Just Keep Swimming

All good things must come to an end and this is just about it. Today was our last weekday trip of the season. As of tomorrow, we will only be going out on Saturdays through the month of October and then we will be done for good. Do not despair though, the orcas will be back next season and so will we. In the meantime, here is the address of a blog that is both educational and entertaining and will satisfy your daily hunger for blog sustenance.

http://bitterendblog.com/

It is not the end just yet though, so as Dora from "Finding Nemo" sings, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming". And swim we did today. Okay, so we were not the ones swimming, because that would have meant breaking the first rule on the boat. No Swimming. But the whales were swimming and we motored right along with them.

Capt. Craig made my opening monologue quite difficult today by constantly coming to the back of the boat from the wheel house to give us updates about the orcas, to point out a seal, and to point out that I had not yet gotten the fenders up. Well of course I hadn't, he wouldn't let me finish my speech so that I could. Finally we were on our way and there surely were whales. Just south of Kellett Bluff we met up with ~9 orcas traveling north. They were well spread out and simply swimming north with no other apparent goal in mind. We followed along with them for about an hour before turning toward Spieden Island and home.

With the orcas popping up in ones and twos at various distances from the boat, I was not able to identify many of them. We did get a great look at L87 "Onyx" though, and he appeared to be on a date with L77 "Matia". Maybe there will be another new L baby. It was a special time spent with the orcas and we saw several eagles, as well as lots of animals on Spieden Island. But, the big highlight for me was when a peregrine falcon swooped past the M/V Sea Lion chasing after seagulls. The gulls were doing everything that they could to stay out of the peregrine's talons and while we were there none of them became dinner. It was a very climactic ending to our trip and helped to cap a most excellent summer spent on the water here in the San Juan Islands.

So, from all of us at San Juan Safaris, to all of you excited by the wonders of nature, thank you and we will...

See You In The Islands!
~Tristen, Naturalist


Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

Wildlife in the San Juans

What a phenomenal day for wildlife viewing in the San Juan Islands. We headed south in the San Juan Channel and then up the west side of San Juan Island.

We encountered L-pod off shore of False Bay. It was amazing out there. The water was so calm, we shut down our engines and listened to the orcas as they surfaced to breathe. Every encounter with the orcas is amazing but today was exceptional. Orcas everywhere.

On the way back to Friday Harbor we took a look at Long Island to see a Bald eagles nest. We also saw a beautiful mature bald eagle. We then saw some Harbor seals hauled out on Whale Rocks. Lots of pups were born this year and they are very adorable. And just when everyone thought we were done viewing wildlife we saw Harbor porpoises.

Another great adventure with San Juan Safaris.
Naturalist Jeannette Miller

Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

Our inland arm of the Pacific Ocean...The Puget Sound

The Puget Sound is a very biologically diverse inland sea. We have many species of marine mammals, birds, invertebrates, algae and more.

The most popular marine mammal is the orca, which is actually the largest member of the dolphin family. Today's safari included lots of bald eagles, porpoises, seals and bull kelp (brown algae).

Bull kelp is very interesting and important to our ecosystem. It is a primary producer, using the sunlight to grow and ends up feeding many organisms. Bull kelp is also an important habitat to many animals as well. This brown algae has been known to grow 200 feet in one summer, it is very productive.

Thank You,

Naturalist Jeannette
Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

Let The Nights Begin!

As spring advances towards summer here and the days become longer in the San Juan Islands, we at San Juan Safaris shift into our evening sunset tours along with the lengthening sunlight. This particular Saturday marked our first late tour of the season and it was a glorious one. The sun shone through a clear sky, but the wind made jackets a necessity, especially out on the water. As Capt. Peter maneuvered us out of Friday Harbor and I talked with the guests aboard the MV Sea Lion we received a report that there was a Humpback Whale not far from us. We quickly traveled south around Turn Point and down Griffin Bay.

We were nearly to Cattle Pass when Capt. Peter slowed the boat and told us all it was time to look. It only took a minute before I spotted a blow 450 yards away at Cape San Juan. This is a beautiful protected area on the southern tip of San Juan Island. The whale was right at the edge of the current line feeding on all of the food that was being pushed through Cattle Pass with the flooding, or incoming, tide. Because the water was boiling around us with the rushing of the tide we lost track of the whale a few times, but always quickly located him again. He was also swimming in erratic patters depending on what his food was doing. Two other boats joined us out in the melee as we tracked the beautiful giant out of the pass.

Once the Humpback had moved out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca we decided to seek calmer waters. We slowly traveled up Lopez Island looking for eagles and then cruised into Parks Bay on Shaw Island. The water was like glass as the land closed around us in the little bay. At the very back of the bay we had the privilege of seeing an Osprey sitting in the top of a tree next to it's nest. Finally, it was a circuit around Yellow Island and an aerial show by juvenile and adult Bald Eagles over a nearby island as the sun sank down.

Our first evening out epitomized the tranquility of the islands and reminded us all that sometimes you need to stop and smell the roses. So, from all of us to all of you, thank you and we will...

See You In The Islands!
~Tristen, Naturalist


Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

A stellar day in the San Juan Islands

I was on the MV Sea Lion today with a private charter. We were waiting at the Kenmore Air docks as the two 'Otters" landed - smoother than silk. We headed off to the north and cruised by Flat Head Island. There was a group of 10 or so harbor porpoise that looked as though they were feeding. We continued up on the east side of John's Island.

Pigeon Guillemots. I do just adore them. Is it the red feet? Yes. Red interior of their mouths? Yes. Or that they are compact, agile and just too cute? Yes. We saw several just hanging by themselves and a few in groups of 2 to 4. I had a fellow birder on board we adored them too.

At the northern end of Speiden we watched 2 young Stellar Sea Lion males swimming about and diving. We bobbed about in the current just enjoying the water and their antics. The water was perfect today, sun shining and almost no wind.


Bald Eagles were abundant today! It seemed that every large rock and small island had an Eagle. Speiden Island had 4 Eagles soaring in the updraft and what we thought was a Kestral was sitting high in a tree watching.

On our way back in we saw 2 - 3 more harbor porpoise. I dont ever remember seeing them in past years in this location. Harbor porpoise tend to be shy and dont usually ride a boat's bow. They did remain fairly close to us and seemed very busy fishing/feeding.

We came back to the dock with the Kenmore Seaplanes awaiting our guests.

Perfect.
Over and out for now, Colleen Johansen, Naturalist

Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

Dalls Porpoise & Bald Eagles Today Near San Juan Island

Today both vessels went out and all guests saw numerous Dall's Porpoise (the 8', black and white ones that seem to love boats and particularly boat wake). Near Cactus Island they counted 14 (fourteen) Bald Eagle varying from 1 year old to full mature Bald Eagles.
The weather was in the high 50's. No wind. Blue skies and calm seas.
Smiles were what the guests were wearing today.

Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

Bald Eagle Clubbed Near La Conner

This is all that I know about the incident. Why was the eagle clubbed? What could that person have been thinking?

(SWINOMISH WA)- The feds are investigating the reported clubbing of an injured bald eagle Saturday on the Swinomish Reservation near La Conner.

A witness to the attack said he noticed the eagle was injured before the attack. The witness saw a man he recognized club the eagle.

Swinomish police arrived to find the bald eagle still alive, but now with a broken leg.

A Wolf Hollow volunteer took the eagle to a rehabilitation center in Friday Harbor, but officials there say the seriousness of the eagle’s injuries caused them to euthenize it.

Federal agents are obtaining reports from the Swinomish police, and an investigatin could take two weeks.

Rare glimpse at Peregrine Falcon Off San Juan Island

Here is a Peregrine Falcon taken by Michael Bertrand while the boat was moving and the bird was moving.Michael is a major name in Washington State. His professional photos can be viewed at:http://www.michaelbertrandphotography.com/ Here again is the Peregrine Falcon from Sunday July 6, 2008
Here are two mature Bald Eagles also taken off the boat that same day.
The large rock is an example of a glacier erratic.
Quite numerous here in the San Juan Islands.

An adventurous day off San Juan Island, with whales!!

A rainy thunderstorm loomed over the horizon....whales were moving off the south side of San Juan Island....do we brave it and go out?! Yes! With a slight rain delay, we left the dock just a few minutes behind our normal schedule. Everyone was a little hesitant about the weather...but then again, it's the Pacific Northwest and you never know what to expect with Mother Nature. Despite the chill in the air, everyone was very excited about the prospect of seeing Killer Whales (or Orcas) in the wild!! Off we went to the south end of the island where the whales were last seen heading offshore...along the way we had quite the adventure experiencing a quick downpour, where 2 guests braved it on our foredeck at the front, protected by some of our extra blankets! Then we moved through Cattle Pass, where the incoming tides, made quite a few currents, whirlpools, and waves as water rushed in through this bottleneck waterway between Lopez Island and San Juan Island.

Just past the islands, heading southwest we spot our first dorsal fins!! We get a few great looks of some members of J-Pod, one of our local resident pods of Orcas. After spending some 20 minutes getting some great looks, we are surprised a small subpod of whales nearby! J-16 (Slick) and her 1 year old baby, J-42 and 2 others, who we think were the older siblings, J-33 and J-36. The baby sure was excited today or so it seemed, because she wouldn't stop breaching!! After seeing them swim off, with a few more breaches, we turned back towards home. But not before seeing a little bit more of our local wildlife! Three bald eagles, (1 was a juvenile) nearby a nest, harbor seals swimming, nesting cormorants, gulls, and a rare sighting of a sea lion! A great day for wildlife viewing, and as we made our way back to Friday Harbor, there was one more treat in store...blue skies and sunshine!!

-jaclyn, naturalist

Touring the Islands with the whales!

There's nothing like being onboard a boat with the sun shining and a cool breeze blowing while circling all of San Juan Island and watching the Orcas travel along the entire west side of the island! We had a very peaceful and relaxing day on the water.

Met the members of K-pod out on the southwest side off of False Bay and got some great looks at that cute little baby again! Little K-42 (first spotted in just the beginning of June) was moving quickly, porpoising out of the water, trying to keep pace with the grown-ups!

The Orcas hugged the island's coastline the whole way, with onlookers from shore and kayakers getting great views too! The guests onboard were really impressed that we do stick to the whale-watching regulations and maintain the required 1/4 mile between ourselves and shore to give the Orcas their space. The pods were spread out traveling the whole time....a few occasional breaches and tail slaps and a wave of a flipper from a male! Moving offshore we sped up (we move away from the Orcas when we speed up as not to disturb them with extra engine noise) and caught up to a few of the trailing members of J-pod.

Once the whales passed we made our way around the north end of San Juan Island, past Roche Harbor took a look at a few harbor seals and soaring eagles near Speiden Island. Rounding to the east side of the island we felt a warm breeze blowing and checked out one last bald eagle perching at the top of a tree before arriving back in Friday Harbor. :)

Bald Eagle Nest on San Juan Island

Took this picture this morning across the street from our house.
Missed the juvenile eagle asleep next to mom.
Dad must be near by.
Now that I am driving for whale watching, this is part of the stuff we show the eager passengers.

Captain Craig Melvin

Think Positive Thoughts

Today began with no confirmed orca reports and rumors that J Pod was hanging out closer to the Pacific Ocean. Our guests were told to remain optimistic because we have a variety of marine mammals in the islands and we never know what could pop up.

The positive thoughts must have paid off because we got a report of a group of Transients hanging out near Iceberg (Lopez Island) and heading northwest towards us. We scooted down the west side of San Juan Island, after getting a quick look at the Mouflon Sheep on Speiden, in pursuit of the Transients.

We arrived on scene just south of Cattle Point to see four Transient orcas: one mature male, two females, and a calf. The group was later identified as the T30s being the mother T30 and her three offspring: T30A (the bull), T30B (the other cow), and the calf T30C. They were swimming around pretty eratically; chaging direction, grouping up, and splitting apart in no predictable fashion. They were swimming at about 4mph and were surfacing in intervals of about 7 minutes.

We observed the Transients for about 1/3 of our trip and spent the rest of the time looking at Mouflon Sheep, Dall's Porpoise, Harbor Seals, Pigeon Gillemots, Glaucus-Winged Gulls, Cormorants, and Bald Eagles.

This trip goes to show that good things come to those who wait....

Megan, Naturalist

Info on Transients from Orca Lab:

The Transient population of the Pacific Northwest has been identified as a distinct race. Their range encompasses the same waters as those used by the Resident Communities of Washington State, British Columbia and Alaska. No one understands how these two races developed, but most likely they have been genetically separated for many years. Physically, the two races are very similar but there are some differences. The top of the dorsal fin of Transient orcas tends to be more pointed than that of Resident orcas. Less obvious, the saddle patch ( the grey pigmentation along the side & behind the dorsal fin ) is further forward on Transients.

The real difference between the two races is in their behaviors and habits concerning their food preferences. Resident whales prefer a diet of fish, and in the summer months almost exclusively salmon. This is why we can predictably watch the Resident populations in key locations along the coast during the salmon season (when the salmon are travelling to the rivers to spawn). Transients, however, prefer to eat marine mammals. The Transients cruise the coastal waters in search of their prey. Transients have been known to feast on Harbour seals, Sea lions, Dall's porpoises, Harbour porpoises, Pacific Whitesided dolphins, Gray, Minke and other whales.

As the rain falls down

Today it lightly drizzled on our wilderness trip. The mist flickered and lifted off of small islands, with the sun gently hazed over. Our guests were enthusiastic and often remarked about their own experiences in the Pacific Northwest.

The bald eagles gave us quite a show! They were close to the boat, and one called out to us. We were able to see porpoises, and it was remarked on and debated about their intelligence level. Many of our guests were curious, and we were delighted to be able to help and try to make their time as enjoyable as we could.

Unfortunately, the whales were too far away for all the boats in the area today. We had an excellent adventure anyway, and the only thing that would make life better would be some hot chocolate!

-Sarah Naturalist

Close Encounters with a Star

As a Naturalist, I've been told not to get too attached to the orcas. However, this is difficult when we spend so much time observing them and when I've spent the majority of my life fascinated by them. I must admit that I have a favorite and her name is J-28, or Polaris. She is easy to identify by her bright, closed saddle patch and a nick halfway up her dorsal fin. I've been hoping to see her on each trip, but this trip was the best viewing of her yet. J-28 initially surfaced just off the starboard beam of our boat. She stayed near us in a regular 2-minute interval surfacing pattern and then began spy hopping, as if she wanted to get a good look at us too. After spy hopping twice, she disappeared and made us wonder if we'd lost her. Just as we were about to move on to another group, Polaris began kelping (playing in kelp) just a beam of us! She put on a fabulous show, as did her family about a quarter mile off False Bay on the west side of San Juan Island. Our guests seemed to love her as much as I do, which gave us all something to chat about on our way up island towards Speiden to see the Harbor Seals, Bald Eagles, Mouflon Sheep, Fallow Deer, and one Sika Deer.

The trip was great, as usual, and held special meaning for me since I got to see Polaris. I saw little J-28 when she was almost a year old in 1994 and I was eight, making her the first wild calf I saw. Since then, I've kept up on Polaris and her family and every day with the whales is special for me and it's my goal to make it special for our guests as well. Today was a special trip and everyone had the time of their lives. Thanks Polaris!!!

Megan, Naturalist

Plenty of Sun Shine Headin' Our Way

Below: J-1, Ruffles, taken by Traci Walters (a past naturalist) on one of our trips

The past few days have been wonderful on San Juan Island... the season is well under way and J-Pod appears to have returned for the summer. Yesterday we got a great tip from a friend that the J-Pod was travelling near Cattle Pass (The southern end of San Juan Island) and we headed south the meet up with them. They were spread out over a few miles and appeared to be foraging around. Of course, the first animal in our sights was J-1 and he gave us a nice show off the port side of the boat. We stayed with J-1 for a while, giving the guests a perfect opportunity for pictures since it's much easier to time a shot when the animal has a 6ft dorsal fin that gives away its position. We left J-1 to take a look at J-26 and what appeared to be J-16 and her calf J-42. We could positively ID J-1 and J-26, but the female and calf were a guess based off them travelling with J-26. J-16, Slick, is J-26, Mike's, mom and J-42 is his little sister (who will receive a name later this summer). Our passengers were thrilled to see the orca as well as the animals on Speiden, a cormorant rookery on Henry, and some Bald Eagles soaring above us.

The trip was sheer perfection and the weather couldn't have been better. We are heading out today at 1pm. The sun is shining and there's a rumor that J-Pod is nearby. It won't be long until K and L Pods return and the season reaches its high. Make your reservation today!

Megan, Naturalist

Eagle Eyes

Yesterday was one of the best eagle viewing days we've had this season! We saw at least over a dozen Bald Eagles, many of which were juveniles. However, the adults seemed to know we were watching them and put on quite the show for us. They were perched regally on trees and rocks in plain sight, perfect opportunities for pictures.

The day began quite rainy, but we had a great California Sea Lion sighting on the buoy just outside the harbor. As we continued past Speiden the weather cleared up and people were able to get some postcard worthy photos of the clouds surrounding Salt Spring Island in Canada. Although there were no whales, we really got some great looks at the Glaucus Winged Gulls, Cormorants, and both types of sea lion: California and a Steller hauled out on Green Point. We had a talkative and inquisitive group, which heightened the atmosphere and made for an even better voyage.

Spying on Speiden

Photo of a Bald Eagle by our guest Dan Konopacki

Yesterday was a fun group in that we took five people out for an intimate trip around the islands. We began our orca search by heading down the east side of San Juan Island so we could high tail it to Victoria if they spotted whales. Unfortunately, there was no whale chatter over the radio and Captain Hobbes decided to turn around and head back towards Speiden because the water was very choppy. (We this these waves contributed to our lack, and everyone's lack for that matter, of seeing whales.) We took our guests to Speiden in hopes of catching something unique and exciting.

The excitement built as we parallelled Speiden because we saw a Bald Eagle kill! There was an adult and a juvenile feeding on a baby Mouflon Sheep carcass in plain view of our boat. We believe the baby died shortly before we got there, perhaps it was a still birth, and the eagles were taking advantage of the opportunity. Our National Geographic experience didn't end there. We also saw two juvenile male Mouflon Sheep headbutting each other. This "play" behavior eventually becomes more than a game when they are old enough to fight for females. They would rear up on their hind legs and crash their heads together with a force so great we could hear it echo!

We left Speiden with great photos and incredible memories and headed out into the Haro to look for porpoises and of course, orcas. We saw a few Dall's, but the waves made it difficult to keep an eye on them so Hobbes took us back around Stuart Island to check out some Harbor Seals and Bald Eagle nests. The trip came to a close as we came around the north side of Speiden, but the excitement was far from over. There were five male Steller Sea Lions hauled out on Green Point. Our guests had seen them swimming in the water earlier, but it's hard to comprehend how huge they are when you just see their heads in the water. These guys were huge and stood up nice and tall for our pictures.

Although we didn't see orca, the trip was a success. We may not be able to guarantee the whales, but we can guarantee fun and a great opportunity to see wildlife being just that... wild.

Steller Party

Yesterday's trip was another international, educational journey. We had a group from Japan as well as a group that was well-informed about our Eagle population. One lady on our trip worked to rehabilitate juvenile Bald Eagles. She was especially helpful with identifying the Bald Eagles, something that can prove difficult from a distance since they tend to resemble Turkey Vultures. Bald Eagles do not get their adult coloring until they are five years old. In the meantime, they look like a big brown bird, which can easily be mistaken for a vulture without a good pair of binos.

Our trip took us down the Haro Strait along the west side of San Juan Island. Captain Hobbes chose this route because there were few boats out yesterday and no reported whale sightings. He thought maybe we would catch them in the Haro Strait down near Victoria. Our guests got a great look at the island from the water including Lime Kiln State Park and American Camp. However, there were no orca sightings... thankfully the Harbor and Dall's Porpoises were frolicking about. Although there were no orca, Captain Hobbes saved the best for last.

We were able to observe a Steller Sea Lion Party near Race Rocks in Cattle Pass (the Southern end of San Juan Island). There were around twenty males and a lucky female hanging out on the rocks. They were exceptionally noisy, but their Harbor Seal neighbors didn't seem to complain. We have another trip going out this afternoon and will keep our eyes out for the orca.

Bird Lover's Heaven

Below: Osprey are quite clever and turn their prey face forward when in flight so as to improve their aerodynamics. Talk about a bird brain!

Yesterday began nice and sunny, but as soon as we got on the water the wind picked up. The water was quite choppy and made it difficult to see marine life. However, it was the best day for birds we've had yet this year.

While we were on Speiden we observed the Mouflon Sheep and Fallow Deer, but while we were searching for Stellers, we received quite a show from some local osprey. Two osprey were darting back and forth around the south side of Speiden. They would come together and fly a while and then land on the ground near the sheep, which gave them a bit of a fright. Their behavior was incredibly entertaining and we speculated that we could have witnessed a mating display. Not only were osprey on the island, but a Bald Eagle was perched on a tree not far from shore, giving our guests another great photo opportunity. We also saw Pigeon Guillemots, Oyster Catchers, Harlequin Ducks, Turkey Vultures, and various gulls. We saw a few Dall's in the Haro Strait and then went back to Stuart Island to view the old Cormorant nesting site... which might be revived in the near future because we saw three Cormorants hanging out on the rocks on the west side of Stuart.

After seeing all the birds and a few Harbor Seals, we finally found the Stellers swimming around off Green Point. We have another tour going out this afternoon, so keep your fingers crossed for orca!

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...