Is fall finally arriving to the San Juans? Seems like it! We had our first big rainfall in several weeks today, which is great, because we've had a very dry summer, and I'm sure our plant life could use some love! We felt like absolute royalty on Kestrel in our big, protective exposure suits, especially with all of the wet weather. But even though the sky might've been a bit gray and ominous, the sea conditions were great, and a little rain wasn't going to stop us! Plus, there were reports of tranisents in San Juan Channel, minutes away. We were off, zippers up to our chins, hoods drawn, and stoked smiles of anticipation on our faces.
I just love when there are killer whales right in San Juan Channel! Today, the T99's and T36's were out and about, swimming south along the east side of San Juan Island, and what a sight to see! One family pod was hugging the shoreline, and the other was cruising several hundred yards off shore. Spyhops, tail slaps, some predation behaviors...all epic events we were able to witness. The rain couldn't crush our enthusiasm, and it certainly didn't affect the orcas' activity levels! The transients didn't seem to be quite as elusive and cryptic as they are often known to be, so to see them travel, hunt, and play with such energy was the cherry on top of an already serendipitous sighting.
But the day kept getting better. On a quick jaunt down south to check out Whale Rocks just south of Lopez, we saw several massive Stellar Sea Lions hanging out, soaking up - not sunshine today - but a nice little rain shower! And let's be honest here, a little shower wouldn't hurt them...these guys aren't known for their particularly happy odors. But it was fun to watch them crawling around on the rocks, swimming through the churning waters looking for food, and barking at each other. Several pelagic cormorants and various gull species were perched there on the rocks as well, most likely also being entertained by the antics of these chunky pinnipeds.
And then....minke whales! I always love going out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca to try and spot these elusive baleen whales. Without a visible blow and with very quick breaths, these animals are seen only sporadically at the surface, but today, the water was flat calm and we were able to get several wonderful visuals of these funny little whales. And although we eventually had to jet off back towards Friday Harbor, we were treated to a second viewing of the transient whales we had spotted earlier. An absolute dream day!
Transients in San Juan Channel Hey T's! Check out my tail!