Yesterday's trip....I just have to blog about this one! It was a warm, sunny September Sunday. The Resident Killer Whales (or Orcas) were moving south from Rosario Strait around Lopez Island. We came through Cattle Pass and were ahead of the Orcas, so we positioned ourselves offshore of the whales so we could parallel them in Haro Strait off the south end of San Juan Island. A tight group in the lead, maybe 6 to 8 Orcas including J1 (Ruffles). Love that big guy! Then a single Orca K12 (Sequim) swimming; a few hundred yards behind her was K11 (Georgia) who was rolling on her side swimming just beneath the surface. Next in the parade was most of Skagit's (K13) family.
Now I get really excited about baby Orcas...which anyone on the boat would know by my enthusiastic squeals! We had a great look at little 1-year-old K42 with older brother Lobo K26 (his dorsal fin is huge) and sibling K36, mom K14 and aunt K16...I'm assuming 7-year-old K35 (Sonata) was there as well. The family was changing direction a bit...a lot of Orcas seemed to be foraging off of South Beach. Then we were surprised by J26 (Mike) who was swimming near mom J16 (Slick) with 2 year-old J42! They caught us off guard with an underwater directional change and it was too late for us to move out of the way. (It is illegal to have your transmission engaged within 100 yards of an Orca in Washington State.) So remaining shutdown, so as not to create any excess noise or risk disturbing the Orcas, we waited until they were far enough away to start up. The water was so calm and clear we had the special treat to view Mike underwater as he swam by. It is not everyday that we see this. Very awe-inspiring to watch an Orca gracefully swim underwater, then surface to breathe. Wow.
We left all feeling a little humbled by the experience. It was time to move on to view other wildlife. At the south end of Lopez Island we were able to see a myriad of gulls....Heermann's, Glaucous-winged, Ring-billed, and others I have yet to master identifying. Lots of sleek Cormorants & Common Murres. At Whale Rocks there were close to 2 dozen male Stellar Sea Lions hauled out and around the corner, dozens of Harbor Seals. A convenient look where we could compare differences between these species. What a day!
With the weather prediction to be warm and sunny this week, I'm sure our upcoming trips will be just as beautiful!
Don't forget your sunscreen,
Jaclyn Van Bourgondien, naturalist
Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©