This evening we left Friday Harbor with reports of humpbacks down by Victoria. We headed down San Juan Channel into the Strait of Juan De Fuca. On the way out we saw some harbor seals as well as some cormorants. Cormorants are a diving species of bird that we see in this area. They actually have the ability to dive over 100 feet in order to catch fish. We traveled quite a distance but we then found a large group of humpbacks! We were watching a group of 8 humpback whales including a mother and calf pair. Generally baleen whales are considered solitary so it was truly a special sight to see so many humpbacks grouped together. We watched the humpbacks for a while and then headed back towards Friday Harbor. On the way back we got to see a beautiful sunset! It was really a special evening out on the water.
Naturalist Rachel
M/V Sea Lion, San Juan Safaris