If you are looking for a good day, look to visit Friday Harbor (literally- the harbor). On today’s trip, we encountered a humpback whale within 10 minutes of leaving the dock! We watched the whale fluke and dive on numerous occasions, but we soon departed in search of other wildlife for the remainder of the trip. There were more sights to be had on such a clear and beautiful day!
We cruised through the islands with the Olympic Mountain range, the Cascade Mountain range, and Mount Baker all within sight. The waters were calm and visibility was high on this lovely warm day. We soon found ourselves near a rocky outcrop with sunning Stellar’s sea lions and California sea lions, in addition to a bald eagle and harbor seals- all within yards of one another. The California sea lions were barking and unusually flailing their bodies in circles and jumps through the water while the Stellar’s sea lions and bald eagle watched in amusement. Spectacular!
Just minutes away, we came upon two more humpback whales! After photo identification, we found them to be “Divot” and “Split Fin”. These whales had been spotted together for about a week or so. Humpback whales are commonly known as individual travelers, but it is not unusual for them to be seen for short periods of time together in small groups or pairs. Perhaps these guys are enjoying each other’s company for a while.
We motored home with the sun on our backs, and just when we thought we had seen enough, small harbor porpoise made an appearance just out from our boat. It is always a joy to see these magnificent animals and to spend a day in the San Juan Islands!