A good end to a foggy day

Today I looked outside the window and it was raining and misty. When I stepped outside the house, the rain had stopped and with the mist I could only see about a block. Would it rain today? The happy answer is no!

Captain went out on the Kittiwake to the southern part of San Juan island, past American Camp. There was a large mix of orca whales. It was a super pod (when two or more pods meet with each other)! Members of all the family pods were there. Males, females, and a few young calves-enough to make a beautiful panoramic view of nature. We saw a breach, a cartwheel, and a few spy hops! They were traveling very closely together, breathing and diving between and over each other. The orcas blended together. The islands were covered with swirling fog, and there wasn't a trace of the Olympics. The water looked like liquid metal in the light. Then the sun broke through the white clouds, dispelling the mists. It was great!

We also were fortunate enough to run into a minke whale: a small baleen whale. It surfaced several times before we had to go on our way. Seals, a flock of black turnstones, and a curiously out of place brown pelican greeted us on our way home.

Until next time,
Sarah McCully, Naturalist

She may kill me, but here is a photo of Sarah taken by a guest Chalie Owen, Colleen

What rhymes with...?

The sky cleared, and the sun shone through the clouds. At last-the sun! I hadn't seen it for a few days long enough to notice! The wind wasn't very cold either.

Today on the boat we saw a Minke whale! I hadn't seen one since early June. It was excellent to watch in the mellow water. There was a research boat along with it. Minke-the smallest of the baleen whales-are just as fascinating as orca. They are gray and white, with little dorsal fins on the back. Everyone was excited to see it.

We saw eagles flying and landing as well. They were close enough to look like they were posing (I swear, we don't pay them in salmon! Why doesn't anyone believe me?).

-Sarah, Naturalist

Mining for the Wanderers

Yesterday on the Sea Lion captain Pete, naturalist Megan and I went Northwest to the other side of Saturna Island, and later that night around Coal island. We went as fast as we could-transients were out there! There was a large group-larger than I had seen before with transients. It was only my third time seeing them, so it was even more special.

They were fantastic. Early in the day there was tail lobs and breaches. Later on they were resting-coming up in unison, and going back down together. It was great! A few males were mixed in with several females, and there was a youngster in there too! It took a while to get there, but it made it even better when we did see them.

The sunset made the sky look like it was lit on fire, and in the distance we saw lightning. What an unusual day!

-Sarah, Naturalist

You have to have Faith.

Today I was out with Captain Craig and Naturalist Ashley. We went up north to the east of Saturna island. J-pod and L-pod families were there. We had a lot of breaches up out of the water and tail slapping. There were not a lot of other boats around, and we had some excellently clear views.

Mt. Baker itself was a far off ghost mountain, towering mysteriously in the sky. With the clouds, it seemed to be floating. Hello, ice and wind and wildflowers! Hello home!

One of the orcas we saw today was my favorite from L-pod: Faith. He is a large male with a grown dorsal fin. We enjoyed his company for quite a time.

What a good day!

-Sarah, Naturalist

*Photo is from Mr. Herb from earlier this week.

Weeest!

Today Captain Mike, Naturalist Megan, and I all went to the west side of San Juan Island. The water was a little rougher than usual, but nothing that holding on couldn't fix! We cruised along, and shared about orcas and the islands while traveling. Everyone was happy to be here in the San Juans, and many commented on how beautiful the area is. It makes me happy to hear it, since I grew up in the Pacific Northwest!

We all gathered to watch J-pod family members today. Mike, his little sister J-42, and their mother Slick were together. The large male Ruffles was swimming with them too. Ruffles is such a unique orca, that it is always fun to watch him. He was fishing today. There a few others farther away that we couldn't identify, but I'm sure they were from the J's.

Until Tomorrow!

-Sarah, Naturalist

Afternoon to Evening

Yesterday we traveled to the east of Lopez island. The J-pod family were there, and seemed very happy and active today. The calf J-42 was with her mother Slick, and she kept breaching and breaching! It was marvelously cute. The waters were calm, and the wind was only slightly chilly with my windbreaker on. We spent as much time with them as we could, and then cruised back taking Thatcher Pass through the islands. The people on board were fun, and we had a lot of teachers too!

During the evening we went out again, this time Southwest of San Juan Island. The orcas were close by the shore, and were easily seen against the light colored sand and stones in the sunlight. Slick and her baby were there again, along with another J-pod member Mike. The winds were still light, and there were hardly any waves at all. We all retured a little tired, but were content from a day well spent!

-Sarah, Naturalist

South is the direction. The direction is south!

Today was a glorious day. It was warm in town and cool on the water. It made the sun much more bearable with the light breeze on deck. It was very pleasant, and the water was beautiful if a bit rough sometimes.

We went south past cattle point on San Juan Island today. Orcas were in small groups. Some of them were identified as from the k-pod family. We saw a female K-40 "Raggedy" and a larger male K-21 "Cappuccino" swimming together often. Today was a day for fishing. They would wind and dive down in place, feeding in the afternoon. The salty air and the orcas eating salmon made me want to eat my favorite sushi! Look out, Friday Harbor! I have a mission!

-Sarah, Naturalist

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!

An Intimate Trip

Below: male Steller Sea Lions hauled out on the rocks

Yesterday was an intimate trip for San Juan Safaris. We had a few guests from Thailand and Australia come along for a wildlife trip. The small group allowed for one on one attention to each passenger and their questions. Our trip began with no orca sightings, so we went straight to Speiden to see the Mouflon Sheep and Fallow Deer (no sightings of the Sica Deer yesterday). Not only did we see Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures, and the regular Speiden fauna; we also got to see sixteen male Steller Sea Lions hauled out on Green Point (the eastern point of the island). Steller Sea Lions are exciting for our guests and crew to see because they are in fact endangered... meaning that there aren't many left in the world. Stellers are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which forbids the killing, harming, or harassing of any marine mammal, as well as the Endangered Species Act. With this federal protection, there is hope for the recovery of the Steller Sea Lion population. It's always fun to see them hunting in the water for fish and squid, however seeing them on land is quite a different scenario. When in the water, you really only get a good look at their head. When on land, you get to see just how enormous they are. Adult males can reach upwards of 2,400 lbs and 11ft in length. These guys were a bit smaller than that, but our guests were still in awe of their size and got some great pictures. Because the wind was blowing in our direction, we could even smell them! (They smell like fish for those of you who are curious... they could probably benefit from some baths.)

We went around Speiden to see some porpoises in the Haro Strait. They weren't as active today, but still came around the boat so our guests could get a good look. We saw a nice mix of Harbors and Dall's. We continued around the north side of Stuart Island and got some great looks at the Bald Eagles, Harbor Seals, and the fascinating real estate.

Because we enjoy developing relationships with our guests, we will have more intimate trips available this season on our boat called the Kittiwake. We will only take up to twelve people on a tour at a time, with no junior crew members (kids) allowed on these strictly adult tours. If you would like to book a small group for the Kittiwake, you can begin reserving now. Those trips will begin in June, when the weather and the orca are a bit more reliable.

You Can't Predict Wildlife...

We always tell people that each wildlife trip is unique and yesterday’s trip truly proved that point. Once again, we began without a confirmed orca sighting. We headed to Speiden Island to view the sheep, deer, and to hopefully see some Steller Sea Lions. We saw numerous Mouflon Sheep and just as we were about to head to Haro Strait, our Steller Sea Lion friends popped up. To our excitement, and our guests’ cheers, a Steller began thrashing about in the water nearby in attempt to dismantle a large fish (that appeared to be a salmon). Because they don’t have hands like us, they have to literally beat the fish to pieces in order to eat it. The gulls, of course, love this and do what they can to get in on the action. Steller Sea Lions are so large, that when they expel air after a dive it sounds like a whale blowing. Everyone was fascinated by the Steller’s behavior so we spent more time than usual watching multiple males hunting on the southeastern side of Speiden.

As fun as our time near Speiden was, the real treat was in Haro Strait. We got word from fellow vessels that Dall’s Porpoises were pretty active in the Strait and made our way toward Canada to intercept them. Dall’s are quite playful and curious and occasionally ride the bow waves of the boat. Yesterday was one of those rare occasions where the porpoises came right up to the boat and rode in our wake. The guests, as well as the crew, were thrilled to have such a close encounter with the animals, and people got great pictures of them from about five feet away! We really look forward to them sending the pictures to us so we can add them to our photo contest. We spent quite a bit of time with the porpoises in Haro Strait near Stewart Island and then made our way back around the north side of Stewart.

Besides the Harbor Seals, Stellers, and Porpoises; we saw numerous varieties of birds including: adult and juvenile Bald Eagles, Harlequin Ducks (which are absolutely stunning), Pigeon Guillemots, various gulls, and Oyster Catchers. All in all, the trip was a complete success, despite the fact that our orcas never showed up. Once again, the variety of wildlife near the islands gave us an incredible adventure. The whales will be spotted more frequently in the next few weeks, but there is no shortage of marine mammals we can learn about and observe on our trips. Not only do the guests learn something new each trip, but our staff learns new facts and sees new behaviors each time we go out. Animal activity cannot be predicted because they are just that, wild animals. However this spontaneity is exactly what makes our trips so wonderful. Everything is a surprise!

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...

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...

more from John Eldridge

I also went on the Sea Lion last year as well and got a TON of even better shots. My favorites from that trip are My favorite. It hangs on the wall in my office at home.

He mentions that this one is one of his favorite from 2006 whale watching with San Juan Safaris.

Here are his notes on this one:

I photographed this pair of wild orcas in the Pacific Northwest. The mountains in the background are the Olympics. The photo was taken in 2006 aboard a whale watching tour out of Friday Harbor. I made the custom border in Photoshop. This is one of my favorites by composition and color