[7/31/17 2pm Kestrel]
Today's whale watch on the M/V Kestrel took us all the way out to Anacortes, where a group of killer whales had been reported before we left the dock. We pushed off the dock and motored out of Friday Harbor with 75 degree weather and clear, sunny skies. Our route took us through small, scenic inter-island passageways, where we had the opportunity to observe a whole host of non-whale wildlife along the way.
Our first stop was at the north end of Lopez Island, where a bald eagle nest hung precariously on the edge of a shoreline fir. Atop this massive pile of suspended sticks was a juvenile bald eagle - just as massive as its parents, weighing in at an impressive 8 pounds and stretching 6 and a half feet from wingtip to wingtip. We observed this mottled brown bird for a moment, also taking the time to admire the shoreline flora, including the unique red-trunked Pacific Madrones.
We paused again breifly at a small rocky island, just a mere feet from being a submerged reef. On the southern side of this rock was a whole rookery of harbor seals - hauled out in the sun, enjoying this brilliant summer day just as we were. We watched them as they sat motionless, occasionally shifting slightly to find the perfect sunbathing position, before we moved further east in search of some larger marine life.
We arrived on the scene of the orca sighting with the seaside neighborhoods of Anacortes stretching out before us, Mount Baker looming over them even from 50 miles away. We scanned the surface of the water, waiting for a change in its glassy surface that could indicate a whale was nearby. Soon enough, the surface broke with a symphony of spouts - orcas!
We soon realized that we were surrounded by killer whales. Three distinct groups travelled in the same direction, spread out over a mile between them. The closest group to us was a mom and two calves - the youngest of which was under a year old. Mom (identified as T37B), her newborn calf (T37B2) and 5-year-old son (T37B1) surfaced frequently, moving in a strait line just beside us. We followed this little trio, observing far-off groups as we moved, until all three subsets converged at a set of rocky, seal-filled islands.
Once all 8 whales were together, we quickly realized that we were watching a family reuntion. The T37 family group is comprised of three smaller family groups, each led by a matriarch. T37, being the mom of the two other matriarchs, is the head of the entire family when they're traveling together. We watched as this little reunion took place, cousins and siblings swimming alongside each other, the moms presumably sharing parenting tips as they maneuvered through the water. We stopped our vessel and let them pass us, waiting for another surfacing far from us, heading south down Rosario Strait, before making our way back to Friday Harbor.
We followed the outer shoreline of Blakely Island where we encountered a seal whose feeding had sent a flurry of seabirds into a frenzy, stalking the ocean's surface for clustered baitfish. On our way into Peavine Passage on the south end of Orcas Island we caught a quick glimpse at some harbor porpoise, presumably feeding on the same bait fish as the seal. With a checklist of wildlife behind us and a sunny evening ahead of us, we returned to San Juan Island to enjoy the rest that the island has to offer.
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