The beauty of the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea really shone through today, with the sun beaming overhead, bald eagles soaring every which way you looked, and plenty of miraculous killer whales to get excited over. Today we watched some frisky transient orcas that were hanging out only a quick cruise north of Friday Harbor, a bit to the east of Spieden Island. It was absolutely incredible! We came upon two pods of transients that had just that morning come together and were participating in what resembeled a greeting ceremony (this is a tradition of the Southern Residents, rarely witnessed amongst the transients). There was plenty of surface activity and playing, spy hops and breaches, tail lobs, porpoising and pec slaps...almost like the two groups were celebrating being together! Of course, this is speculation, but regardless of what exactly was going on, we got to see these beautiful animals displaying many rambunctious behaviors.
Do you have a favorite whale behavior to watch? I always feel like a little kid at Disneyworld when I get to see a spy hop. It's amazing to see the entire head of the orca lifted out of the water. Sometimes they even lift their whole upper body out! Orcas will do this to take a look at their surroundings, and it often happens during socializing activities and sometimes after they've taken a rest.
Many people list breaching as their favorite behavior to see - we got to see this today too! Typically we'll see them launch out of the water and land on their backs or sides, giving remarkable views of their entire body. It's a relatively unpredictable behavior, but we see it a lot during socializing, and it's more than likely a way for them to communicate and to just have fun!
It's always a treat to see these animals, and especially on days like today, when we get to see surface activity going off the charts. Whether we're out watching our tranisents or our Southern Residents, these animals always keep us guessing and delighted. We're humbled to be out on the water, sharing another beautiful day out on the Salish Sea with our fellow mammals.