Getting Underway
Yesterday was our second official outing and we were lucky to have a guest captain, Captain Brian, from San Juan Outfitters, with us. We were also lucky to have visitors all the way from Germany. The trip doubled as an opportunity to give our new staff members some experience on the water. Megan, our new naturalist, and Mike and Craig, two new captains, were able to assist and observe during our wildlife adventure. Unfortunately, the orcas were not spotted, but we were able to see a wide array of animals and birds unique to our waters.
Our guests were able to see the Mouflon Sheep and Fallow Deer from Speiden Island. They also learned that a Mouflon Sheep was successfully cloned in 2001, making it the first endangered species to be cloned and survive beyond infancy. The Fallow Deer are an older species of deer and were spread throughout Europe by the Roman Empire. We were even able to see a Steller Sea Lion feeding off Speiden. However, he was going under for long dives in search of fish and squid, making it difficult to see him well. Captain Brian decided we would return to Speiden later to see if our sea lion friend might haul out (aka come up on land). Our adventure continued into the Haro Strait where we encountered multiple Dall's Porpoises hunting. Dall's are easily recognized by their white and black markings, but can be distinguished from orcas by their size, color patterns, and behavior. Porpoises are different from dolphins in that their rostrum, or nose/mouth, is blunt and not cone-shaped. They also have flatter teeth than dolphins.
Despite the fact that we didn't see orcas, our guests were able to spend more time learning about seals, sea lions, eagles, porpoises, and indigenous birds. We saw multiple eagles, including a great view of an adult perched near the water by the Cactus Islands. As our trip came to a close, and we discussed everything we learned, we received the biggest surprise of the voyage: a massive gathering of male Steller Sea Lions! Just as we hoped, they hauled out on the eastern point of Speiden Island. We counted over 23 sea lions in the water and on land. They were huge, weighing upwards of 2,000 lbs! Our guests were thrilled to see them so close and out of the water, a rare encounter indeed. We look forward to them sending in photos of the experience as it was such a rare one.
Although we didn't see orcas, our guests were still given the opportunity to ask questions about them and learn aspects of their life from breeding, to play behaviors, to health risks, and even how live captures affected their family groups. Not only do our guests learn new facts on trips, but our staff also learns from their questions and different animal behaviors. Our wildlife encounters are truly interactive experiences for everyone.
Today was an interesting one for our staff members. We all went out on the Sea Lion, our two-year-old whale watch boat, to learn about safety procedures on the water. Our number one priority is that our guests have a fun and SAFE learning experience here in the San Juan Islands. In order to guarantee that, we must actually practice the "man overboard" procedures. (Not to worry though, we have never had this happen in our twelve years of operation. We feel it's better to be prepared and have nothing happen, than have something occur and be unprepared.) We pride ourselves with the fact that throughout our safety procedures, we never lost one floating cushion to the sea! All cushions were picked up successfully and lived to tell the tale thanks to our skilled captains and naturalists. Just when we thought the excitement of safety procedures had come to a close, we saw Harbor Porpoises in the San Juan Channel. Harbor Porpoises tend to say more inland, hence their name, and are a bit shy of boaters. However, these individuals continued to surface near us on our way back to port. You really can't go out on these waters without seeing some sort of wildlife.
We look forward to our next trip tomorrow afternoon, and are keeping our eyes and ears open for orca. Until next time...
Our guests were able to see the Mouflon Sheep and Fallow Deer from Speiden Island. They also learned that a Mouflon Sheep was successfully cloned in 2001, making it the first endangered species to be cloned and survive beyond infancy. The Fallow Deer are an older species of deer and were spread throughout Europe by the Roman Empire. We were even able to see a Steller Sea Lion feeding off Speiden. However, he was going under for long dives in search of fish and squid, making it difficult to see him well. Captain Brian decided we would return to Speiden later to see if our sea lion friend might haul out (aka come up on land). Our adventure continued into the Haro Strait where we encountered multiple Dall's Porpoises hunting. Dall's are easily recognized by their white and black markings, but can be distinguished from orcas by their size, color patterns, and behavior. Porpoises are different from dolphins in that their rostrum, or nose/mouth, is blunt and not cone-shaped. They also have flatter teeth than dolphins.
Despite the fact that we didn't see orcas, our guests were able to spend more time learning about seals, sea lions, eagles, porpoises, and indigenous birds. We saw multiple eagles, including a great view of an adult perched near the water by the Cactus Islands. As our trip came to a close, and we discussed everything we learned, we received the biggest surprise of the voyage: a massive gathering of male Steller Sea Lions! Just as we hoped, they hauled out on the eastern point of Speiden Island. We counted over 23 sea lions in the water and on land. They were huge, weighing upwards of 2,000 lbs! Our guests were thrilled to see them so close and out of the water, a rare encounter indeed. We look forward to them sending in photos of the experience as it was such a rare one.
Although we didn't see orcas, our guests were still given the opportunity to ask questions about them and learn aspects of their life from breeding, to play behaviors, to health risks, and even how live captures affected their family groups. Not only do our guests learn new facts on trips, but our staff also learns from their questions and different animal behaviors. Our wildlife encounters are truly interactive experiences for everyone.
Today was an interesting one for our staff members. We all went out on the Sea Lion, our two-year-old whale watch boat, to learn about safety procedures on the water. Our number one priority is that our guests have a fun and SAFE learning experience here in the San Juan Islands. In order to guarantee that, we must actually practice the "man overboard" procedures. (Not to worry though, we have never had this happen in our twelve years of operation. We feel it's better to be prepared and have nothing happen, than have something occur and be unprepared.) We pride ourselves with the fact that throughout our safety procedures, we never lost one floating cushion to the sea! All cushions were picked up successfully and lived to tell the tale thanks to our skilled captains and naturalists. Just when we thought the excitement of safety procedures had come to a close, we saw Harbor Porpoises in the San Juan Channel. Harbor Porpoises tend to say more inland, hence their name, and are a bit shy of boaters. However, these individuals continued to surface near us on our way back to port. You really can't go out on these waters without seeing some sort of wildlife.
We look forward to our next trip tomorrow afternoon, and are keeping our eyes and ears open for orca. Until next time...
Labels: Bald Eagles, Boat Safety, San Juan Islands Orca Whale Watching, Steller Sea Lions
posted by San Juan Safaris Whale Watching at
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