Big Mama the humpback whale was spotted fishing with friends just north of the border today. After marveling at her broad back, knobby head, and impressive blows, we turned around to find another adult and juvenile humpback feeding in the same vicinity. Humpbacks are solitary beasts, but are known to congregate at productive feeding sites. Adult whales spend their day gulping about 3,000 pounds of tiny crustaceans or schooling fish, such as sand lance, surf smelt, or herring. A humpback female will give birth to a 10-foot-long calf every two to three years and nurse it for about one year.
Our guests were pleased to have spotted these majestic mammoths, but were even more excited when I explained that orcas had been spotted in the area and that we were in route to visit them. We had to extend the trip slightly to reach the distant animals, but the journey was worth the wait. North of Tumbo Island, across the Canadian border, we intercepted an especially large congregation of transient killer whales. To be surrounded by so many orcas is an unusual experience, and especially by this ecotype. Transient orcas typically hang out in smaller groups to maintain a low profile as they approach unsuspecting seals, sea lions, and porpoises. It was difficult to choose which direction to look today, however.
Our stay was cut short by the distance that we had to travel on this grey day, and we soon were chasing the Washington state ferry back to Friday Harbor on behalf of our guests. With restless weather, wandering wildlife, vast distances, and great expectations, whale watching can be an unpredictable adventure, but today we lucked out. We had our whales and ferry too!
Andrew Munson
Naturalist, M/V Sea Lion
San Juan Safaris