What a season this has been. This is my first year working out on the boats and I love it. I always knew that I would be a good boat person and I am. I have turned into such a wharf rat, it is unbelievable. Even on days that I am not scheduled to be out, that is the only place that I want to be. At the end of the day, if there is still sunlight, then there is still time to be on the water. And it is not just the orcas that have made this such an outstanding experience, even though they definitely help.
No, this summer has been great for the crews on the boats, the staff in the offices, the captains, the guests, the orcas and the wildlife. The weather and the water have been a treat as well, and are what draw me to the boats anytime I have a free moment. It is the swaying of the docks and the shushing sound of the waves on the sides of the boats. Even the distress calls that have arisen this season. Both our own and other boats', like today.
It was a cold and wet day today, but what started out as a trip with no orca reports and a very good chance of no wildlife at all, turned out to be an exciting and invigorating time on the water. One of our fellow whale/wildlife watching boats was in need of assistance, so Capt. Brian, a captain on loan for the day, wasted no time in responding to the call. Luckily the issue was resolved before we got there, but we still took 13 people on to our boat and integrated them into our original tour. Which took a surprising turn for the best, when the formerly distressed boat came across a pod of transient orcas not 2 miles from Friday Harbor, on its way back to port.
Well, that was a boon for us. So we quickly changed direction and had a wet, but wonderful time with the orcas that are labeled as the T19s. There were 5-6 of them spread out and swimming every which way, but we did our best and offered our guests all that we had in terms of knowledge and expertise. The afternoon was a success and the visitors on the M/V Sea Lion could all say that they had seen orcas and been part of a high seas rescue!
Capt. Brian and Lauren were great and I thank them for the job that they did today. I would also like to thank all of our original guests for being so understanding and accommodating when we responded to the distress of our fellow boater. And to all of the people that joined us later, thank you for your enthusiasm and we were happy to have you aboard.
So, from all of us at San Juan Safaris, to all of you out there, thank you and we will...
See You In The Islands!
~Tristen, Naturalist
Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©