Orcas are so amazing - they have one of the most complex social structures of any mammal species out there. We get to see this in action on many days out here, and some days (like yesterday!) we get really lucky. We were able to see members of K and J-Pod spread out along the west side of San Juan Island, alternatively foraging, traveling, and playing with each other. The viewings of these beautiful animals kept getting more and more exciting from the moment we arrived on scene. One large male, Cappucino, that cheeky rascal, came to check us out and gave us a mind-blowing view of his eye! What a stunning experience, and a real reminder of just how large these big dolphins are, especially the males! At 30 feet long and around 15,000 pounds, with a 6 foot dorsal, it's humbling to see these creatures up close.
M/V Sea Lion had the chance to circumnavigate San Juan Island today on our tour, which is always a visual treat! After swinging down south once outside of the harbor, cruising by Griffin Bay, and checking out some massive Stellar Sea Lions on Whale Rocks, we curved west and hugged the southwest shoreline up to False Bay, where we spotted our first orcas of the day. These looked to be members of K-pod, and yowsers, these guys were moving fast! They appeared to be on a mission, and because they were the trailers of the group, we speculated that they had stopped to forage for salmon a bit earlier in the morning and were now feeling content and ready to catch up with the rest. We continued north to view some of the whales in the middle of the group - we caught up with Cappucino, Doublestuf, and other members of K and J-pod alongside of Lime Kiln, spreading north to the Kellet Bluffs of Henry Island.
This is where things took a turn for INCREDIBLE. I love these animals, and am always excited about any opportunity to view them, but today was one of the most action-packed, awe-inspiring days I've had this season. We saw a little bit of everything, from spy hops, to intense family "cuddle puddles," to tail slaps and belly rolls. We even had the opportunity to hear some surface vocalizations from a few of the younger whales, which is truly an experience. You begin to understand just how complex and fascinating the "language" of these killer whales truly is! They were all just rolling around, splashing, playing with each other, enjoying each other's company, and possibly enjoying the beautiful day just as much as all of us onboard the Sea Lion!
We were so enraptured with these animals that is was difficult to have to turn the boat and head towards home, but what an absolute treat of a day. The pictures don't do it justice, but please enjoy. We love our Southern Resident Killer Whales!
Hey guys, wanna hang out? Here me squeak! Look at that eye patch! "Pretty nice up here." Beautiful male dorsal