Monday August 15th, 2022
Abby Dahl
M/V Osprey 12:30pm
Gabe, Helena, Olivia, and I pulled away from the dock with recreational boat traffic lined up for the fuel dock; a mid-summer reminder that the season end is nearer than we could fathom. With walkies attached to each hip, we navigated our way out of the harbor and introduced the wildlife and ecology of the area to a boat full of new friends.
We veered right through San Juan Channel, southbound to a humpback whale report. The waterway between San Juan Island and Lopez was exceptional. With Shark Reef on our left and Goose Island on our right, we admired the bird colonies and the lighthouse that stood tall against the backdrop of the Olympic Peninsula.
We motored through the Strait of Juan De Fuca until we saw exhalations in the distance, what appeared to be smokestacks on the horizon.
We approached the scene cautiously, maintaining a speed under seven knots as not to disturb the surrounding wildlife and the cetacean within a half mile. We stayed on scene for over 30 minutes, admiring this humpback whale and having great conversations about the Eastern Pacific population of humpbacks that has been gracing our waters more and more every year.
Upon our trek back to Friday Harbor northbound, we stopped to see some bait balls; large groupings of small fish clustered under the water’s surface. Harbor porpoise were spotted travelling parallel to our vessel, and Steller’s sea lions thermoregulated on Whale Rocks. A beautiful end to a glassy, calm day at sea.