Posts Tagged ‘San Juan Safaris’
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011
Another fabulous day.
Our first stop was for a few Harbor Seals hauled out on the rocks. Our second stop was for the ever elusive Harbor Porpoise. It was one of the few times that I have seen a large number of them, too preoccupied while hunting, to care that we were watching. Most of the time all we see is a little black blip at the surface and have to spend the next several minutes trying to convince passengers that the blip was actually a porpoise. Today everyone got to see one up close. Capt. Mike shut down and we sat in the calmest water imaginable watching no less than 10 porpoise cruising around us. When we finally left them we continued on south toward Cattle Point. We stopped for a couple of gregarious Steller’s Seal Lions and then ventured out into the straight. L Pod was pretty much at South Beach when we first came upon them. They were spread out over a tremendous area. Once again the calm water made for easy identification of the saddle patch.
Among the first whales we saw were L2, L79, L72, and later L41 (Mega-my favorite).
We also had an amazing encounter with two juvenile whales who shot up, out of nowhere, in front of the boat, while we were shut down and proceeded to swim laps around us while we watched in amazement. The water was calm and clear and we could see the white flash from their bellies as they scooted in past us in a blur and then darted out to regroup before doing it again. In my whole summer out here I have not seen behavior like that from orca whales until today. Orcas may pop up near a boat and pass by at close proximity, but it is always with an air of dignity, as though they are on a mission and could care less about boat or the people on it. They always keep their composure and when they do let loose a little it is typically in the company of other orcas with boats watching from afar. Today was different. There was no breaching or rolling upside-down. No tail slapping or lollygagging at the surface. These two little guys were behaving, totally and completely, like a couple of hooligans. It was awesome. Even Capt Mike had to leave the wheelhouse and squeeze up to the railing to get a better view. It was one of those exceptional moments that makes you want to do a fist pump and yell, “Yessss!”
Laura, Naturalist
Tags: Cattle Pass, Harbor Porpoise, Orca whale, san juan islands, San Juan Safaris, Steller\'s Sea Lion
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Friday, September 2nd, 2011
The sun may have been shining today, but it was raining marine mammals!!! Shortly after leaving Friday Harbor and heading south we saw a large group of Harbor porpoise. We cut the engine and the miniature Cetaceans that are famously shy were all around the boat and even porpoising out of the water, exposing much of their flanks. Then once in Salmon Bank a Minke whale’s long back broke the surface and was soon followed by its small hooked dorsal fin.
As we entered Cattle Pass back toward the harbor, we received the exciting call that there were orcas beside Lopez. Captain Mike quickly maneuvered the boat in a 180 and we were back out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Four to five orcas, one a juvenile, were seen cruising around the rocky outcrops near Iceberg Point. They were of the transient community with solid saddle patches and wide dorsal fins that angled further toward their posterior than the residents. We left them as they slowly started making their way north.
On our way back, we noticed that Whale Rocks were crowded with gigantic Steller sea lions and encircled by a few harbor seals. This happened to be not far, and in the same direction the transients were moving towards. We wondered if a pinnipede smorgasbord was in the making.
Kirsten, naturalist
Tags: Cattle Pass, friday harbor, Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seal, Lopez Island, minke whale, San Juan Safaris, Steller Sea Lion, Transient Orcas
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Monday, August 29th, 2011
Today we traveled all the way to Victoria to see one lone transient. He was magnificent. It was a long haul but when we arrived he appeared to be patrolling up and down the rocks. He has one of the broadest dorsal fins I have ever seen.
The word on the street was that he had been harassing a sea lion prior to our arrival. When we got there he was just cruising, back and forth along the rocks, occasionally rolling slightly on his side as if he was looking up toward the rocks to see what was on the lunch menu. It was pretty cool. After a bit of whale watching we began the long journey home. Thanks to a ripping 5-6knot tidal flood, we made it there in record time. We stopped for a group of Steller’s Seal Lions hauled out on whale rocks and in the water below. On the way home the clouds parted and gave way to sun and flat water. Seals were lounging. Porpoises were frolicking. Fantastic.
Laura, San Juan Safaris
Tags: Cattle Pass, friday harbor, Harbor Porpoise, Orca whale, Orcas, san juan island, San Juan Safaris, Steller\'s Sea Lion, Transient Orcas
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Tuesday, August 16th, 2011
As we headed south through Cattle Pass a grizzly-like head broke the surface with a large fish dangling from its mouth. The snorting and huffing creature was a male Steller sea lion, the largest of all the sea lions and the third largest species within the Pinnipedia suborder. The silhouette of another gigantic bull that had claimed his throne atop Whale Rock protruded from the outcrop.
Once traveling along San Juan Island’s west coast, the black dorsal fins of orcas appeared everywhere. The pod was widely dispersed along and from the shoreline in smaller groups of two to four. There were many mature males and a calf among the many we saw, leading us to believe it was L pod. J,K and L are the three pods which compose our Southern Resident community of killer whales. L pod is the largest with over 40 orcas and whose member Nugget (L-55) also has a calf this past year.
Tags: L pod, Orcas, San Juan Safaris, Steller Sea Lion
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Sunday, August 7th, 2011
Today was definitely one of the top five whale encounters I’ve had since I started at San Juan Safaris! We left Friday Harbor heading south with reports that there were whales on the west side. On the way we first stopped to view a large group of harbor seals that were hauled out on a rocky island. Then, as we traveled a little further south, a thick layer of fog descended. It created an eerie ambiance as it encompassed our boat. This however did not prevent us for encountering more wildlife. Next we stopped near whale rocks to check out not only more harbor seals, but six or seven steller sea lions, some of which were hauled out on the rocks and barking, while the others were in the water and being very acrobatic.
We then continued into the silent unknown. As we got closer to the area where whales were reported we slowed, and it didn’t take long to see a lone dorsal fin in the distance. We shut our engines off since visibility was shortened due to the fog, and about a minute after doing so two killer whales came up about real close to our boat! Then a few more surfaced all around us and one even breached! They slowly started moving away from us, but Mike stayed close for a little while longer. The group was in no hurry though, taking the time to tail slap and turn over, slapping the water with their pectoral fins. I was able to identify J26 (Mike) as well as L72 (Racer) from this group.
As the moved further away the fog then started to clear. We were able to see San Juan Island again, and found more killer whales, lots of them! We slowed and watched a group of about four whales tail slapping, rolling around, and spy hopping. Then to the other side of the boat there were juveniles porpoising and breaching. The groups started coming together and there were now maybe twenty whales, one of which was obviously L41 (Mega). After just a few more minutes of watching the whales splashing around and moving away we headed back to Friday Harbor with our fair share of whales, their exciting behaviors, and amazing memories.
Kristen, Naturalist, San Juan Safaris
Tags: breach, friday harbor, Harbor Seals, j pod, killer whales, L pod, Orcas, san juan island, San Juan Safaris, spy hop, Steller Sea Lions
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Friday, August 5th, 2011
We went international to observe a pod rumored to be around the Golf Islands of Canada. Shortly after crossing the international boarder and entering the Swanson Channel we saw a group of around fifteen lively orcas. The surface around them was turning with activity as Mickey Mouse ear pectoral fins slapped the surface, full-body breaches created wakes and tails slammed onto the water. There were three mature males within the mix and the two that were traveling closely together appeared to be the brothers Wave Walker (L-88) and Gaia (L-78) of the L2 matriline. Being oot and aboot with L pod made the trek well worthwhile!
Kirsten, naturalists
Tags: friday harbor, L pod, Orca whale, San Juan Safaris, seattle whale watching, Southern Resident Killer Whales
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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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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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Sunday, July 10th, 2011
Another beautiful day as we motored south down the San Juan Channel toward Cattle Pass. It was slightly overcast but we could see Mt Baker standing tall to our east. We stopped to look at a juvenile bald eagle sitting atop a rock otherwise covered with seals and had an “awwww” moment when a tiny seal pup surfaced behind his mom, looked at us with his big, brown eyes and then did a crazy little half breach dive.
We rounded Cattle Point and cruised west, toward False Bay. In the distance we could see a handful of boats scattered over miles. As we drew closer we could see dorsal fins here and there. We sat, turned off the engines and observed whales in every direction. We were watching a female moving along our port side when we spied a mini dorsal fin on the other side of her. It was the smallest orca I have ever seen.
When we dropped the hydrophone our suspicions were confirmed. We heard the familiar kitten-like calls of K pod. It could only have been the new baby K I have heard so much about over the last few days. The mom and calf moved but we sat and observed other individuals moving through the area. We listened to faint calls and it was even calm enough to hear echolocation noises.
Laura, San Juan Safaris
Tags: Bald Eagle, Cattle Pass, friday harbor, Harbor Porpoise, Harbor Seal, Orca whale, orca whales, Orcas, san juan island, San Juan Safaris
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Monday, July 4th, 2011
J pod was spread out along the southwest coast in smaller groups. The flag of American Camp waved on in the background as we encountered the first group of three orcas. It consisted of the mature male Mike (J-26) whose sea snake was present and the flashing of pink startled and confused the passengers. As we headed further north we saw a formation of four with whom we believed to have Granny (J-2) and Riptide (J-30) leading. The juveniles we passed along the way were continuously lob tailing and we even witnessed a few breaches. We enjoyed our views of the glowing haystack of Rainier and Mount Baker as we headed back in the warm sun.
Kirsten, naturalist
Tags: friday harbor, orca whales, Orcas, san juan islands, San Juan Safaris, Sea snake, seattle whale watching
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