Abby | M/V Sea Lion | 8/7/2021
Captain Pete and I pushed off the dock, sun beaming through the morning clouds and drizzle that covered the island. Moving through the mist that morning was like moving through the breath of a whale on a foggy fall day, a glimpse of what was to come.
We headed north through San Juan Channel, past Yellow Island, and rounded the corner by Orcas Island to see exhales dot the surface, close to the rocky shoreline. We had three teenagers off our bow:
- Jude T049A2 (Male, 2007)
- Neftali T077C (Male, 2006)
- Alysion T077D (Female, 2009)
Three spry teenagers
Zigzagging along the shore
Curious for more
There they swam, parallel to our vessel, aptly named Sea Lion. Even as teenagers, their sheer size impressed the lot of us standing by in disciplined focus to see another breath. We were generously given an hour to spend with these three beautiful creatures.
After seeing our “orcaward” teenagers, we rounded the southern tip of Spieden Island in time to see moufflon sheep, fallow deer, sika deer, bald eagles, and harbor seals. It was truly a spectacular day of wildlife viewing; a full, well-rounded trip. This is why I love and live for foggy prefaces.