I wake up Friday morning to pouring rain outside my window.  Who would go whale watching today?  I WOULD!  By noon the sky is clearing and the promise of a beautiful afternoon is ahead of us.  With a positive minded group of passengers…they left home in the rain…we head north spurred on by a report of whales heading north!

Haro Strait is calm today, the sun appears, and as our eyes scan the water we see three big fins, appearing ahead of a tug and tow, pointed north!  This turns out to be a wonderful family group of five whales, one being a large adult male!  We watch this group travel up the strait marveling at their size and grace.

There are more whales coming up from the south so we decide to dodge over and check out some Dall Porpoise by the lighthouse.  They are so fast!  These distant “cousins” of the Orca disappear in the swirling currents.  We catch them with our eyes, but no encore performance for our cameras.

But wait!  Seabirds off the starboard bow!    Rhinocerous aukets bob near the boat.  We can see the fancy breeding plumage and even the tiny “horn” feature on the beak.

Such fancy outfits!  This relative of the Tufted Puffin is a real head turner today!

A little further over on the rocky cliff of Stuart Island we are surprised by Pelagic Cormorants nesting.  I haven’t seen this area used in the last few years, but today there are the beginnings of nests appearing on narrow ledges and indentations in the wall face.

While we are busy with some of the other amazing wildlife in the Salish Sea, more members of J Pod and a few K Pod whales, and finally some L Pod whales appear.  We are lucky today!  It is early in the season for whales of all three pods to be together here, but then it’s wildlife and part of the fascination is you never know exactly what you will see or what will be happening!

On our way back to Friday Harbor we come across Steller sealions hauled out in full “soak up the sun” pose.  This is the largest of the sealions and there is no mistake about that today!

A spectacular ending to a spectacular day!

Today was another day on the water that again reminded us that we just never know what is going to happen during our adventures.  Every day is an unexpected surprise.
We had several nice families on the boat today including a family of three with an adorable nine-year-old young lady. The favorite sea animal of this little girl just happened to be orcas. Imagine how surprised she was to find out that she would be out on a boat searching for them for the afternoon - something her parents didn’t tell her until they checked in for the trip! She was over the moon with delight! However, we didn’t yet have any orca sightings reported for the day. We all hoped for the best as we left the dock.

We motored north through San Juan Channel. We spent some time around Spieden Island and were able to see some incredible, massive Steller sea lions, bald eagles, and the exotic wildlife that reside on the island. We motored over to Mandarte Island in Canada to check out the nesting cormorants that make this island home during the summer months. We were able to see some wonderful little harbor porpoise off Turn Point Lighthouse and some cute harbor seals sunning themselves near the Cactus Islands. We were having a fabulous trip as far as wildlife was concerned, but still no orca reports. It was getting late in the day. Time to head back to Friday Harbor…UNTIL! Captain Craig suddenly made a U-turn and we quickly picked up speed. I popped up to the wheel house to find out what was going on. Oh EXCELLENT! Orcas had just been sighted at Kelp Reef which was only a few miles away from us. Last minute luck smiles on us yet again! I made my way back outside to tell our guests what was happening. All were very excited and the nine-year-old orca fan beamed with joy.

After about 15 minutes, we caught up with the whales. We observed the group of transient (mammal-feeding) orcas travel north in Haro Strait on glassy calm waters. We could hear the whales breathe as they surfaced for air and we even saw a few youngsters playing around with one another.

On the way back to the harbor we were all very content…especially the nine-year-old. As I said before, today was a great example that we never know what is going to happen when we venture out on the water! Last minute luck!

The weather in the San Juans can be misty and grey….it’s the Pacific Northwest.  It can also be suddenly sunny and almost warm…even in April.  It’s the Pacific Northwest!

Friday we leave the dock at noon and head out with a confirmed sighting of our Southern Resident Orca whales!  Yay!  This is my first encounter for the season with the Residents and I am anxious to see my old friends.  The sun appears and our group enjoys flat water and a very light breeze as we float off South Beach and see part of J pod head south…no…wait…head north!  No…wait…   They are very busy with the business of being whales, most likely checking out big areas for a great salmon dinner.  What a grand afternoon in the company of  whales.

The Steller sealions were big ,bold and brazen on Whale Rocks.  Hard to imagine in less than a month they will be enroute to the breeding grounds and these rocks will look empty in comparison to today.

We spot an adult Bald eagle over on Long Island and after careful inspection we see another adult sitting in the nest!  This is great news as perhaps we’ll spend the summer watching the events that lead up to eaglets fledging.

A wonderful day on the water!

Saturday seems as if it’s going to be a little more of a challenge as we have no confirmed sighting as we leave the harbor.  The afternoon is a wonderful one filled with 10 Bald eagles swooping down to the water’s surface, making a quick “grab” and soaring up with something clutched in just one foot.  Then they continue to fly while consuming the prey in flight!

Right in the midst of watching this incredible hunt, the news arrives:  Orca whales in the opposite direction!  Off we go!

A 30 minute run takes us to the south end of Lopez Island where Transient Orca whales swim swiftly along the shoreline.  They are on long dives today and it takes vigilant watching to make sure we keep our distance.  Who knows where the whales will appear next!?

Today there is one large male, T-49 C.  He has two large nicks in the trailing edge of his massive fin.  He is in the company of at least three females and a youngster or two.  Almost  appearing  ”lazy,”  they slow down and slip along the rocky shore.  Then, suddenly, they are on the move out into more open water!

Time flies when you’re….watching whales…and as the hour we’ve been here comes to a close, we watch as they glide by us and out into Haro Strait toward the Olympic mountain range.

Our trip home takes us by Harbor seals and Bald eagles.  A Steller sealion surfaces in front of us with a two foot dog fish in his mouth!  One big shake and he snaps it in two.  The first half disappears down his throat and as a gull dives for scraps, the sealion comes us with the head of his prize in his teeth.

A beautiful day on the water.  A fantastic whale and wildlife cruise.  I remind myself, each day there is the opportunity to see things that are unusual, a first for the season, or a first for life!

~Nan

Today we had a very appropriate Earth Day present - J and K pods decided to visit! We had an absolutely delightful afternoon on the water with the whales as they rested in large groups while traveling north in Haro Strait. We were also able to see lots of other wildlife such as harbor porpoise, bald eagles, harbor seals and Steller sea lions! The weather was gorgeous (which is always a welcomed treat in the rainy spring Northwest) and it’s days like this that make us very thankful that we are able to spend time in this incredible place!

Who would choose Friday the 13th to head out on a whale watch cruise?  Who would dare?

We leave the dock at twelve noon straight up!  Seventeen passengers, Captain Nancy and Naturalists Nan and Chris are crewing today.  This is my second day back on the water this season.   I’m excited to see what wildlife we can spot, I’m excited to be out on the water on this beautiful sunny and warm April day, and I’m excited to share the magic of the San Juan Islands with guests from  places far… like Holland and Belguim, and near… like Longview, Washington!

We start our adventure by heading up San Juan Channel, scanning the surface of the water for birds, porpoise, dolphins, seals, sea lions and whales.  Today we are leaving without an orca “report” so the game is on from minute one!

At Green Point we find this incredible Steller sealion busy with lunch.  But what’s on the menu?  We can’t quite figure it out.  Perhaps part of a skate?  Or maybe a little piece of what was a huge fish?  Pieces of prey are being thrown in the air, then picked up again for more big gulps of this delicious diet item!

We continue along the edge of Spieden Island to watch the Mouflon sheep and the young lambs as they graze on the hillside.  Harbor seals pop their heads up here and there as they cruise the shoreline.  A majestic Bald eagle perches on one of the tallest trees on the shore…looking carefully we can see the nest right below.  The questions is…are there eggs in the nest?  The answer is: wait and see.  No telling today.

Haro Strait brings us great views of Dall’s porpoise, which is a special gift for one gentleman with us today.  His great grandfather had this species of porpoise named in his honor!

How can the day get better?  We continue our scanning to search for “any thing of interest” on the water.  Of course, our hopes are centered on Orca whales, but no sightings yet.

As our Friday the 13th cruise is ending we have seen wonderful sights.  We are approaching the harbor and the cell phone rings!  It’s Tracy, one of our Naturalists and she is calling from the ferry.  They have just spotted 5 or 6 Orcas!!  But wait!  It gets better!  They are not too far from us…just around the “corner” so to speak.  Captain Nancy puts the throttle forward and off we go!  It took an extra hour and no one seemed to mind because we had a wonderful experience viewing Transient Orca whales searching for prey!  My  favorite phrase is more favorite some days:  ”It’s never over until it’s over!”

What a wonderful day on the water with a true  surprise ending!

~Nan

Well, the spring has been in a word–exciting!  We started the year in March again, and in the 7 trips we have run, we’ve had whales for 5 of them!  And we’ve had amazing wildlife for all seven trips.

So far, our encounters with whales have been Transient orca encounters.  Transients are the mammal-feeding orcas (you know, they prey on seals, sea lions, porpoises–things with cute faces), and it seems we’ve had so many different groups!  Some of these groups we’ve never seen before, or at least we haven’t seen them in quite some time.

Photo courtesy of Katie Jones

Photo courtesy of Katie Jones

The wildlife on Speiden Island have been amazing!  With spring comes the arrival of the new baby mouflans, the baby fallow deer.  All the while in the amazing green colors of spring!  The bald eagles have been really recovering nicely in the last few years, and on one trip we spotted 14 eagles all in one area!

An early-spring treat has been viewing the Steller Sea Lions.  These big boys (nearly 2,000 pounds and 10-12 feet in length) arrive in late fall and usually head back to the rookeries to be with the females by the end of May.  They’ve been hanging out at Greenpoint on Speiden Island, sometimes playing gregariously in the water, other times sunning themselves on the beach (and the occasional dust-up over territory).  These guys are amazing to see.

The Dall’s porpoises have been a bit elusive so far for 2012 (maybe because there are so many Transients in the area?), but when we’ve found them, they have been very beautiful to watch!  Here’s a short clip of one of these fantastic swimmers:

Dall’s Porpoise Plays with Western Prince II

If this spring is any indicator, this year promises to be a fantastic wildlife year!  Of course, any sunny day out on the water is worth the trip!

JB

Wow!  Wow!  Wow!  First trip for 2012 is now on the books, and it lived up to a first-day-of-the-season trip for sure!  We left the harbor with overcast skies and the sun starting to peak out for the first time in days.  We had no reports of whales from today, and yet we were hopeful that something would turn up.  And it did!  As we were scanning Boundary Pass, we got a call that a group of Transients were just below Pender Island, so off we went.  Soon we could see a group of what appeared to be 8-9 Transient Orcas!  They must have just made a kill as there were lots of seagulls around, and the whales were milling about and playing a bit.  So we dropped the hydrophone just on the off-chance they might vocalize a bit.  And the vocals were stunning.  So many whistles and clicks, almost Resident-orca-ish!  Lots of surface percussive behavior.

Then the lone big male (that was later ID’d by Dave Ellifritt from the Center as T12A) had a huge breach!  His huge pectoral fins and wavy dorsal fins were very reminiscent of a certain J Pod whale.

We continued to watch these very active whales continue east towards Monarch Head and wondered who they were.  Turns out they were the T109As and the T124As.  After rounding Monarch Head, they proceeded into the bay behind it (which I’ve rarely seen whales do).

Soon they were passing by us and heading East, so we continued back towards the islands.  And we were treated to by a very close fly-by by a bald eagle, who circled our boat repeatedly!  Lots of harbor seals enjoying the full-on sunshine, as well as about 7 Stellar Sea Lions on Greenpoint.  Without a doubt, this was one of my top 3 transient encounters!

John Boyd
SSAMN Marine Naturalist, Western Prince

WOW!  What a fabulous day on the water….and a memorable last trip of the season!  Leaving Friday Harbor with promising weather and the news that orca vocalizations were heard on the Port Townsent hydrophone three hours before, spirits are high.  The water is flat clam today and yesterday’s rain and wind have done an excellent vanishing act.

A stop right before Cattle Point turns into a birders paradise!  An adult Bald eagle perches proudly on beach logs scanning the water for prey.  Surf Scoters float in a large group ahead of us, and one Grebe pops around on the edge of the flock.  Then two Marbled Murrlets appear bobbing off our port side and quickly dive…reappearing moments later a few yards away.

Little Harbor seal heads skim through the water on their way somewhere, for something.

On we go, heading out into Haro Strait.  The water out there today looks, well….big.  As in vast…huge…very expansive…and only two little dots far off for boats.  Flat water….but no ripples in the water and no fins.  We look and look….and LOOK.  Finally, way out toward Victoria we stop.  Splash!  In goes the hydrophone….and instantly we hear it!  J pod calls!!  And the vocalizations are loud!  They are close…somewhere close…binoculars pop up to every eye…and we look some more, but now with excitement and hope.  This is a great day to have four extra crew along and all those experienced eyes scanning the horizon.  Before long Chris shouts…”There! ”  …and we know now, this last trip will be with Southern Resident Orca whales!  Soon Doublestuf, J-34 is cruising and foraging off our stern.  His mother then appears, and little sibling and cousin.  In the distance we see a mother and calf.  Whales!  Lots of whales!  ”

Now for the surprise!  Two long backs suddenly appear on the other side of the boat!  While everyone has been focused on the port side, the beautiful Orca whales…two Humpback whales have cruised along beside us.  Engines silent everyone watches as Orca whales amaze us on one side, and Humpback whales amaze us on the other.  One of the humpbacks is identifiable as “Split Fin” as the fin is clearly split in two.  We are treated to a huge pec fin waving in the air as the whale rolls…and then a massive cartwheel as the tail stock flips through the air and crashes down in the water!

Which way to watch?  No way to lose on this one!

The weather holds, we enjoy these amazing animals in lovely light, warm temperatures and flat water.  But we are a long way from home, and time flies when you are with whales.  Trust me on this.

Too soon it seems, but we turn back for the trip across Haro Strait and Friday Harbor.  The whales continue west….we turn our bow to the east.  I take one last, long look…and you know…I really do think that Split Fin waved a special goodbye.  Don’t you?  ”Vaya con Dios,” I whisper.

Looking up,  I see….smiles all around!

October days offer surprises!  The weather can be a picture perfect of the grey and misty Pacific Northwest….OR…exactly the opposite…with warm autumn sunshine bathing the islands, water and wildlife in bright morning light or golden glow.

The last two weeks have been outstanding in variety of animals, birds and weather.  Even the exotic game animals on Spieden Island have been easy to see…clustered in the open grassy areas on Spieden Island.

Humpback whales!  How amazing it is to see these massive whales, slowly cruising our local waters…in no hurry it seems.  Hasn’t anyone reminded them of the long migration ahead?  Appearently it’s of no consequence.  We have seen both individual adult whales and adult and juvenile pairs.  The numbers of Humpbacks have increased in the past 10 years, and I can imagine a time when we may see many more!

Orca whales!  Yes!  Both Transient and Resident Orcas have been in and out…out and in…many days during October.  Some days we have found J pod….and then J and K pod…oh, wait…sometimes all three pods!  This time of year I think I have more casual encounters….yes, always on the look out for salmon….but more time for socializing.

The Steller sealions have been growing in numbers and now show up at the north end of San Juan Channel often.  One day we  a large group surprise us, all gathered around the edge of the rocky shore…waiting turns for being the king of the shore?  So many!  Another day a California sealion lunges among a group of three big Stellers…all out on a group shopping trip in Spieden Channel?

A Harbor seal with a huge salmon “in mouth”…migrating Bonaparte gulls in winter plumage….Dall porpoise, Harbor porpoise, adult Bald eagles….I make entries for each sighting in the wildlife logof The Western Prince.

I know I’m going to hate to see it end!  The last few trips are just days away….then we’ll tie the lines for the last time this season, button up the boat, walk up the dock…and begin the “winter wait.”

Waiting for a new season….with so many incredible memories to tide us through!

OK, I know it’s been awhile since I posted on the Western Prince blog.  It’s not from lack of wildlife though.  So let’s recap the month of October so far.  As anyone who knows me is aware, my favorite month to see whales is Setpember.  Well, October is shaping up to be as good if not better than September at this pace!

Most times when people come out with us, they are hoping to glimpse some of the amazing wildlife found in this area.  Especially orcas.  And while it has been a good summer for orca sightings, October has proven to be a great month for viewing more than one kind of whale!  We’ve had lots of encounters with our Resident pods (J, K, and L Pods), a few encounters with random groups of Transient (mammal feeding) Orcas, and amazingly–quite a few encounters with humpback whales!  Humpbacks used to be more plentiful in the Salish Sea, but were very nearly wiped out during the days of whaling (especially with the BC whaling station in operation).  Folks used to say that we used to have a “resident” pod of humpbacks.  Well, 2011 is proving to be a banner year for humpbacks here, with sightings of not just one, but many times 2 or more.  Several humpbacks were seen over multiple days going back and forth in the same area, most likely foraging.  Here are a few pictures from recent encounters:

Which brings us up to today (SUNDAY, October 9th).  We started the day on the Western Explorer with no reports of any type of whale in the area.  Cloudy skies looked ominous, but we were hopeful.  By the time we left the dock, we had a report of “a large group” of orcas out west but heading into the area.  They were just at the outer range of the Explorer, but we hoped the flood tide would push them in further.  As we headed south, the skies began to clear and the seas were quite calm.  Which made viewing the 30 or so Stellar Sea Lions on and around Whale Rocks much easier.  Soon we were headed out west towards Victoria, BC when we had a report of 2 Pacific White-Sided Dolphins!  WOW!  We found them playing and leaping out of a boat wake, and this was my first encounter all year with these playful dolphins!

Soon it was time to head further west to see the orcas.  Under crystal clear skies and warm sun, we finally found them foraging and going every direction around the Constance Bank area south of downtown Victoria, BC.  We dropped our hydrophone in and we got to listen in as J Pod was vocalizing like crazy.  J8 Speiden and J30 Riptide were our first two whales to ID.  We also saw J34 Doublestuff as he was chasing after two juveniles as if to play with them.  These two little guys put on quite the surface active behaviors, everything from tail lobs to backward swimming to spyhops and even a few breaches!  It was so beautiful.  The calmness at the surface was broken by loud blows when the whales would come up to exhale.  Then down they’d go and we’d listen to them underwater.  Before we knew it, it was time to head back to Friday Harbor.  We searched on the way home for the two humpbacks that had been reported at Constance Bank as well as the two humpbacks also reported at Hannah Heights, but couldn’t locate either group.  Dozens of porpoises were zipping about in the currents at Middle Bank.

Did I mention I love October whales?

John Boyd (JB)
SSAMN Marine Naturalist, Western Explorer

It’s the “Stinky MINKE Whale”!!!  Our trips this week take us all around the Salish Sea.  On Thursday we have great sightings of the Southern Resident Killer Whales off Salmon Bank.  The weatheris cloudy and grey, but the Orca whales are busy traveling south and then to the west with signs of foraging.  Fish?  Lots of them?  Oh, I wish I could see underwater!!!

Ohhhh!  The birders of the northwest rejoice!  A loon!  Right here in Haro Strait!  Surprise!

Ohhhh, again….and I think this one is L-94 passing by the side of the boat.  Remember….I have a 400mm lens!  But what a great view for everyone, 400mm or not!  We watch this family all afternoon, hopefully finding lots of salmon.

Hey!  Here I come, catching up to mom!  Part of the L pod for sure!

Thursday we follow L pod members around Salmon Bank area.  Friday we search the same area and find Minke whales, Steller sealions, Harbor seals, Bald eagles and a few porpoise.  Saturday morning we travel far to the north as there are no sightings to the south.  We have incredible sightings of seals, sealions, eagles and a Minke whale.  Then, right before the afternoon trip departs on Saturday, we hear the Southern Residents have been sighted incoming west of Victoria!  Yikes!  Lots of calculation and the decision is we can most likely make it IF the whales keep traveling toward us.  Decision made, we strike out toward Victoria, B.C. and….after a long run, we are rewarded with a fabulous sighting of L pod and J pod!!!  The weather is cool and grey, but spirits are high and somehow the cold just doesn’t seem to bother anyone.  Oh, did I mention the blankets, hot coffee and hot chocolate?  Even though part of the trip is in thick fog, everyone has a great time…and when I do drive by of the ferry lane after the trip, everyone seemed to have made it onto the 6:30 p.m. boat that wanted to leave the island!  The lanes are empty!  YAY!  Great end for everyone!

Oh, September?  Where are you going?  Things are changing so fast.  Take the sea birds for instance.  Quick!  Out come the winter outfits.  Check out this Common Murre.  Ususally the coloration is a solid dashing black for the entire head and upper body, with chic sea bird white on the breast.  Then, take the boat naturalists for another indicator that the seasons are marching on.  Last week, short pants, short sleeve shirts, and NO socks.  Ah, but it was all different by Thursday….yes, socks (wool), long pants, three layers between the shirts and jackets…oh, and gloves.

Although we experience some cloudy weather, a few rain drops and some light chop on the water….the wildlife viewing is spectactular.  The Bald eagles are back!  One day we find six adults as we meander through the waterways.  Steller sealions practice their Fall - Winter - Spring assignments of being the biggest bully, appearing to have the biggest body, letting loose with the loudest roar and catching the most fish.  Whale Rocks provides high action with  sealions, birds and currents.  The Harbor seals hardly seem to noitce any of it!

Thursday and Friday we find all three pods of Southern Resident Killer Whales out in Haro Strait.  Just back in from a trip out the Strait of Juan de Fuca, they are busy hunting for salmon in family groups.  Yes, the weather is slipping into Fall.   The wildlife is changing…into Fall coloration and presence.  The colors are changing…from grey sky, to brilliant blue, to bright afternoon light, to rain spitting from the clouds…suddenly here, then gone.  And then there are the other signs…the hats, the gloves…oh, and did I mention the hot chocolate??????????

9/11

People ask me sometimes if my job gets routine.  For example, today we had two trips aboard the Western Explorer.  Both times we went to the south end of San Juan Island.  Both times we saw the same groups of whales.  But each trip was anything but routine, and both trips were amazingly unique.

For our first trip, we headed south where we had reports of “lots of whales” but no one had called in any IDs.  Along the way, we were distracted by a couple of bald eagles perched in a large snag, and then of course we had to make the stop at Whale Rocks for a quick peek at the growing number of Stellar Sea Lions that are coming back after a summer of hanging out with the female Stellars.

Soon it was time to go look at whales, and we decided to take the long way around and go out to Hein Bank first to see if there were any humpbacks or minke whales lurking about.  Calm seas made for ideal spotting conditions, but alas none were found.  So we headed back towards the island where orcas were spread out from Eagle Point to Hannah Heights.  We found a nice little group off to themselves and we were treated to some very nice viewings of J Pod, K Pod, and L Pod!  Yup–a SUPER POD!  First came J2 Granny, followed by many more whales closer to shore.  We dropped the hydrophone into the water and it was amazing.  Tons of calls, some very distant, some very close.  Lots of S1 calls and clicks and whistles.  The distinct sound of the K Pod kitten calls.  Whales were everywhere, and when we finally had to leave, we had to go out quite aways to get clear of whales and make it back to the dock.

So soon it was time for our second trip and again we headed south.  But this time we found ourselves out at Hein Bank–this time with orcas!  L72 Racer and gang were off to themselves, and we found ourselves with lots of whales and we were the ONLY boat within 5 miles!  The water by this time was absolute glass, and with the engines shut down, you could hear the blows of whales near and far (and some really far!)  We also saw L26, L92 hanging around.  The whale appeared to be heading for Port Angeles when suddenly they all made a turn and started heading west for a bit.  This was followed by yet another turn and the whales were all heading back towards San Juan.  By this time, whales were spread over an area of at least 8 miles, which led to a nice conversation about how far we think whales can hear each other (about 10 miles).  Lots of play behavior, lots of chasing each other, and lots of salmon jumping!  At one point, the only two boats in the area were ourselves and the Center for Whale Research.  It was as if the ocean had been reserved for just us.  As the sun headed west, we headed north back to Friday Harbor with big grins plastered on our faces!

John Boyd (JB)

Marine Naturalist, Western Explorer

Friday Harbor

Whales and weather are fabulous lately!  The Southern Residents spent last Thursday and Friday circling around their usual territory here in the San Juan Islands.  Both J and K pods transited Haro Strait heading north on Thursday afternoon, and then on Friday we had J pod almost all to ourselves headed south.

The amazing thing is to realize you are in short pants and a t-shirt and NOT cold!  No gloves, hats or socks on these trips!  And it appears the weather will hold through the weekend.

Heading south both days we got to see lots of Harbor seals and the Steller sealions too.  The birds are changing into “winter clothes”…or feathers, so it’s interesting when you realize which bird you have in sight.  That’s the thing about nature and “wild-ness”…things are always, always changing.  So, I’ll keep my gloves, hat and socks handy…right in my backpack!

Well, with the changing of the month, I come to my favorite whale month of the year.  That’s right–September whales.  What makes them so different from the whales we see the rest of the year?  It’s hard to really put into words.  Do they breach more, or spyhop more, or vocalize more?  Not really.   They just are different.  Maybe it’s the cooling temperatures marking the arrival of fall.  Maybe it’s the sun moving back south that lights them in a more orangey glow.  All I know is that September tends to be the month I enjoy most with whales.  And yesterday was off to a good start.  We left on the morning trip aboard the Western Explorer with 12 intrepid souls.  We had no reports of orcas–just one vague rumor that was already 4 hours old.  But we decided to head north and search into the “nooks and crannies” where other boats wouldn’t normally look.  And that’s fine with me as it takes me to one of my favorite areas–Plumper Sound and Georgoson Pass.  We stopped and scouted all the bays and inlets looking for Transients, but didn’t see anything.  But the scenery of the pass is spectacular and we were all quite happy to view it.  And as we popped out into Georgia Strait, we got a call that whales were found, and only about 4 miles away from our location!  So off we sped,and soon found ourselves watching members of J Pod, K Pod, and some Ls too.  Our first encounter was with J Pod, and it was easy to pick out J26 Mike and his open saddle patch.  The whales were in nice tight groups, and were meandering slowly west.  Lots of tail slaps, a few breaches, and a huge spyhop.  We also got to see the K13s, which include K27 and her new calf K44.  What an orangey looking guy he is!  A quick stop at Eastpoint to look at harbor seals and then it was time to head back to the dock.

Mt. Baker from Georgia Strait

Our second trip was also amazing (and one thing I love about my job is I can have multiple trips in one day and they won’t be anything alike!)  This time we still headed north, but first had to make a stop off above Flattop Island so we could look at a minke whale.  He was mid-sized, but it was great to actually see a whale on our trip (since orcas are really dolphins…)  After 4-5 surfacings, the minke would make a long 5-7 minute dive, so we watched for 2 intervals before heading west.  But as we passed the Canoe Islands, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and Ivan made the quick turn so we could watch a pair of bald eagles hunting in a large patch of bull kelp.  One eagle made 2 attempts to grab something out of the kelp, but missed both times and returned to the trees.  Soon we were off again, wondering what we’d find next on our way to see the orcas.  4 very playful harbor porpoises were zooming around at the surface.  As the sun headed more westerly, everything started getting that cool late afternoon glow.  And before we knew it, we had huge groups of whales passing the boat.  At one point, there must have been 5-6 whales all in a huge resting-type line, practically on top of each other.  The whales by this time were pretty mixed together, with Js, Ks, and the Ls all mixed in big groups.  J30 Riptide hanging out with a bunch of other J whales.   K21 following behind the rest of Ks.  The whales appeared to kind of gather themselves up and then practically launched down Haro Strait, with lots of tail slaps, breaches, and porpoising.  It was amazing.

Did I mention I love September whales?

By Friday the sunny weather has returned to the San Juan Islands, but the Southern Resident Orca whales are still missing.  With almost flat calm water and a warm breeze it is easy to stand on the foredeck and look….and look…and look for seals, sea lions, sea birds….and fins!  We crawl at a slow pace along the southern shore of Lopez Island checking out all the little harbor seal pups bobbing about in the water looking “lost.”  Sea birds cover the rocky reef islands, allowing great ovservation of a great blue heron, adult bald eagles, cormorants, gulls, common murres and a few auklets.  Aware that an hour and a half had slipped by, knowing it was soon time to search for minke whales on Salmon Bank…my eyes lock onto three gleaming, sleek, (could it be???)  black FINS!  Better yet, they are right on our bow coming toward us!!  I almost rub my eyes, I am so surprised by the sudden appearance of just what my mind was willing me to see!  They are gone as quickly as they appeared.  Quickly I tell Captain Pete and the passengers….keep a sharp eye out…scan everywhere…ALL AROUND us….transient orca whales can be slippery characters.  The minutes tick by…six…seven…and then, way up ahead of us…three fins slip by the shoreline!  Another has crossed under our bow, and is way out the the other side.  The final count is four adults and one calf.  What a grand hour of whale watching follows this amazing find.  We see foraging in kelp beds, slapping, quick turns, a spy hop, little lunges….and then underwater disapearing acts and fast travel.  A close look at my photos show T-36B with a very well marked fin…small half moon out of the tip area and a clear notch at the base.  Spirits soar as we all enjoy the energy and magnificence of whales in the wild….and the special addition of the element of “SURPRISE!”

Can you see the wee head surfacing next to the adult fin?

Look carefully!  Another surprise!

We’ve had oodles of transient (mammal-feeding) orcas in the area the past several days. Transients orcas, in stark contrast to our resident orcas which mainly eat salmon, only dine on warm-blooded prey (e.g. seals, sea lions, porpoises, and even other whales). There are about 30 transients hanging out in Puget Sound. We saw the T100 family group yesterday and today we visited with a whale that I think many of us have never met before - T31! T31 is an absolutely MASSIVE adult male complete with an enormous (perhaps 6 foot-tall) dorsal fin that is very pointy at the top. This big, handsome fellow is usually seen traveling by himself and today was no exception. We found him slinking around the Chain Islands over near the city of Victoria, B.C. This is the time of year when most of the baby harbor seals are leaving their mothers. As cruel as it may sound, these seal pups are very naive and probably have a thing or two to learn about big, black, triangular dorsal fins (being the orcas). During the months of August and September, young harbor seals are at the top of the menu for these apex predators.  Dr. Robin Baird, a marine mammal scientist from the Cascadia Research Collective located in Washington State, has determined that transient killer whales eat twice as much during the months of August and September than they do at any other part of the year. He has also found that they consume much more than they need to eat during this time. Just like most other animals, if food is in large abundance orcas will “stock up”, putting on lots of weight in order to survive the tougher parts of the year when a meal may not be as readily available. So, I know you might be feeling bad for those little baby harbor seals, but it is all apart of nature. I know that we all want the orcas to be fat and happy just as we want the seals to be fat and happy. Lots of food for all is a very good thing!

~katie