Wow! We finally had a sunny day here in the Pacific Northwest and what a day it was! We saw J pod orcas on our afternoon trip and in the evening we were lucky enough to encounter two humpback whales in Haro Strait! We watched them swim, fluke, and dive for quite a while until they came to the point where Boundary Pass meets Haro Strait and Mount Baker was beautifully showing itself on the horizon. We all said to ourselves, “Wouldn’t it be really cool if the whales decided to breach with Mount Baker in the background?” Wouldn’t ya know it - that’s just what they did!!

Another incredible day out on the water and just another reason out of a million why we LOVE our jobs!!

~katie

We had a wonderful encounter with J pod today on the Western Explorer. They have been moseying around for the past couple days. They spent a bit of time off San Juan Island when they first arrived and then wandered down to Puget Sound for a bit. They were heard late in the evening of the 13th on the Port Townsend hydrophones. Hmmm…we all supposed they were headed out of the sound. Sure enough! Yesterday morning they were sighted west of Race Rocks, B.C. traveling eastbound toward San Juan Island again…and we were just lucky enough to catch them. A fabulous encounter (despite a bit of rain). We witnessed some breaching and loads of spyhops. I was able to identify J2 Granny, J19 Shachi, J16 Slick, J27 Blackberry, J26 Mike, J31 Tsuchi, J39 Mako, and the wonderful adopted member of J pod - L87 Onyx. Here are some photos from today and fingers are crossed for another encounter tomorrow!

~katie

Our first “Super Tuesday” (with Alison, JB and Captain Hobbes) of the
season will be a hard one to beat. We left the dock in Friday Harbor with
no confirmed sightings, but lots of positive energy from passengers
celebrating birthdays, mother’s day, family visits and just the desire to be
out on the water. We quickly learned of a rumored 4-5 Orcas heading from
Oak Bay Flats into Haro Straight. With this news and the knowledge that
J-pod had been heard/sighted at Neah Bay on Monday we headed south. As we
scanned the Straits, with Ivan scanning from Shore we soon received word
that Ivan had spotted Orcas and we should head to Beaumont Shoal. As we
continued to search we started to see lots of fins in the distance, lots of
fins; it must be J-Pod!!!!

As we slowly approach we came across J-34 Double Stuff and family. We were
treated to 3 great breaches then as the whales approached false bay they
slowed down and spent the next hour + in small groups hanging out on the
surface, logging, rolling, spy hoping, tail slapping, pec slapping with many
small chin ups. All in all there must have been 30-40 Spy Hops/chin ups.
JB and Hobbes commented that the one time they had seen this type of
behavior a new calf was sighted the next day!!! We will see. On top of all
of this we had great vocals on the hydrophone, surface vocals and
raspberries. Seemed like a September day in May. Nice to see the whales
seemingly content and relaxed, not moving in search of food as they commonly
are this time of year.

We topped off the day with a wonderful visit to Whale rocks where we watched
20+ Steller and 2 California Sea Lions hanging out on the rocks. They were
being watched by an immature Bald Eagle and several Harbor Seals.

Alison Engle
Naturalist
Western Prince
Friday Harbor

Humpback whales can be a fairly common sight here in the San Juan Islands during the autumn months, but today we were blessed with a rare spring sighting! A research group was out plying the calm green waters of the strait this morning searching for orcas when they happened across the two whales near the northwest end of San Juan Island. There were two adults just meandering along and zig-zagging back and forth in the same area. They almost seemed to be enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon. The two whales would take several breaths and short succession and then go down for a long dive lasting for several minutes. This is not unusual behavior among these large baleen whales, particularly when they are just traveling along. After a while we began timing the whales and noticed they were consistently doing exactly 10 minute dives follow by three short breaths. They would both then fluke, which is when a whale sticks it’s tail out of the water right before a long dive, and be down for ten minutes again. It was just like clockwork. What was NOT like clockwork was their traveling patterns! They were wandering around all over the place and were certainly not going in a strait line. At one surfacing they would be pointed north. On the next surfacing they would be half a mile away and pointed south. The surfacing after that they were east-bound and going right for the beach on Henry Island. Everyone on the boat started making bets as to where they might come up next. But, however difficult it may be to track the whales, it is always such an awe-inspiring experience to spend time in the company of such large and enigmatic mammals. For most people, it’s not every day you get to see a critter that’s so big and mysterious… there’s almost a certain bit of magic about them…

~katie

While thinking about our trip today on my drive home, I kept trying to think of what song best described our day, and it certainly seemed fitting that one line from the Grateful Dead kept popping into my mind–”what a long, strange trip it’s been….”

John Boyd (JB)

SSAMN Marine Naturalist, Western Explorer

On Sunday, aboard the Western Explorer, we once again set out without a whale report.  But Captain Ivan was at the helm, and has been his way this year–he didn’t need a whale report to find a whale!  We first made a stop along Speiden Island where 15 Stellars were hauled out, growling at each other as they jockeyed for position on the shore.  Then we visited Mandarte Island in Canada to view some of the cormorants and other sea birds.  Then off to Turn Point where we saw about a dozen Dall’s Porpoises feeding in the currents.  Then we headed north a bit in Swanson Channel to see if we could locate anything more, and that’s when Ivan found a minke whale!  He was at the surface more than usual, and feeding in the currents.  We were able to pretty much shut down and watch as the whale cruised back and forth in the same area.  Soon it was time to head back to the dock, but not before stopping off to view a bald eagle in the Cactus Islands!

Well, the end of April and the beginning of May certainly proved to be very busy days!  On April 30th, we didn’t have any word of whales in the area, but  as always, we were hopeful that something somewhere would show up.  And about 30 minutes into the trip, we got a call that about 15-20 Transient orcas were spotted up in Canadian waters off the Coal Docks.  So Captain Peter put on some speed and off we went.  Fortunately, the weather was beautiful, the seas were calm, and a bit of a push from the tide got us up to the whales with time for viewing.  Many times, we see one family of transients, about 3-7 members.  But on this day, we had 3 families traveling and playing together.  They were almost acting like Resident orcas with lots of surface time and socializing!  One little guy even did a backwards breach for us.  On the trip home, we stopped at Boiling Reef to take advantage of seeing 30+ Stellar Sea Lions basking in the sun.  It was an awesome day!

April 19th:

OK, so yesterday’s encounter was amazing and so very mellow.  Today was equally amazing but ANYTHING but mellow.  Captain Ivan can be downright spooky sometimes with his ability to find whales when no one else knows they are around.  With no reports of whales in the area, we began to head north towards Speiden Island.  But Ivan decided to take a detour into Presidents Channel.  Call it chance, call it intuition, whatever you call it–it works.  Before we knew it, we had managed to discover approximately 15+ Transients 1.5 miles SW of the Patos lighthouse and they were in definite hunting mode!!!  The focus of all this attention was a Stellar Sea Lion.  He spent much of his time vertical with his head down to help him see the attacks coming, but with so many orcas, he wasn’t winning the battle.  The whales would act like they were leaving, only to suddenly turn back and take turns hitting the Stellar.  Even the younger calves got in on the action.  Lots of lunges, a few breach-like aerial assaults.  It was like an episode of Wild Kingdom.  Everyone was so amazed to see nature and the circle of life playing out right before us.  After an hour, we began to leave, only to discover yet another group of Transients!  They weren’t part of the hunting group, and instead were about 3/4 of a mile west of the group, kind of hanging out.  As if they could hear all the amazing vocalizations and knew what was going on, but weren’t invited to the “party.”  Soon it was time to head back to Friday Harbor, but not before stopping to see some Stellar Sea Lions on Greenpoint (Speiden) to see what a Stellar looked like that wasn’t being hunted.  It was an awe-inspiring day, and one of my best Transient days ever.

What do you get when you combine:
A–sunny weather
B–flat calm water
C–no vessel traffic
and D–very mellow and surface active Transient?

ANSWER:  The perfect spring day!  We left Friday Harbor with only vague sightings of Transients earlier in the morning, and we finally found them hanging out southeast of Hein Bank.  And it was so amazing.  Two family groups, the T49As and the T49Bs were traveling together, and they seemed to be almost out for a “casual swim”.  Normally with Transients we’ll see 3-4 quick surfacings and then down for a long interval up to 6 minutes.  Well, these guys would come to the surface very leisurely about 8-9 times, then go down for 4 minutes, and repeat.  They were highly non-directional, one minute popping up 400 yards away and moving away from us, and then they’d turn underwater and show up passing our stern.  For a lot of the trip, we were shut down so we could listen to their blows and discuss Transients vs. Residents, life histories, and more.  About halfway through the trip, I realized that not only were we the only boat with the whales, we were the only boat at all on the water for most of the trip!  Empty water in every direction.  It was as if the day was ours and ours alone.  It was such an amazing encounter that we were sad to have to end the trip.  I suppose a good indicator of the trip was when I looked at the picture counter and saw that in the 45 minutes we were watching the transients, that I had somehow managed to take 465 pictures!

On the trip home, we managed to watch some Stellars on Whale Rocks, as well as two Eagles, porpoises in San Juan Channel (who I bet were glad the Transients didn’t head that way today!)

Hello all! This posting is a bit late, but better late than never!
Last Sunday we encountered 31 (yes, 31!) transient orcas at Boiling Reef which is located just off East Point on Saturna Island. We enjoyed an encounter lasting over an hour with these amazing critters. Most of the animals were moms and kids and it was almost as if the whales were having a super-sized school lesson perhaps trying to teach some of the youngsters how to hunt. They were obviously making lots of kills (and, just a quick note, transient orcas don’t eat salmon like the resident orcas. They eat strictly warm-blooded prey such as seals and sea lions). Boiling Reef is known as a great hang-out for all kinds of marine animals including harbor seals, harbor porpoise, and Steller sea lions. Because of the turbulent and sometimes violent tidal currents that occur here, it’s a great feeding spot for marine mammals and birds alike. We saw not hundreds, but THOUSANDS of Bonaparte’s gulls feasting on whatever the tide rolled up and on whatever scraps were left over from the whales’ kills!

First we would see a lot of exuberant surface activity from the orcas.

Then after several minutes they would move off in a different direction and dozens of gulls would flitter above the surface, and when the moment was right, they would dive in for a snack. There was a lot of drama occurring on Boiling Rock as well. Seals lay hauled out on the beach with their heads looking around anxiously at the whales. A lone Stellar sea lion sat on the far east tip of the rock snarling and growling at the whales while perhaps 30 of his buddies were clumped together in the water frantically raising their heads way out of the water to get a better look at where the whales might be.

I guess the sea lion on the rock may have been a little smarter than the rest of his friends. It was interesting watching the sea lions in their agitation. Every now and then they would get royally fed up and would actually charge the whales. In this situation the whales would actually grant some space. Steller seal lions weigh 2,000 pounds. They can be up to 12 feet long. If I was a whale I wouldn’t really want to mess with them unless I had on my A game! After a while the whales tired of all the activity (or maybe they were full) and started to wonder off a bit.

~katie

Today we saw something that has been sorely missed around here of late.  Residents you might ask?  Transients?  Humpbacks?  Well, I was referring to the sun, which made a glorious appearance today!

Many times this early in the season, we leave the dock with no reports of whales in the area.  So I was expecting to make a run north to check out all the abundant wildlife.  But just a couple of minutes into the trip, Captain Pete made a turn to the south, so I knew something was up!  Turns out we had a report of orcas in Haro Strait, so we motored over towards Discovery Island (near Victoria, BC) and we were very lucky to have a chance to see the T20s, T49As and T49Bs.  They were being a bit “un-transient like” in their behavior today.  Lots of surface time, logging, and generally just “hanging out”. Then down for 5-7 minutes, only to reappear in a random location (very transient like!)  Even from 300 yards away, the whales were impressive, especially T20 and his massive notched fin!  The whales appeared content to just “mosey” at a leisurely pace (OK, I’m a Texan so I can use the word mosey….)

T20 at the lighthouse on Discovery Island

While the whales were down on their longer dives, we also got to see the Rhinoceros Aucklets as they searched for small bait fish.  This aucklet was in his early breeding plumage (and note the “horn” that gives them their name!):

Soon our allotted time with the whales was over and it was time to see other wildlife.  A trip to Long Island and we witnessed a mating pair of bald eagles sitting above their nest. Then over to Whale Rocks to view the Stellar Sea Lions and a surprise of 3 more bald eagles swooping down and trying to grab seagulls.  It was a great trip!!!

OK, so I apologize up front for not keeping up on these blog entries.  Sometimes life gets in the way of my posts, so let’s catch up a bit.  This spring has been very busy for the Western Prince, and we’ve had quite a few trips already this year!  And as expected for early season, you may or may not see whales on your trip–but you will always have a good time!  While we didn’t have whales on Sunday (4/3) or Thursday (4/7), we still had amazing wildlife trips.  One of the advantages to early spring trips is that Speiden Island is a gorgeous green color, and the exotic game animals tend to be out grazing close to the shoreline more times than not.  And it hasn’t disappointed:

And this time of year is also special if you enjoy Bald Eagles.  The Eagles are actively getting the nests ready and many have already laid their clutch of eggs.  This year it seems like we have more young, immature bald eagles than I remember seeing in quite some time:

Spring is also a great time to view Stellar Sea Lions, also known as the Grizzlies of the Sea.  Their stay here is coming to an end, as most of the Stellars begin heading back to the rookeries by the end of April to mid-May.  And they haven’t disappointed us in our trips of late, where we’ve been able to see anywhere from 3-4 to more than 24!

Even the Harbor Seals have been plentiful and quite active this spring.  Of course in the picture below, they aren’t being very active, as they are hauled out and getting some rest and warmth.  I love this shot as it has Battleship Island in the background:

I love how each trip we’ve had this year has been so unique.  No two trips are exactly alike, and you could come aboard for 3 days in a row, and you’d have a different adventure each time (but sadly, my jokes wouldn’t improve between trips!)

Well, when Spring hits, you never know what you are going to get out on the water.  Will it be sunny or cloudy?  Will it be flat calm or will the winds pick up and make the seas choppy?  Will there be wildlife?  When I was heading into town to get to the boat, we had no reports of whales.  As I was walking down to the dock, I got a call from one of my connections in the whale world that there were some Transient (mammal eating orcas) in Haro Strait!  But no boats were with them, so it was not a given that we’d find them.

As we left Friday Harbor, the sun was taking turns coming out and warming us, and then hiding behind the clouds.  And then the first surprise came up to the surface.  We frequently spot harbor seals on the surface, but this was the first time I’ve ever seen one eating a long-nosed skate!

Then before we knew it, we were in Transient territory.  We first watched the three members of the T103s as they passed Stuart Island heading north.  They seemed to be on a mission to head towards Pender Island, and we managed to get some very nice viewings.

Then Ivan decided to go look at the other group of Transients (oh, what a “chore” it was to have to watch yet another group of whales!  ha ha)  This group is known as the T100s, and there were six whales in this group of what appeared to be all females with two younger calves.  The calves were quite the hit as they regularly and repeatedly came quite high during their surfacings!

Soon it was time to visit Speiden Island and all the exotic game animals.  We saw hundreds of animals including a few very energetic Mouflans!  I love springtime on Speiden!

A quick stopover at Sentinel Rock again had many harbor seals lounging in the sun (as opposed to their fishing seal relative we saw earlier!)  Spring is unpredictable, but sometimes that is what makes the trips so exciting!

We have a saying on the boat–it’s not just about the whales.  Many times we leave the dock with no reports of whales.  Many of those times we don’t even see whales.  But that doesn’t mean we don’t have a fun time or see lots of really cool stuff!  And Saturday was no exception.  We left the dock with 12 really excited passengers.  The sun was shining.  The water was fairly calm.  And there was just, well, an excitement for just being on the water.  And soon we began to spot lots of interesting wildlife.

Speiden Island this time of year is truly amazing.  With all the rains, the grasses are all vivid green, which tends to bring out the wildlife, and this trip was no exception.  We saw hundreds of Mouflans grazing along the shoreline.  Dark males with large horns interspersed with the lighter colored females.

Soon we began to also notice the much lighter colored Fallow Deer (a relative of the now extinct Scottish Elk).  Their much lighter color really made them stand out against the green of the grass.  We watched an oohed and ahhed as hundreds of animals moved in a herd, and soon they were running up the hills.

Before long, it was time to check out Sentinel Island and Sentinel Rock, where we discovered dozens of lounging harbor seals.  They seemed pretty content to enjoy the warm sunshine!

And as we came out into Haro Strait, we began to scan for whales, porpoises, and whatever wildlife we could find.  And soon we came across a very well defined baitball.  Gulls, aucklets, and cormorants were working together to push a school of bait fish into a tight ball so they could take turns diving through it and munching on the smaller fish.  It was very loud!!! (imagine all the gulls in “Finding Nemo” saying “mine!  mine!  mine!”)

We also were able to view about 40-50 Dall’s Porpoises, and even managed to get a few to bow-ride with us for a minute or two.  It was so funny how they literally snuck up on us and startled everyone on the bow!  (I was so caught up in the action I forgot to take a photo!)  Soon it was time to head back to Friday Harbor, but of course nature had something else planned for us.  Just when we thought we wouldn’t find any, we came across a few Stellar Sea Lions playing in the water!

Another great day on the water!!!

After a few rainy days, it was great to be out on the water in the sunshine today. Aboard was an enthusiastic group of whale watchers, ready for anything because we didn’t know what we might see. There had been a couple of rumored Orca sightings during the morning, one south and the other north in British Columbia. Several other boats had thoroughly searched for the southern group but came up empty handed. We headed north hoping the other sighting, near Active Pass, would prove to be reliable – time would tell.

We stopped near Green Point on Spieden Island, to watch an amazing number of sea birds, mostly Bonaparte’s Gulls, feeding in the tidal rips. While enjoying all the bird activity, one of our alert whale watchers spied a steller sea lion not far away, foraging in the same tidal rip. Soon we counted at least six sea lions in the area, all taking advantage of the rich abundance of food brought close to the surface by the upwelling currents.

While moving on towards the Cactus Islands and John’s Pass, word came via the radio that the whales sighted near Active Pass were transient Orcas (marine mammal hunters). While they had been moving away from us earlier, they had changed direction and were now heading back within range. It was time to get moving. We slowed down once, to look at a bald eagle, which was nice enough to select a perch close to the shore. After that it was “peddle to the metal” until we reached the Orcas.

We arrived to find six Orcas, T2C and the T123s. We had last seen these whales on October 22, near Trial Island (close to Victoria, BC), but we understand they had been in the area yesterday as well. They were moving slowly, in a tight group giving wonderful viewing opportunities. Transient Orcas will often travel a rather unpredictable path as they search for prey, but today they were on a steady course and speed, allowing us to travel along with them while maintaining plenty of separation so as not to interfere with their hunting.

It was beautiful. You should have been there.

Captain Pete

Wow!  What a blustery day!  We set out on the Western Explorer with a great group of passengers.  Even though the winds were blowing, and the waves were heaving, they were still up for an adventure…and adventure is what they got!  We stopped first at Whale Rocks where the Stellar Sea Lions were making quite a ruckus on the rocks.  Lots of growling and pushing for that perfect location on the rocks.

We slowly made our way out of Cattle Pass and were soon rewarded with reports of Residents about 6 miles south of Hein Bank.  So still up for adventure, off we went.  It was pretty choppy along the way, with lots of 3′-4 foot chop.  But as we got past Hein, things really laid down nicely.  Whales were soon plainly visible and were in a mood to play.  Lots of slow swimming, and rolling at the surface.

Lots of spyhops, and one young male (couldn’t get an ID) even breached while exhibiting a sea snake!  Soon we had to head out as the seas were building and a squall line was fast approaching.  It was too rough to go back through Cattle Pass, so we decided to take the long way home by going around the north end of San Juan Island–and boy are we glad we did!  Because in addition to seeing Orcas, we had a lone Humpback swimming down San Juan Channel!  What an amazing day!  You just never know what you’ll see on an adventure!