Departed at low tide and headed south through Cattle Pass.  There was word of Minke's and J-pod out towards Port Townsend.  On the drive out we saw lots of Gulls feeding in bait, which is a good sign for whales.  We arrived on scene about an hour after departing the harbor.  As we slowly approached the area where the Orca had last been spotted a Minke whale took a breath straight off our bow!  It surprised everyone.  While we were still catching our breathes from the Minke encounter...

Left Friday Harbor around 1:30 with reports of Southern Residents in the Strait of Juan De Fuca heading our way.  We cruised down San Juan Channel and out towards the reports hoping to come across them.  The trip out was beautiful with clear views of the Olympic Mountains and glassy, flat water.  It took us well over an hour to reach the area of the last reported whales, but it was well worth the trip.

J-pod was cruising steadily east.  Our passengers were very excited to see...

Heading south through cattle pass we encountered some Harbor Seals as well as a lone Steller Sea Lion swimming south and playing in the current.  Whale rocks also provided us with some very large male Stellers' maneuvering awkwardly on shore.

We then headed into the middle of Haro strait to try and confirm the rumors of J-pod.  Sure enough, in glassy water with very light wind, we saw two orca cruising at the surface.  They were heading west at a pretty steady pace.  After scanning...

Tuesday brought sunny skies and calm water.  We headed north from Friday Harbor with reports of whales in active pass as well as faint vocalizations around Lime Kiln.  We were trying to decide which way to start our search when we heard confirmed reports of J-Pod off Moresby Island.  As we slowly approached the area the whales came in to view.  The passengers on board were ecstatic!  The pod was spread out into smaller groups.  Some were in way close to shore, while another group of...

What a beautiful day!  Our trip started out sunny and even a little bit warm.  We headed out of the harbor and up past Waldron toward East Point.  A passenger spotted a pair of bald eagles as soon as we were out of the slip and harbor seals were hauled out in full force along out trek up north.  Once we got to East Point we would see and hear a huge group of Stellar Sea Lions.  As we drew in closer we were treated to both Stellars and Harbor seals sharing the rock; although divided...

Linking killer whale survival and prey abundance: food limitation in the oceans

This study came out by John K. B. Ford, Graeme M. Ellis, Peter F. Olesiuk and Kenneth C. Balcomb, all highly esteemed whale scientists.

Here is an except:  Resident killer whales are primarily salmonid predators that show strong selectivity for Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), probably because of this species' comparatively large size, high lipid content, and year-round...

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...

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...

San Juan Islands and Mount Baker. Photos courtesy of planetware.com

I am envious of those people that can sit down and power out a blog entry everyday and have it be different, interesting and engaging.  I am finding that as the season grows colder, quieter and slower, I am having difficulty finding the necessary inspiration.  Now, I do not want to give the impression that I am bored or that I in some way am not excited to continue to see the orcas every day.  What a gift it is...

When you cover as much water as we do in a week, it is easy to feel proprietary about the islands and creatures found therein.  We all feel like we know and own the orcas, trees and birds.  We even feel a fondness for the slimy spineless creatures, and who wouldn't when they make up most of the biomass (living bulk) of the ocean?  So, the orcas are fabulous and I could not be happier that we have been continuing to see them everyday, but I think that the invertebrates need some...