Erick | Friday, May 10, 2019 | M/V Kestrel | 11:00AM
Out here as the weather is getting sunnier and warmer, we are starting to run our Adventure Tours aboard M/V Kestrel. Captain Gabe and I took an excited, adventurous group out to find all the amazing creatures in the Salish Sea. We started by going north on the flat, calm waters of San Juan Channel. We made our first stop at Green Point on Spieden Island to see the group of Steller Sea Lions gathered out there. They were sleepily enjoying the wonderful sunshine today until another sea lion tried to climb up on the rocks which incited a loud ruckus from the other sea lions. After leaving those fluffy monsters we continued up north into Boundary Pass and then eventually into the Strait of Georgia we made It all the way up to the mouth of the Fraser River where there was a family of Bigg’s (Transient) Orcas! When we arrived, there was a larger tanker ship heading out. The Orcas decided that riding the wake produced by this large boat was the most fun idea! We watched them porpoise into the wake and jump over it and ride it as they continued towards the northwest. After the tanker left these killer whales continued to porpoise very quickly towards the middle of the Strait of Georgia. As we looked ahead, we could see that another one of their family members was further ahead also swimming very fast in the same direction. It’s awesome to watch them when they are porpoise-ing because their whole bodies come out of the water as they propel themselves speedily forward. This family was identified as the T123’s. This is a great family of a mother and her three children. The orcas that was further ahead of the rest was the oldest son, T123A, whole is almost a fully-grown adult male, the mom, T123 and her two other children, T123C and T123D were porpoise-ing together towards their family member. When I see these whales display this behavior it usually indicates that there is a family of orcas ahead that they have heard and really want to go meet up with, or they are chasing some prey! Prey for this ecotype of orca is marine mammals including Harbor Seals, Steller Sea Lions, Harbor Porpoises, Dall’s Porpoises, Northern Elephant Seals, and Minke Whales! It was so cool to see this family. We eventually headed back through Georgesen Strait, one of the most beautiful places in the islands, and took one more stop at Flattop Island to see a bunch of sleepy Harbor Seals. What another amazing day out here! Whale folks, until next time!
Erick
