International Encounter
Yesterday we were privileged to have a group of tourists from Germany explore with us. They were thrilled to visit the Pacific Northwest, much less see some of the wildlife here. Some of our guests even taught our Naturalists how to say whale in German, "Wal." However, pronouncing such a misleadingly easy word is quite another story.
The day began with no confirmed orca sightings and so we headed up to Speiden to check out the Stellers that were hauled out on Green Point. After viewing the Speiden fauna, Captain Hobbes took us out to the Haro Strait in search of porpoises and orca. We were able to get a look at some shy Harbor Porpoises and a few Dall's at a distance, but they weren't in a very playful mood. The crew decided that since we had a smaller group, we could ask them what they wanted to do next: 1. Go around Stuart Island in search of Eagles, Seals, and more Stellers, or 2. Head down the west side of San Juan Island in search of Orca. They decided to try to find more orca and get a beautiful view of Lime Kiln Lighthouse and British Camp. Although we didn't see orca, we saw more Harbor Porpoises, Eagles, and the nesting sites of Cormorants and Gulls. Our guests were able to get some awesome pictures of Stellers hauled out on the rocks in Cattle Pass (the southern end of the island) with Eagles perched on the rocks next to them. They posed perfectly as we oo'd and awe'd at their size and the Eagle's regal appearance. We even had a little American History chat about how Ben Franklin wanted the National Bird to be a Turkey... thank goodness he was outvoted!
All in all the trip was successful. We saw an abundant array of wildlife, learned some German, and our guests had the chance to chart their own course. It is important to remember that seeing orca is a 50/50 chance this time of year and will become more likely as the season progresses. Although the orca may be the star attraction to these waters, the Steller Sea Lions and Eagles are fast becoming guest favorites. There is no shortage of wildlife here in the Salish Seas for you to enjoy! Auf Wiedersehen!
The day began with no confirmed orca sightings and so we headed up to Speiden to check out the Stellers that were hauled out on Green Point. After viewing the Speiden fauna, Captain Hobbes took us out to the Haro Strait in search of porpoises and orca. We were able to get a look at some shy Harbor Porpoises and a few Dall's at a distance, but they weren't in a very playful mood. The crew decided that since we had a smaller group, we could ask them what they wanted to do next: 1. Go around Stuart Island in search of Eagles, Seals, and more Stellers, or 2. Head down the west side of San Juan Island in search of Orca. They decided to try to find more orca and get a beautiful view of Lime Kiln Lighthouse and British Camp. Although we didn't see orca, we saw more Harbor Porpoises, Eagles, and the nesting sites of Cormorants and Gulls. Our guests were able to get some awesome pictures of Stellers hauled out on the rocks in Cattle Pass (the southern end of the island) with Eagles perched on the rocks next to them. They posed perfectly as we oo'd and awe'd at their size and the Eagle's regal appearance. We even had a little American History chat about how Ben Franklin wanted the National Bird to be a Turkey... thank goodness he was outvoted!
All in all the trip was successful. We saw an abundant array of wildlife, learned some German, and our guests had the chance to chart their own course. It is important to remember that seeing orca is a 50/50 chance this time of year and will become more likely as the season progresses. Although the orca may be the star attraction to these waters, the Steller Sea Lions and Eagles are fast becoming guest favorites. There is no shortage of wildlife here in the Salish Seas for you to enjoy! Auf Wiedersehen!
posted by San Juan Safaris Whale Watching at
10:56 AM
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