Another sunny day on the Sea Lion! As we boarded the boat, we received news that orca whales were spotted north near Vancouver. Communicating with the other whale watching vessels helped inform our crew that the whales were actually heading closer to us near Saturna Island. The excitement on the boat stirred like the nutrients upwelling in the currents of the Salish Sea.
We spotted three members of our Southern Resident orca community when we arrived at Monarch Head. There was a female orca traveling with a subadult and a calf. Our good luck continued when we saw one of the whales breaching about 200 yards away, giving us a great view of its glossy belly. As we followed the whales south we identified the male orca J-26 "Mike". This 19 year old juvenile was given his nickname after the whale researcher Mike A. Bigg who passed away in 1991.
Our next stop was Turn Point on Stuart Island. Captain Mike stopped the boat and I lowered our high-tech hydrophone into the water, enabling our lucky crew to hear the whales communicating. Listening to their serenading vocalizations made for one of the most peaceful days I have experienced on the water. Sunkissed and blissed we returned back to Friday Harbor.
Sally, Naturalist