4th of July is right around the corner and the whales are here to help celebrate! Captain Craig, Andrew, and myself had two great trips today. We started the day off right with brilliant blue skies and not a cloud in sight. Our afternoon trip had a boat full of eager passengers ready to spot some resident orcas. With binoculars at the ready, we cruised along the west side of San Juan Island till we encountered a subgroup of L Pod. The group we watched for the remainder of our afternoon trip included: Spirit, L-22, and her two sons, Skana, L-79, and Solstice, L-89. We watched as this family foraged until it was time to head back in and get ready for our evening trip!
Unlike our afternoon trip, the evening trip had much more tempestuous seas heading south out of Friday Harbor. As we were passing through Cattle Pass, crew and passengers got to experience first hand just how fickle Mother Nature can be. Outfitted with bright yellow rain slickers, and holding on tight to railings, we were ready to brave the high seas in search of L Pod. Once we passed Cattle Pass and made our way up past False Bay, the seas changed dramatically. Gone were the rocky seas, and replaced with glassy water. We were able to watch the same group of L Pod that we saw earlier in the day in smooth seas. Everyone, including the crew, was happy with the change! Instead of heading back into the tumultuous seas, Captain Craig took us north around San Juan Island. This gave passengers a full tour around San Juan Island! It was a great trip to be able to see all of San Juan, and also how drastic the change in seas can be from one location to the next! Aside from my very wet shoes, it was a great day on the water!
Caitlin, Naturalist- M/V Sea Lion, San Juan Safaris