Elle | M/V Kestrel | 9/24/2022 | 2:00PM
Today's adventure tour started in Friday Harbor. From there, we headed south in San Juan Channel. We made our first stop at Goose Island in Cattle Pass. This island is surrounded by bull kelp, an essential part of the ecosystem here in the Salish Sea, and one of the fastest growing organisms on earth. Attop the island sat dozens of stick nests made by double-crested cormorants. After some great looks at these deep-diving birds, we prepared for a long transit across the Strait of Juan de Fuca towards Victoria. Eventually, we started to see exhalations from a few miles away. We came onto the scene with humpback whales! These whales are making a quick stop to get some last gulps of food before they fast on their migration south to Mexico and Hawaii. Humpbacks used to be listed as Endangered, they were nearly hunted to extinction. Luckily, their population has recovered and were de-listed. Seeing three humpback whales in one trip is rare and a special reminder of a conservation success. Once we headed back towards San Juan Island, we stopped to look at some Steller's sea lions splashing around at Whale Rocks. What a great day in the Salish Sea!