Sarah | 10/16/2018 | M/V Sea Lion | 12:00pm
Yesterday’s Classic Whale Watch was one for the books! Captain Brian, Jacob and I too the M/V Sea Lion on her farthest trip yet in search of whales and other wildlife. With a great group of guests, sunny weather, and smooth water conditions we were able to go the distance to share a great array of wildlife with our guests.
We left Friday Harbor with a report of whales way to the west of Victoria, BC, just south of Race Rocks Lighthouse and Ecological Reserve. The whales were originally reported traveling east towards the San Juan Islands, heading into the normal range of our boat. We decided to head that way to see what would happen.
On our way across Haro Strait we had awesome views of the surrounding scenery including Mt. Baker, the Olympic Peninsula, and even a peek at Mt. Rainier on the horizon. We caught glimpses of harbor porpoise all around us, swimming and foraging, and got to see several of our fall seabird species.
As we reached Trial Island, BC we got word that the whales had turned west, away from us. With a deep breath, we decided to go for the extra distance to be able to show our guests orcas! As we traveled through the Strait of Juan de Fuca we found ourselves surrounded by humpback whales: their massive exhalations illuminated by the delicate afternoon sun. These humpback whales are seasonal visitors to our area, hanging out in our nutrient-rich waters t o feed before making their long migration south to have their calves and breed.
As we passed Race Rocks, still pointed west, we got our first looks at tall black dorsal fins, ORCAS! There was a huge spread of Southern Resident killer whales foraging, traveling, and socializing. We got our best looks at J27 “Blackberry,” his sister J31 “Tsuchi,” and K26 “Lobo,” as the whales zig and zagged looking for fish. Southern Resident killer whales are exclusively salmon-eaters, with over 80% of their diet comprised of Chinook salmon.
After our great encounter with the orcas, we headed back towards the San Juan Islands enjoying the late autumn sunshine. As we crossed Mid-Haro Strait we were lucky enough to see some minke whales foraging in and amongst sea birds and harbor porpoise. Minke whales are a small bodied baleen whale, maxing out at right around 30 feet long. These mysterious cetaceans are sometimes difficult to spot due to their cryptic surfacing pattern (normally no visible exhalation, or blow, above the surface) and small hooked dorsal fins.
Overall, we ended up traveling roughly 75 miles over the course of five hours, and saw four species of cetaceans, two species of pinniped, and an amazing collection of seabirds. It was trip that I will not soon forget! Check out the map, below, to see just how far we travelled.
Travel path on M/V Sea Lion on 10-16-2018 Google Maps