[May 31, 2017 -- M/V Kestrel -- 2:00pm Charter]
One of my favorite things about M/V Kestrel is that with its speed our trip gains flexibility in wildlife viewing. Yesterday we left the dock with favorable reports of killer whales, but, because of the boat we were on, we got to see so much more.
We first cruised north through San Juan Channel towards Flattop Island. In circumnavigating the small wildlife refuge we got awesome looks at Pacific Harbor Seals hauled out on the rocks. These small pinnipeds are incredibly camouflaged in the rocky intertidal zone, blending in almost completely with the rocks. We also had looks at the geology of the area on the north face of the island and some great seabirds!
After leaving Flattop we sped over towards the Cactus Islands on the north side of Spieden Island. Looking up in the trees we found an eagle’s nest: these impressive structures can be over six feet deep and weigh over a ton! We also explored the bull kelp forests around the islands. Kelp forests are analogous to rainforests in terms of biodiversity supported, providing habitat to teeny-tiny invertebrates all the way up to large seals and sea lions hiding from killer whales.
We continued south towards Haro Strait where we had a relaxing encounter with J Pod, members of the Southern Resident Community of killer whales. We had excellent looks at the whales as they socialized, fished, and traveled north against the ebbing tide. The orcas were in tight-knit groups surfacing in synchrony. Perhaps the best part of yesterday was seeing L87 Onyx travelling beside J27 Blackberry. We have all been worried about the big guy after his constant companion, J2 Granny passed away over the winter. It is so nice to see him still with the Js!
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