Jordan | M/V Osprey | 07/30/2021 5:30pm
Captain Gabe, Olivia, Maxx and I headed out of Friday Harbor filled with optimistic hopes of finding wildlife!
Quickly after we left Friday Harbor, we were happily surprised to find orcas near Lopez Island! We watched as one of my favorite pods, the T65As cruised along the shoreline in search of any prey. The large male, Ooxjaa, swam a bit further out from his family out in the middle of the channel. His huge dorsal fin impressed many on board as the setting sun illuminated his size and made his blows look almost angelic.
I was really happy to see his younger brother Amira looking even bigger than last I saw him. Amira is only just reaching his teenage years and will begin to fully sprout soon. If my guests come back in a few years maybe we can see him swimming side by side with his brother, both with six foot dorsal fins!
The youngster of the group, Callisto, happily swam next to her mother, the Matriach of the pod. We were so lucky to spend quite a bit of time with the family as they led us up towards Orcas Island.
Here, we found harbor seals swimming in the water. They were definitely in the danger zone. And Mount Baker stood gloriously in the background overlooking the whole picturesque scene.
Eventually we headed back, stopping briefly to check out an impressive bald eagle nest and enjoying the sun as it sank lower in the sky.
What a great trip.