hurry to leave the area. Plenty of shots of tails waving, pectoral fin slaps and the occasional spy hop. On the way back, we heard a rumor that there might be a new calf in J Pod?
Shelly and Tara, Naturalists for San Juan Safaris
Tags: Bald Eagle, Bald Eagles, Cactus Islands, friday harbor, Harbor Seal, Harbor Seals, Haro Strait, j pod, killer whales, L pod, Orca whale, orca whales, Orcas, San Juan Channel, san juan island, San Juan Safaris, Southern Resident Killer Whales, whale watching near seattle
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Wednesday, July 18th, 2012
We had a very exciting and full-of-wildlife day! We departed Friday Harbor heading north into Canadian waters. Before seeing the main event (killer whales) we spotted about five or six harbor porpoise just north of San Juan Channel. Not long after we saw one dorsal fin, then another, then three more! There were about eight to ten southern resident killer whales, traveling close to each other. They were moving north along Pender Island (48º 36.54’N 123º 04.94’W). We watched as three whales spy-hopped, one after another, followed by a full, body out of the water, breach! The whales then moved close to shore, slowly diving and surfacing. In this group naturalist Jenny and I were able to identify members from both J and L pods, including L-72 Racer, J-27 Blackberry, J-28 Polaris, L-25 Ocean Sun.
After watching the whales, we motored around Stuart Island and spotted a few nesting cormorants on the rocky cliff near Turn Point. Also included in our trip home was a great look of Spieden Island where the non-native, but oh so cool muflon sheep and fallow deer were grazing, bald eagles were flying over the island and perched in a few trees, and eight harbor seals were hauled out of the water near the shore, including three mother pup pairs! Finally, just before getting back into Friday Harbor, a guest spotted another bald eagle. Definitely not our average Wednesday out on the water!
Kristen, Naturalist, San Juan Safaris
Tags: Bald Eagles, cormorants, Fallow Deer, friday harbor, Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seals, j pod, killer whales, L pod, Mouflon Sheep, Orcas, pender island, San Juan Channel, san juan island, Southern Resident Killer Whales, Spieden Island, Stuart Island, Turn Point
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Monday, July 2nd, 2012
Southern Resident Killer Whales today!
Caught up with about 7 slowly foraging members of J-Pod, including Granny (J-2), Blackberry (J-27) along with Onyx (L-87) on the west side of San Juan Island at 48.27.388N 123.03.597W. We stayed with them until peeling away at the light house at Lime Kiln to complete a circumnavigation of San Juan Island. Caught a quick sighting of 2 Dall’s Porpoises close to Kelp Reef too.
On the way out, San Juan Channel was busy with Harbor Porpoises (at least 10) and a large group of Harbor Seals (about 15) heads up and bobbing in the tide rip before Goose Island. Counted about 12 Canada Geese pecking on the grassy top of the rock offshore from Cape San Juan, while a lone Bald Eagle kept sentry on top of a snaggy fir on shore.
Our return trip took us along Speiden Island where a large flock of Mouflon Sheep grazed with several rams keeping watch on the perimeter. Also, sighted one albino Fallow Deer tucked in the exposed roots of a tree just above the water and 4 Sika Deer outlined on the ridge line. On our last glance back at Spieden Is., a nice showing of 3 Bald Eagles that overhead from Sentinel Island towards us.
Naturalists Shelly, Tara and Jenny; San Juan Safaris
Tags: Bald Eagle, Bald Eagles, Cattle Pass, Dall\'s Porpoise, Fallow Deer, friday harbor, Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seal, Harbor Seals, j pod, killer whales, L pod, Mouflon Sheep, Orca whale, orca whales, Orcas, San Juan Channel, san juan island, Sika Deer, Southern Resident Killer Whales, Spieden Island, whale watching near seattle
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Thursday, June 21st, 2012
Today we visited some of the bad boys/bad girls of the sea, the Transient Orcas. Now don’t get me wrong, they aren’t misbehaved, they just prefer some of the larger meat items on the menu.
The first one we spotted was a male headed north in the San Juan Channel just offshore of San Juan Island. Transients are fairly individualistic so it was not a surprise to see him alone. It was a surprise however to some Harbor Porpoise just off our stern headed in the same direction. If I were them, I’d turn around!
We then heard rumor of more Transients in the same channel, headed in the opposite direction, so we turned around and caught up with them off Goose Island (42°26.09N, 122°56.09W). It was the T 75’s, a group of about 6 or 7 including a very newborn calf, peach markings and all. We stayed with them for a while and then left to sneak in one last adventure before the tour’s end.
Within minutes of our new adventure, a passenger on our stern yelled “Holy Whale!!!” or at least something very similar, yet not so censored. He was completely startled by an enormous Minke Whale that had risen to the surface, full back out of the water, within arms-reach of the boat. Everyone froze, not a breath was taken, as our eyes were glued to this enormous creature passing slowly alongside our boat.
Once it had passed and the passengers had regained themselves the silence was overcome with excitement “Oh my gosh! Did you see that?!!!!”
Everyone had seen it, but no one had taken photos; it was clearly one of those moments that could only be lived in.
Today our breaths were literally, taken away.
Naturalist Tara, San Juan Safaris.
Tags: goose island, Harbor Porpoise, minke whale, San Juan Channel, san juan island, Transient Orcas
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Tuesday, June 5th, 2012
Our journey took us north. As we motored through the San Juan Channel we cruised along and observed the Sika Deer and Mouflon Sheep on Spieden Island. We continued north through the scenic Cactus Islands and across the border into Canadian Waters.
Have you ever seen an eagle taking a bath? Well, we did! On the south side of Spieden, our national symbol had found a hollow in the rocks and was enjoying a fresh-water bath. He was not shy.
On through Johns Pass and a view of harbor seals as they were enjoying the better-than-forecast weather as much as we were. Northward, past Stuart Island, and East to the lighthouse on Patos, and more harbor porpoise and bald eagles south of there, including a nesting pair of eagles.
Making our way south, we came through the Wasp Islands before turning into the San Juan Channel and back to our home dock. The islands were gorgeous today: dramatic views with silhouettes in all shades of blue early on, turning to blue skies on our return.
A great group of people onboard, representing all corners of the US and two gentlemen from Germany.
Jim, Captain/Naturalist San Juan Safaris
Tags: Bald Eagles, friday harbor, Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seal, Haro Strait, San Juan Channel, seattle whale watching, Sika Deer
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Friday, May 25th, 2012
Today we caught up with a group of 4 Transient Orcas off the southwestern end of Victoria; coordinates 48°22.0’N, 123°25.0’W. This group was not as stealthy as we typically see with Transients. They were surfacing multiple times, almost in a predictable manner, and were lobtailling often with a couple spyhops here and there. This group was also quite young; two younger calves and two adults who appeared to be in their 20s. We got to travel with them for about 20 minutes or so until we headed back for San Juan Island.
On our way back we were able to see numerous Harbor Seals hauled out on the rocks and islets along the island along with a few Harbor Porpoises milling around in the San Juan Channel. We also got to take a look at multiple bird species throughout the day including the Western Gull, Rhinoceros Auklets, the Canada Goose, the Bald Eagle, Common Murres, and Pelagic Cormorants. It was a day filled with great wildlife viewing!
Naturalist Tara, San Juan Safaris
Tags: Bald Eagle, Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seals, San Juan Channel, san juan island, Transient Orcas
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Saturday, May 19th, 2012
For a day where the weather forecast predicted rain, it was awfully sunny and calm in the San Juan Islands today! As we left Friday Harbor we stopped to view a California sea lion hauled out on a buoy right outside the harbor. We then headed south towards Salmon Bank to look for minke whales since the water was like glass, the perfect condition for spotting minkes! But before getting there we were able to see harbor seals hauled out and in the water, double crested cormorants on Goose Island, and a single, giant male steller sea lion hauled out on Whale Rocks. It was rubbing all over the rocks; a very cool behavior!
At salmon bank it wasn’t long before we spotted a minke in the not so far distance. It surfaced twice and then disappeared. We turned around eager to spot more, but came across two more steller sea lions thrashing around in the water. A flash of a fish in it’s mouth and swarming gulls told us they were foraging! Finally at 48o 24.0930′ N, 122o59.0386′ W another minke was seen. We watched for a while before heading to Long Island where we saw a single bald eagle next to its huge nest. Finally, back in San Juan Channel there were two groups of at least six harbor porpoises on either side of our boat, still surfacing as we made our way back.
Kristen, Naturalist, San Juan Safaris
Tags: Bald Eagle, friday harbor, Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seal, Long Island, minke whale, Salmon Bank, San Juan Channel, san juan islands, Steller Sea Lions, Whale Rocks
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