Excellent Kayak Trip Today

We had a fantastic trip today. The Thackray family from Bainbridge Island were up for spring break cycling the San Juans. Brett, Maureen, Sophie (15), Anna(12), and Erin(7) were all in good spirits despite the cold. The weather was clear, cool, and partly sunny. Very light winds, and great conditions for a paddle.

We launched from San Juan Outfitters dock in Roche Harbor, and immediately encountered a number of seasonal birds: Surf Scoters, Harlequin Ducks, Common Mergansers, Hooded Mergansers, and Buffleheads. As we continued North and west towards Henry Island, we saw a few seals pop up. The tides were right, and we drifted out into Haro Strait west of Battleship Island, where the fun began. We spotted some Harbor Porpoise in the distance, and they continued to close the distance as we drifted with the current. Out of nowhere, the group of 7 Harbor Porpoise popped up right in front of us. They were relaxed, and continued for 5-7 breaths as we watched. It was a fantastic encounter. More wildlife sightings followed, but the highlight was definitely the close encounter with that large group of adult Harbor Porpoise. Heading out tomorrow and this weekend. Brian Goodremont

Whales Sighted Today

Tuesday, April 1st 2008. Captain's Log. We had a great trip today!! First trip of the season with whales. It was a cold (45-50) sunny day, and we were fortunate to have a whale sighting off the west side of San Juan Island. The early report was transients. They were later identified as J-Pod (residents). The Sea Hawk is in Roche Harbor for the summer, and we had only a short trip to West Side of San Juan Island where we encountered the first group of whales. It turned out to be the J-16 family group, with J-26 traveling about 300 yards further offshore. The whales were spread almost to Discovery Island, as they moved north up Haro Strait. We were fortunate enough to get glimpses of all pod members. I spoke with Dave Ellifrit, and he and Ken Balcomb from the Center for Whale Research were on scene. When I left around 3:00pm, they had not yet found J-2. Let's hope she was just part of the offshore group that were not spotted. Also, J-43 was not easily spotted. J-40 appeared to be the oldest calf with the J-14's and J-11's. Great day. Flat, cool, and sunny. Brian Goodremont