I feel like I end everyday on the water this season with, "Well, it couldn't get better than today." I am constantly proven wrong. Today was incredible, one of my top 5 lifetime trips, definitely in my top two trips spent with Transient killer whales.
Today was rainy, but beautiful! I love the way the mist hangs in the trees and blankets everything in wonderful gray. To answer the question on everyone's minds: yes, the whales still come out in the rain! I have had excellent days watching whales n both the sun and in the rain...the whales really don't care! We started the day with a lone transient male T049C just north of Stewart Island. He made one very subtle, underwater kill and we watched as gulls swooped in for scraps. We followed this bull for a while before heading off in search of some other wildlife. We rounded Turn Point on Stewart Island looking at some cormorants on the rock face, and admiring the orange bark of madrona trees on the shore. We were then fortunate enough to spot a peregrine falcon roosted on the top of a Douglas Fir. As we motored away from the peregrine, we started to notice some Dall's porpoises in the area, but had gotten a report of some other Transient killer whales, so we continued around Stewart to meet up with none other than the T060 family once again! The family was traveling at a good clip in the direction we had just left... AND THEN THE HUNT WAS ON! We watched as the whales started to pursue some of the Dall's porpoises in the area. The porpoises scattered, splashing away, and then WHAM! T060 launched herself, arching, out of the water with a Dall's porpoise in her mouth! The whales continued to breach and make the kill. This is the first time I've ever seen Transients kill a Dall's porpoise. It was truly an incredible encounter
Naturalist Sarah McCullagh, M/V Sea Lion, San Juan Safaris