The arrival of fall brings a lot of changes to the Salish Sea and the San Juans. Garry Oaks start to turn rusty brown, the air cools and the wind picks up, and seabirds start morphing into their winter plumage. Fall also brings the arrival of new species that spent the summer busy in the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. Amongst these are the Dall's Porpoise, a small black and white cetacean known for its social nature.
We had already circumnavigated most of San Juan Island, stopping here and there to view birds, seals, sea lions, and harbor porpoises, when we stumbled across a small pod of Dall's porpoise unexpectedly, and just offshore from Lime Kiln Lighthouse! However, when we arrived, we noticed one of the porpoises was significantly larger than the others, and more gray and speckled than black and white. It was a hybrid!
Occasionally Dall's and harbor porpoises will intermix and produce a hybrid offspring. A hybrid is defined by its inviability, and cannot reproduce itself. Hybrid Dall's tend to be larger than both of their parents, nearing an impressive 6 feet in length!
We scooted around this small pod of Dall's, getting amazing looks at about a dozen animals as they playing in the water, showing off their impressive speed and maneuverability. Being the fastest cetacean, Dall's porpoises can swim at speeds of up to 33 nots!
Whale watching in the San Juans is always an exciting journey. Every day and every season bring new sightings, rare animals, and amazing scenery. There is wildlife abound in this area, even after the tourists have headed home for the season!