7/21/22
MV Kestrel
2pm
Helena
We journeyed north up San Juan Channel following reports of wildlife in Boundary Pass. With the base of Mount Baker off our starboard side, the group was buzzing for the potential of what we might encounter!
Captain Michael slowed down first at the Cactus Islands through New Channel. This serene area east of Spieden Island was perfect for viewing some Harbor Seals and their newborn pups! There are nearly 40,000 individual harbor seals in the Salish Sea and they are at what biologists consider carrying capacity. This means there are plenty of small schooling fish to sustain this robust population and this high number of seals sustains our marine-mammal eating population of orcas, the Bigg’s Killer Whales. We found these pinnipeds thermoregulating in that classic banana boat shape along the rocky shoreline of the Cactus Islands.
Once we bid adieu to these fun friends, we continued north up New Channel. It was not long before we encountered our sister ship, MV Sea Lion, on scene with a Humpback Whale!
There are two main types of whales in the world: baleen and toothed whales (otherwise known as odontocetes). The humpback is a baleen whale and is a filter feeder, using its long keratin baleen plates to catch small school fish on long dives. The Salish Sea is the humpback’s feeding ground, traveling from the coasts of Hawaii and Mexico to spend their summers with us! We observed this large cetacean take several long dives, giving us fantastic fluke tale looks for nearly 30 minutes.
And just when we thought the afternoon couldn’t get more exciting, MV Sea Lion reported sightings of a family pod of Bigg’s Killer Whales off of Mandarte Island. Captain Erick and Naturalist Abby, you two are stars!
We slowly left the scene with the humpback and journeyed south to catch a glimpse at this pod that consists of four individuals:
- T069 “Komox” (F) b. ~1974
- T069C “Kye” (M) b. 1995
- T069E “Kodiak” b. 2004
- T069F “Kin” b. 2010
Just as I fastened our “Be Whale Wise” flag to our stern, gasps filled the boat as Kye spy-hopped into the air!! Spyhopping is a behavior in which a whale propels its nose and eyes up out of the water. His white belly seemed to illuminate the afternoon and I couldn’t contain my excitement!
We took in this pod’s thrashes, zig zags and and splashes for 20 minutes and chatted about this ecotype of orca’s distinctions in behavior, size, genetic and hunting preferences. Before we knew it, it was time to head to Friday Harbor. As the wind whipped at our tired faces, I took in the shorelines and tree tops in amazement. There truly is no place like the Salish Sea!