Today in the Salish Sea, the Sea Lion departed North of Friday Harbor from San Juan Island in search of wildlife for Mother’s Day. The sky was scattered with clouds, but the day was quiet and beautiful. Harbor seals were quickly spotted bobbing in the waters outside of the harbor, and sea birds darted into the waters alongside the boat. Into the trip, Stellar’s sea lions were spotted basking (and arguing) on a rocky outcrop jutting from the water’s surface. Being the largest sea lion species in the world, these sea lions weren’t shy about throwing their weight around and exhibiting characteristic aggressive and territorial behavior towards one another. This presented a much more interactive viewing experience compared to watching their usual sleeping schedule.
With our boat surrounded by sea lions, we slowly motored away to the call of a humpback sighting. Moments later, we were upon them! We first stumbled upon Big Mama, an appropriate sighting for Mother’s Day. Just yards away were two more humpbacks, and they frequently were diving in unison, displaying their flukes to our boat. Appropriately, the sun began to break through the clouds and the water reflected bright blue as the whales were slowly breathing and diving together.
With our daily fill of beauty, we decided to break away and motor back to Friday Harbor. Harbor porpoise were briefly seen popping out of the water alongside the vessel, and just as we rounded the corner to Friday Harbor, two bald eagles were seen together flying overhead. The day was a success, and we couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than with whales!