Haleigh | M/V Sea Lion | October 6, 2021 | 12:00 pm
There is a plethora of wildlife that can be seen in the Salish Sea. Today’s trip highlighted the many animals that can be seen, especially if we give the trip the time and space to fully develop. We left the dock in search of a reported group of whales traveling. In our pursuit to find them, one of our guests spotted a Humpback Whale traveling across the stern of our boat. It was an incredible find as this whale was barely surfacing above the water and had no real distinct exhalation. By traveling along a new course, we were able to spend ample time with this large baleen whale as it made its way south through the strait.
After some time, we departed in search of more wildlife. Shortly after our guests were able to spot Dall’s porpoises lunging and skidding through the water! It was an incredible sight seeing them move through the rolling waves at such a high speed. From there, we looped around Mandarte Island to hear the squawking cormorants huddled onshore.
On our way back towards Friday Harbor, we slowly motored past the south side of Spieden Island to view grazing Sika deer, Fallow deer and Mouflon sheep. Harbor seals tucked closely near the shoreline away from the crashing tides while Bald Eagles peered from the tree line. The easternmost point of Spieden island was full of large Steller’s Sea Lions roaring towards the ocean.
This full wildlife day really exemplified how much there is to see. All of these animals are dependent on the nutrients that fill these waters and the smaller prey that consume those nutrients. Having a solid base in our food chain allows us to see the many marine mammals that draw people out here and create these memorable experiences like today!