Jordan | M/V Kestrel | 06/15/19 | 10:30 and 3:00pm
Today was such a gorgeous day out on the water! The sky was completely cloudless as the sun shone bright overhead, making guests hesitant to put on our giant exposure suits. But, they quickly figured out that even with the sun, it was cold out on the water! Captain Gabe and I and our new friends jumped on the Kestrel and sped off towards adventure.
We headed north through the San Juan Channel, immediately on the lookout for any wildlife, especially whales! We passed by the north side of Speiden Island and spotted our first animal, the bald eagle! One giant bird sat perched in a pine tree near the shoreline as we appreciated its nonchalant elegance.
Then we continued and spotted some mouflon sheep! These exotic animals climbed among the rocks as they searched for freshwater springs.
A little further away among huge kelp forests was a group of harbor seals perched on a tiny rock mostly submerged in the water! It looked as though they were standing on water! They were very cute as they flopped awkwardly across the wet rock. The surrounding kelp forests provided a shelter against any possible orcas trying to use echolocation to find and hunt down the seals.
Then we headed through John’s pass, passing by a kid’s summer camp with kayaks at the ready along the shoreline. We even passed a recreation of a Native American long house.
Then we headed further north across Boundary Pass, into Canadian waters! Hurray for international traveling! Eventually, after some searching, we came across two humpback whales! These massive animals were so fun to watch as their 20-foot blows spewed out of the water. You could actually hear their breath! At one point we all were watching the shoreline of Saturna Island, expecting to see them appear when suddenly we heard their explosive exhalations behind us! It made everyone jump. One of the whales consistently showed us its 15-foot-wide tail as it took a deep dive, while the other kept teasing us with a big arching back. Eventually, they were identified as “Stich” and “Divot!”
After enjoying many rounds of picturesque dives, we headed back home. We passed Turn Point lighthouse and the south side of Spieden Island and eventually made it back with happy hearts.