The bright and glorious sun was out for our wildlife tour this afternoon. In addition to the warm sunshine, we enjoyed sights of Mt. Baker, seen through clouds off in the distance, and calm waters. Right away we spotted harbor seals and two bald eagles on the northeast side of San Juan Island. As we approached Whale Rock, three Northern Sea Lions (also known as Stellar Sea Lions) were observed. Two females were hauled out on the rock and another was swimming around the kelp bed. It is unique to see them this time of year, when so many are up north in Canada and Alaska. We travelled west near Eagle Point (48°26.7577N, 123°00.5170W) when a large dorsal fin appeared belonging to J27 “Blackberry”. Two other males were nearby, J26 “Mike” and J34 “Doublestuff”. These members of J-pod were actively hunting, circling through the water. We saw slapping of pectoral fins and flukes and could hear the splashes. J35 “Tahlequah” and her male calf J47 “Notch” were also foraging for food. It was incredible to see the orcas surface in synchronization and hear their exhalations. As we returned to Friday Harbor, we got another good view of the massive Northern Sea Lions. They looked quite comfortable lounging on the rocks. Many great photos and memories from today!
SJS Naturalist Jenny