Olivia | May 25th, 2019 | M/V Seal Lion | 12:00pm
The weather forecast called for rain, and the Pacific Northwest did not disappoint! With nearly a full boat, most of our passengers (Captain Pete and co- natty, Piper, included) were all dressed up in their rain slickers ready to brave the weather. The great thing about these marine mammals, is they don’t care if its sunny and 75 or pouring rain, they will be just as active. We made sure everyone was warm and cozy with many blankets and the cabin heat turned up, which allowed for smiling faces. As we set out north through the San Juan Channel towards Stuart Island, we came across a solitary Humpback Whale.
These Humpbacks are primarily returning to our productive feeding grounds after their long migration from the Hawaiian Islands, and boy, was this one hungry! They consume up to 3,000 pounds of food a day and can dive up to 30 minutes. Normally in this area we see dives lasting for around 5-7 minutes, while surfacing multiple times for several minutes. However, this guy was very into long dives for feeding which only gave us one or two good exhales to check out. We were not too disappointed, because coming into the same area was a family of Bigg’s Killer Whales!
Still foraging and playing in our area from yesterday was the adorable T65A family group. They are very distinguishable by the 15-year-old male who is in his “sprouting” stage (think awkward, gangly teen) and their young calf. We spent a fair amount of time getting a thrill out of their beauty. You know they stole the show when everyone protruded from the warmth of the cabin to stand in the pouring rain. All the happy faces were my personal highlight along with it. I could not believe the amazing questions I was receiving about their conservation, research, matriarchs, you name it! This curiosity has the power to make an amazing change by coming out and learning how we can positively impact our marine life.
On our route home, we went right past Spieden Island and saw exotic ruminants from Corsica, Europe, and Asia. These Mouflon Sheep, Fallow Deer, and Sika Deer were a HUGE hit with many passengers. Looking down at these hoofed animals, and soaring above the sky, were our Bald Eagles! Their 6-foot wingspan, and sneaky monogamy partnerships provided so much entertainment. We cannot forget about the Harbor Seals lounging on the shoreline. These rock sausages were enjoying their last few weeks of peace before all their pups will be joining us. Come and join our naturalists to learn SO much more and become a part of something bigger than all of us.