Jordan | M/V Kestrel | 07/18/19 | 11:00am
What am amazing morning! Captain Brian and I took the Kestrel out of Friday Harbor and headed towards reports of orcas! We boated south of Shaw Island across the south shores of Orcas Island, intertwining through Peavine Pass and then up Rosario Strait.
We stopped by some tiny islands called Peapod rocks where we found some seals! These harbor seals basked in the sunlight as they dried themselves from their watery hunting adventures. You had to look carefully because they were well camouflaged!
We boated a bit further north and found orca whales! This beautiful pod travelled north as we slowly found ourselves boating parallel to them. The pod swam closely together as they meandered through the currents listening for any prey that might have been nearby.
There was a tiny baby in the group, playfully showing his tail a couple times as he swam close to his mother and siblings.
The huge male of the group towered nearby as he also swam close to his mother. What a huge mama’s boy! Together, this family will be sticking together for their entire lives!
The whales then disappeared around a small island, so we decided to meet them on the other side. But, along the way we spotted a beautiful bald eagle perched in a tree!! We boated closer and watched as he scanned the water for prey. Suddenly, he leapt out of the tree and soared through the sky. We really got a good look at his 6-foot-wide wingspan!
Then, we met back up with the whales and saw them potentially resting. Did you know that whales sleep throughout the day and the night? They just rest whenever they feel the need!
Eventually we turned around and headed back home with hearts full of happiness! Very successful day!