8/10/22 // MV Osprey // 12:30pm // Helena
As we boarded MV Osprey we could hear booms of thunder in the distance. It was a chilly grey August morning as we waiting for a storm in the southern Strait of Juan de Fuca to blow east. Once we had our final numbers and confirmation of safe weather, we left Friday Harbor with our teeth chattering (okay, maybe just me because I mistakenly wore shorts!).
The crew decided to head north up San Juan Channel as there were reports of orcas near Victoria BC. We spent most of the first hour huddled in the cabin and under cover on the top deck as the rain heavied through Spieden Channel.
Chilly and wet, spirits remained high as Captain Michael expertly drove us through some higher seas across the Haro Strait. The sky began to clear and through the mist that remained we encountered the T137 and T036A Bigg's Killer Whale pods!
The challenging weather of our journey to the Canadian side of the Haro Strait was quickly forgotten as the air filled with gasps of delight. We watched from 200 yards away as this group of 10 orcas breached, tail slapped, belly rolled and porpoised into the current. A large amount of splashes and headstands ensued as the group began to circle in one area. This behavior usually means that these apex predators are hunting for food.
The Bigg's ecoytpe of orca is the marine mammal eating popuation in the Salish Sea. This means this group was likely hunting down a harbor seal, harbor porpoise or potentially a Steller Sea Lion. Depending on their size this ecoytpe will eat anywhere from 150 to 400 pounds of food every day.
Before we knew it, we had to head back to Friday Harbor. It felt like an entirely different day heading back as the sun peaked out and warmed our faces. This visibility allowed us great looks at some bald eagles on the journey home. This was easily one of my favorite days here in the Salish Sea to date!