Today Captain Pete, Kayak Guide Jordan and I headed out on another tour on the M/V Sea Lion. We have been having some excellent weather lately, and it has been a true pleasure to be out on the water. Leaving Friday Harbor we headed North through San Juan Channel towards Spieden Island.
In Spieden channel we had an awesome encounter with some foraging Steller’s sea lions. There were at least twenty of the huge pinnipeds in the water! The animals were surfacing around the very active gulls floating and feeding. Often we use the activity of birds above the water to inform our marine wildlife sightings and spotting. In this case, bird activity was probably indicating an abundance of small baitfish below the surface. We also got a great look at some upwelling currents stirring nutrients up to the surface in the channel. These currents are important because if animals poop or die in the ocean, the “compost” all sinks to the bottom leaving very few nutrients at the surface. Upwelling returns these nutrients to the surface creating vibrant blooms of life.
We continued around the north end of San Juan Island, heading south into Haro Strait, where we encountered some playful Dall’s porpoises. These speedy, black and white cetaceans are well known for their sociable nature, often bow riding and playing in the wakes of boats. We were treated to a few minutes of these amazing creatures interacting with the M/V Sea Lion before they headed away from the boat. We aim to always respectfully view wildlife, so as the porpoises left the boat we made no moves to pursue them. We are visiting them in their environment, and it is best to view wildlife on their terms!
Heading further south we encountered the humpback whale known as BCY0324 “Big Mama” traveling near Discovery Island. The huge, 45+ foot long whale was leisurely feeding and surfacing as we arrived. After about twenty minutes of viewing we were treated to one of the greatest spectacles in the animal kingdom: a humpback whale breaching! Big Mama launched her enormous body out of the water not once, but twice! It is always incredible to see these animals display their athleticism and strength. After a great encounter with the humpback we headed back towards Friday Harbor via the south end of San Juan Island, completing our circumnavigation of the island!
