Jordan | July 15, 2018 | M/V Kestrel | 2:00 trip
What a fantastic day out on the water! The trip started out very warm on the docks but as we got going and we created our own wind with the cold sea air surrounding us, people were grateful to have their adventure suits to keep them warm. Captain Mike and I decided to head down south through the San Juan Channel and stopped by Whale Rocks to see the harbor seals hanging out in the sun! It’s very important for the seals to get as much sun time as possible! Because even though they are really well adapted for the cold waters they inhabit, they can still get hypothermia!
Then we headed further southeast towards Admiralty Inlet where we found the Bigg’s (transient) whales! There were about 7 whales from the T37 and T34 pods joined by a huge male, T73B. The whales were traveling so elegantly through the water when suddenly they found something! They all turned toward one spot in the water and were splashing around. Even though we didn’t see any carnage, it looked as though they were sharing food. The whales are a very close-knit family group and they always make sure everyone in the family gets some of the seal!
Afterwards, we found a lovely surprise! We passed by a big buoy at Point Partridge and found sleepy Steller sealions balanced along the rim! These huge marine mammals somehow managed to climb onto the small space all together without tipping it over! Most of their friends are all up in Alaska right now for their breeding season so seeing them was definitely a nice surprise.
Then we headed towards Smith Island and found some adorable puffins! We even saw one take off and fly away! Then we went to Long Island and checked out a bald eagle nest there! It was huge! And there was one juvenile sitting in the tree with his brown speckly head waiting for his parents to return. Then we saw some more seals swimming along the edge of an eddy. As the tides were ebbing into the islands, an eddy was created near the San Juan shore which forced fish right into the area where the seals were waiting for them. It was really nice to see the seals hunting so close to our boat!
Then we headed home, so amazed at all the wildlife we saw today!