We certainly had a cool encounter with some transient killer whales today! First off, the Kestrel is a speedy boat - no getting around it. At a max speed of around 35 knots and a typical cruising speed around 25-30, we can get places on this beauty of a vessel. Life is even better when the water is glassy calm (is this the Salish Sea or a lake?), because then we can really fly! And thank goodness for our speed, because we have a chance to check out some amazing critters out here around the San Juan Islands, near and far. Kestrel really allows us to see things quite far out that other vessels wouldn't have the time or speed to see. So although for us, nachos might cut it as a mid-afternoon snack, these guys were interested only in those seals at this particular moment. No cheddar-topped crunchy goodness for them
That being said, we started the trip off with a viewing of some magnificent transient killer whales, the T65A's. We almost consider these our "resident" transients because we see them on a fairly regular basis, which really allows us to get a good sense of their behaviors, family structure, preferences, and any travel patterns. The trouble with orcas, though, is that it can be so hard to predict their travel patterns. That's what makes each whale watch such an epic adventure, because we never know what we're going to find! The T65A's stayed true to their element of surprise today. We initially saw them hunting harbor seals near the north end of Griffin Bay, moving stealthily through the water. They then started to hug the shoreline as they headed south.
Then the awesomeness of Kestrel really shone through. We were able to slowly leave the scene, head south to search for minkes and humpbacks, cruise along Lopez Island's south shore to see Stellar Sea Lions and bald eagles, and then return to Griffin Bay to see the same pod of transients at a slow, resting travel pace near the south side of the island. No longer hunting, the animals appeared to be enjoying a much-needed break, although they kept us guessing with varying dive times and surface intervals.
Transients are so cool! The fact that these orcas cruise around hunting porpoises and seals is awesome enough, but that they still follow the same cooperative, family-centric social structure that our Southern Residents do is amazing. There's so much to see out here in the Salish Sea, I don't think I'll ever get enough!