Surprising Arisings!

Well, I can't tell you what a treat it is to be headed off on a wildlife trip with no hope of seeing orcas and then you get "The Call". For the past two days we have motored up San Juan Channel, swung north around Flattop Island and then been alerted of another boat finding orcas. Yesterday it was transients in Canada, today it was residents at the south end of the island. Both days, we had already informed our guests of the bad news of no orcas, but of our intention to visit the haunts of other wildlife in the hopes of coming around a corner and seeing whales. Who knew that our luck would be so good.

For both Jaclyn and I, yesterday marked a special first. We have seen many transient orcas, which look very much like our residents, but neither one of us has seen a transient eat something. Yesterday though, a little harbor seal was the target and he put up a very valiant fight to escape. With four well trained hunters around though, it did not stand a chance. The whole encounter was fraught with tension, but not the horror that most people would expect and the orcas were just doing what was necessary to survive.

Today was just as thrilling. We had finished looking at Flattop Island and were admiring all of the exotic animals on Spieden when suddenly, Capt. Nancy turned the M/V Sea Lion around and raced off into the channel. "Contact" had been made and what we originally thought were going to be more transients, were then reported as a family from L pod and turned out to be nearly every member of L pod with some of K pod as well! What a shock that was, especially since all of the reports had been of the three resident pods northeast of Active Pass in Canada going farther north!

Luck and good whale fortune have been with us this week and it continues to allow us to show our guests the beauty and majesty of the Pacific Northwest. These were trips of great memories for both the crews and the visitors and we were happy to have hosted you all.

So, from all of us here at San Juan Safaris, to all of you bold adventurers out there, thank you and we will...

See You In The Islands!
~Tristen, Naturalist


Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

Sunset and Whales

It was a beautiful evening and Capt. Craig, the guests and I rushed right out to be a part of it. Actually, we were rushing because there were reports of Orcas in the vicinity and they were moving away from us. We quick got the group on board and the MV Sea Lion under way and motored out of the harbor.

A small charter boat had followed two transient Orcas up the coast of Vancouver Island to Active Pass between Galiano and Mayne Islands, B.C. We caught up with them on the east side of the pass and had the amazing opportunity to watch as the whales surfaced and blew in the late evening sun. It turned out that we were relaxing with T20 and T21, two transient Orcas that are common to the area. T20 is a big male that is nearly 35 years old and T21 is a female just a few years younger than that.

As the sun set and shot stunning colors into the sky we marveled at the reflection caught on the whale's dorsal fins each time they surfaced. Interestingly, these two animals along with a third were part of the only recorded negative interaction between resident and transient Orcas. In the 1970s a photographer/researcher witnessed J pod chasing and attacking these transients and attempting to run them ashore. T20, 21 & 22 were finally able to use a boat as a distraction and escape and J pod was left milling and agitated.

There was none of that this night though and the scenes that these two whales afforded us will be stored as precious memories for many years to come. Until the next time, thank you and we will...

See You In The Islands!
~Tristen, Naturalist


Orca Whales and Wildlife Are Our Only Business. ©

transient orcas

Jan. 18
Ken Balcomb, of the Center for Whale Research, reported approx. 8 - 9 Transient orcas near Victoria at 2:30 pm.
The group included T30, T30A and friends - zig zagging elusively.

Where's the pot of gold?

We saw whales!! And more than one species! In San Juan Channel we found a small Minke whale moving southbound. Minkes are a small baleen whale, filter feeding on small schooling fish....typically no larger than 30 feet in length. This little one, must be a young one, it was probably no longer than 20 feet, although they are hard to judge in size when they surface. Interesting that this little guy or gal was in the channel, we more commonly see them out at Salmon or Hein Bank, or at least somewhere near Cattle Pass. Very cool though and some great looks! Also saw a few Harbor Porpoise while we were waiting for the Minke to re-surface after a longer dive.

Off into Canadian waters near Moresby Island we met up with a group of 4 Transient Orcas. According to Soundwatch it is believed these were with a larger group of Ts seen around Nanaimo yesterday! That means they really have travelled quite a distance...maybe 60 miles or so! They were somewhat elusive....changing direction frequently but still milling about in the general area. It was not unusual for this pod to take a few shallow dives, surfacing over the coarse of a few minutes, then be down for 5-10 minutes and have done a 180 degree turn and surface over 1/4 mile away! We think it may have been the T124As....mom with her 3 calves.

Scouting for Bald Eagles on the way back in...no luck...but lots of Harbor Seals swimming and lounging about. The Minke was still in the channel, judging by the other whale watching boat and research boat in the vicinity.

To top it off a brief rain cloud passed overhead, a nice rain shower followed by a beautiful rainbow! The end touching down somewhere in the water! Now all we need is the pot of gold!

-Jaclyn Van Bourgondien, naturalist