Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | May 24, 2022 | 2:00 pm
Today was a classically gray Pacific NorthWest day for our Classic Whale Watch and Wildlife tour. We left the harbor excited, knowing a Humpback Whale was spotted just North of Friday Harbor. As we approached the scene, guests on our vessel had their heads on a swivel in search of the cetacean on a long dive. Eventually we heard blows off the starboard side of the vessel and had our first looks at the massive hump making its way through the surface of the water. For almost an hour, we cruised alongside this sleepy Humpback Whale. The whale moved through the water slowly with dive times around 2 minutes during each set. With calm waters all around us, we all enjoyed this peaceful encounter with the Salish Sea’s largest marine mammal.
We continued our wildlife tour in search of more critters known to be in the area. We quickly came across a pair of Bald Eagles! Their stature and bright white head distinctly stood out against the backdrop of Flattop Island. On the neighboring island known as White Rock, another pair of Bald Eagles stood atop a large haul out of Harbor Seals! From here, we watched as Harbor Porpoises quickly made their way along the current lines.
We made our way through the Cactus Islands, a tucked-away wildlife spot, and eventually wrapped around the south end of Spieden Island. Herds of Mouflon Sheep grazed on the newly green vegetation. Along the shoreline, we spotted two river otters scurrying from the rocks into the water! Right as we prepared to turn towards Friday Harbor, we saw the enormous head of a Steller’s Sea Lion burst above the water, huffing and puffing. Glaucous-winged Gulls immediately flocked towards to pick off the bits and pieces of the fresh fish caught by the Sea Lion. With our engines shut off, we spotted one, two, and three more Steller’s coming up for air all around our boat. They would dive back down in search of food and return to the surface successfully, with a flopping fish in their mouth.
I’m always amazed and impressed with the wildlife in the Salish Sea. There is so much to discover if you are able to take the time and patience to scan all the waterways and remain curious. The weather may have been grey, but the wildlife brought the sunshine to my day!