Days like today reaffirm why I love my job - as if working out on the water, viewing amazing wildlife, and talking to all sorts of interesting people is a job that needs any reaffirmation - but anyway ... Captain Craig, Naturalist Kathy, a boat full of enthusiastic guests, and I left Friday Harbor aboard the MV Sea Lion and headed back in the direction many people had just come from - travelling, that is, the same route the ferry takes to get to us here on San Juan Island. The southern end of the island was reporting socked in in fog, making for less than ideal viewing conditions. Captain Craig had heard there were whales headed in that direction, but that there was also some orcas out in the Rosario Strait. We decided to head to the reportedly larger group of whales in a less foggy area (seems logical, eh?). As we passed through Thatcher's Pass, a pass between Blakely and Decatur Islands, we started to see whales thrashing and splashing in the distance.
When we arrived on scene, we travelled alongside a large group of animals travelling in a tight group. Whales in this group included Alexis (L12), and some, if not all of her children, including Mega (L41), a 32 year old male. This group turned out to be the whales that earlier had been headed south, but had turned around, apparently to meet up with a large group of orcas slightly to our north. We had some fantastic views of this group as they shifted their travel direction to head over to the other orcas!
After some wonderful views of the L-12 family, we didn't expect our trip could get any better! But, lo and behold the orcas decided to meet up and we witnessed something unique to the resident orca communities, but more common amongst the Southern Resident community - what appeared to be a greeting ceremony! This is where the two groups that are meeting up gather facing one another, then dive, mill, and appear to be greeting one another after some time of being apart. As the whales then began moving southward, they travelled close to shore breaching, tail-slapping, and also doing more cartwheels than I have likely ever seen in one day before.
To make a great day superb, the entire trip was filled with sunshine & smiles.
Ah, life in the islands!
Ashley, Naturalist
Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©