A week from tomorrow, we are finally getting back on the water! We are running a special Valentine's Day Wildlife Tour and cannot wait to feel the cool breeze aboard the M/V Sea Lion. Even though we are not in Southern Resident Killer Whale season, we hope that transients will be in the waters around San Juan Island. While the SRKWs do sometimes enter the sound in the winter months, it is transient orcas that are spotted the most during this time of year. Transient orcas do not migrate or have a set travel path, so it is always possible that they are traveling in our waters. A single transient has been spotted in Alaska, then Washington, and continuing down the west coast of North America. Wherever the food is plentiful, the orcas will go. Thankfully, our harbor seal population is thriving here in the Salish Sea. Harbor Seals are the preferred food source for transient orcas consisting of 60% of their diet. We cannot wait to enjoy seals, sea lions, eagles, and all the sea birds and we hope orcas make an appearance next weekend!
Naturalist Emily