Lauren | M/V Osprey | August 26th, 2024 | 12:30pm
“Fogust” has been loud and proud this week in the San Juan Islands. We left foggy Friday Harbor and headed north in San Juan Channel. Our first stop came quick as we noticed a beautiful bald eagle perched on a tree right outside the harbor. We love seeing bald eagles out here as they serve as a reminder that there is hope for species that were once endangered. Bald eagles were de-listed from the endangered species list back in 2007, 35 years after we banned the pesticide DDT. DDT was getting into our waterways and environment, and it was preventing the birds from producing strong eggshells. Resulting in their eggs cracking before their chicks were ready to hatch. Today the Salish Sea is home to 156 nesting pairs of bald eagles, the most mated pairs in the lower 48. How cool!
Our next stop was at sentinel rock in Spieden Channel to get a look at some harbor seals. We cruised out of Spieden Channel and into the Haro Strait. Once in Haro we caught up with Bigg’s Killer Whale family the T075B’s. These whales were tight to shore, cruising around several small islands right outside the town of Sidney on Vancouver Island. A lot of the time when we encounter Bigg’s they are often found swimming near shorelines. This makes sense, as their predominant food source is harbor seals. Harbor seals spend most of their days hauled out on rocky shorelines. The fog and rain intensified as we followed these whales’ northwest. There is something so poetic about watching an apex predator emerge from a moody fog. What a wet and wonderful day.
Interested in seeing pictures from our tours? Check out our SmugMug to see photos from our trips aboard M/V Osprey at https://sanjuansafaris.smugmug.com/.