All summer I have been thinking everyone was pulling my leg telling me that summer just gets nicer and nicer and then September is the best month of the year. I was convinced that it would be 40 degrees and raining by now. I seem to have been mistaken. This week has been the warmest of the year and it has been beyond beautiful on the water.
We left and headed south out of the harbor. Fat seals were lazing on the rocks and Steller's Sea Lions were cruising around on the prowl in Cattle Pass. There were 2 on the north side of Goose Island and then 7 or 8 more in a little posse south of Whale Rocks. There were none out on the rocks. Much like the other residents of San Juan Island, the heat may have been too much for them.
We rounded Cattle Point and started to see blows around Eagle Point. There were definitely K's and maybe some J's heading up the coast. Minutes later they were heading down the coast. They were spread from us in toward the rocks and on the other side, miles out toward the Olympics. Salmon were leaping everywhere and although there may have been some hunting taking place, one group with baby K and several other juveniles seemed to be enjoying a mid-afternoon play session. One juvenile breached about 10 times in a row! It was an awesome day and it was the first day Mike O made it through the whole trip in just a T-shirt. Congratulations Mike.
Laura, Naturalist, San Juan Safaris