Lauren | M/V Sea Lion | October 25, 2024 | 12:30 pm
One of my favorite things about San Juan Island at this time of year is the crisp fall air and the occasional crystal-clear skies. Yesterday was one of those days, where even Mount Rainer was shining as far as the eye could see. The morning whale reports were abundant… everywhere BUT in the inland waters around Friday Harbor. Captain Eric and I prepared the M/V Sea Lion for our long voyage ahead and set sail. We took a right out of Friday Harbor and headed south in San Juan Channel. Our first stop was to slow cruise by Goose Island to look at some hauled our harbor seals. We continued following the San Juan Island coastline around Cattle Point Lighthouse.
The original plan was to follow up on a report of some Bigg’s Killer Whales that were picked up heading northeast towards Middle Bank. As we crossed the Haro Strait we got word from a fellow whale watching vessel that they found some killer whales just north of Discovery Island near the US Canadian border. Serendipitously, we happened to be just a few miles from that exact location. Through photo-identification, we determined the whales found were the Bigg’s Killer Whale family the T036B’s. T065A5 “Indy” was also in the mix. We stayed with these whales as they traveled north through Haro. As we departed these killer whales, we were graced with the presence of another black and white cetacean. One of our guests spotted a small group of Dall’s Porpoise in the distance. Dall’s Porpoise are one of my favorite animals to watch, as they are notorious for bow riding. We slowly approached the Dall’s, but they had disappeared underneath the surface. Just as we were about to give up searching, they appeared right in the wake of our vessel! In my opinion, witnessing a Dall’s porpoise bow ride must be one of the most exhilarating experiences a person can have.
Before ending our circumnavigation of San Juan, we did a quick cruise by Spieden Island and stopped for a glance at some Steller’s Sea Lions at Green Point. This was my only tour of 2024 with bow riding Dall’s – Therefore, it will absolutely be considered for my top 10 trip list of the season!