First Trip of 2008

The first trip of the year at San Juan Safaris was the most successful trip of the year! We took a crew of 21 adventurers out yesterday with hopes of seeing some local wildlife. Little did we know what a treat we would be in for. There were early reports of transient orcas near Speiden Island as well as some confirmed sightings of J-Pod near Canada. J-Pod was said to be resting so captain Pete took us to Speiden Island to see the Mouflon Sheep and deer. We also had the treat of seeing over seven adult male Steller Sea Lions swimming just off Speiden's coast. While our guests were learning all about the Stellers, we were visited by some juvenile Bald Eagles practicing their hovering skills. Once the guests got their fill of information and pictures, Captain Pete and our new Captain Mike set out to find J-Pod. On our way to Canada we even saw some Dalls Porpoises playing in the waves.

Despite all the amazing wildlife we observed, J-Pod still stole the show. We were happy to see Granny and Ruffles leading the way slowly but surely towards Active Pass. The whales were not too active, but skimmed the surface steadily blowing and swimming together. Ruffles, Granny, and Mike were the easiest to identify. Unfortunately the newest member of J-Pod, born last fall, hasn't been spotted. This gave us the perfect opportunity to talk to our crew about the toxins in the water and their affects on our whales of Puget Sound. We were so pleased with the animals we were able to observe and learn more about. Our guests had a real treat seeing almost all the local seasonal wildlife there was to see. We look forward to another fun filled season this year and more sightings to come. Stay posted and don't forget to, "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!" Until next time...