Elle | M/V Sea Lion | June 25, 2022 | 2:00PM
This Saturday, lead naturalist Laura, Captain Gabe and I were excited to get out on the water and see what we could see. Before we even left the dock, we saw two bald eagles, one adult and one juvenile circling above us. As we cruised out of Roche Harbor, we got a report from other members of the Pacific Whale Watch Association that there were Bigg’s Killer Whales near Friday Harbor. We found the orcas just south of Friday Harbor. The T65A family was missing one member of their matriline, T65A5, but they were joined by T77D and T77E. T65A4 was feeling very playful! As we moved alongside them, we got to see tail slaps, pec slaps, and porpoising. There were reports that this group had been feeding earlier, so their playful behavior may have been a celebration or just a burst of energy after a nice meal! We moved alongside this group as they made their way through San Juan Channel, past Brown Island. In the distance, a few hundred yards from the rest of the group, we saw T65A3, a big male by himself, surrounded by birds, indicating another kill. On our way back to Roche Harbor we passed Speiden Island and saw another bald eagle perched on a rock in the grass, just below a group of non-native Mouflon sheep which made for some great photos! What a great way to make the most of a beautiful, sunny day!