It was a good day out on the whale watching boat today. Our dock hand, Nick, got off early and went on our 11:00 AM departure out of Roche Harbor. He returned to the dock pumped about the trip, he said the trip was "fantastic!"

There were rumors that we had a "superpod" which is a treat to be able to see. A superpod occurs when J, K, and L-Pod join together to socialize and mate. In cases like this, there could be close to 90 whales in an fairly small area! What I can confirm is that our trip saw members of J-Pod and L-Pod. From J-Pod, they were able to identify Ruffles, Riptide, Blackberry and they also saw various members of L-Pod. The orcas were viewed right outside the harbor, on the west side of Henry island, so the travel time included was approximately 15 minutes. How convenient! Some interesting behaviors viewed were breaches, spyhopping and foraging. Nick also reported seeing several young calves.

It's started to rain this afternoon but the forecast for the rest of the week looks promising.

Sunset Kayak trips

Well, with the sun setting earlier and earlier every day, it's time for our evening kayak trips to draw to a close. It's been a great summer full of glorious sunsets, beautiful splashes of color, and of course, Kodak moments. All of our guides have different things they like about the sunset tours-- for example, I like that the water is usually still and relaxing while Blake likes to find harbor porpoise.

Here are some pictures I took of Noelle on her tour last week. Enjoy!

Margo writing from the reservation desk and being that it's August, these last few weeks have been quite busy. I just spoke with Tom about his 5-hour kayaking trip today and it sounds as though he had a great time with his 4 guests. He reported that while they were sitting on the beach during lunch, a Red Fox approached them trying to beg or steal food. The foxes around here are quite friendly around people and every once and a while, they may approach very closely. Another cool event that happened was while their group was rounding the northern tip of Henry Island, a bald eagle flew right over the kayaks and swooped down to catch a fish approximately 20 feet from their kayaks.

Another unique sighting happened yesterday on our whale watching vessel out of Roche Harbor. Naturalist Anna reported seeing an Elephant Seal north of Stuart Island. In my 5 years here, I have only seen one Elephant Seal, so that was quite a treat for those guests. Over and out!

Transient Orcas put on a show!

Captain Brian and I set off for a whale watch tour on Monday, heading north to Saturna Island, Canada. Just as we crossed the border and drew near the shores we saw what we'd hoped to find-- the elusive transient orcas (also called killer whales). Here in the San Juan Islands we have two species of killer whales --transients and residents. Although superficially similar, they are two distinct types of animals and differ in diet, behavior, social patterns, size and markings, location and more. The two species never intermingle or interact.

Most often seen in the San Juans are the members of the Southern Resident population (yes, there's a Northern Resident population too!), so named because they have a smaller home range; sticking closely to the west coast during the winter and here in the Puget Sound in the summer. These fish-eating whales spend time in large family groups (called pods) that can number anywhere from 8 to 87 individuals!

The transient orca has a greater range of habitat and they are more unpredictable. They travel in much smaller groups-- 2 to 5 is average-- silently hunting prey like are porpoises, seals, sea lions and even other whales! These whales are found in every sea of the world, from the Caribbean to the Antarctic!

Once we got close to those transients there was so much to see! There was such an array of behaviors displayed that Brian and I were working hard to keep everyone informed as to what each display meant. We saw pectoral fin slaps, tail lobs, porpoising and most spectacular of all was a number of huge belly flop-style breaches! This was especially cool to see as it's a behavior unique to transient orcas (the Southern Residents land on their backs or sides). While at first Brian thought they were hunting (orcas can throw their bodies into the air and slap down like that when they are attacking harbor porpoises), ultimately we didn't define their purpose.

We got some astounding views of these huge mammals before they continued to swim off. We turned the corner with them and got a few more great looks before they headed away. Our last up close glimpse came as one passed right under the boat, turning sideways as it did, allowing me and a few passengers to see all the white markings on it's side and stomach before surfacing a few yards off.

Blue skies, flat seas and thrilling once-in-a-lifetime displays by some elusive whales. What an unbelievable day!

Rain, Wind, Sun and Repeat

The weather was pretty crazy yesterday, with us experiencing everything from a hard downpour to a sunny warm breeze and lots of changes in between. It made for a wet day for all and I started off on a special 5 hour tour yesterday afternoon with some adventurous folks from Wisconsin. They braved the damp cold to paddle out and I'm glad they did as blue skies and sunny days are wonderful, but there's nothing like paddling around the islands when they're shrouded in mist and everything is gray and quiet.

As we rounded Kellett Bluffs the water was like glass and we could just make out Vancouver Island. While were admiring the open expanse, one of my guests saw something moving and diving. Once we got some good views I could tell it was a pair (or more) of harbor porpoises. These shy creatures were surfacing back and forth in the waters around the steep cliffs and seemed to be feeding. Harbor porpoises eat lots of different types of fish including herring (which we have a lot of here in the Sound). Their dives would bring them up in a new place each time, so we scanned the calm water and listened for their loud breaths. It was a pretty special sight to see and hear them so close!

As we were sitting there with them we saw some beautiful color appear over San Juan Island. Not only were we looking at a double rainbow, but one was also was also a supernumerary rainbow (a rainbow with additional color bands on the inside).

We paddled towards the end of the rainbow and then into the harbor for some warm drinks. I consider hot chocolate worth its weight in gold anyways!

Transient Orcas and Dall's Porpoise

I worked as a naturalist on the whale watching boat yesterday for the first time in a while and it was great to get out on the water again and in addition, we had quite an exciting trip! At the point of departure at 11:00, we had reports of Resident Orcas up north near the city of Vancouver and Transient Orcas were spotted near Trial Island which is close to the city of Victoria, Canada. We decided to go for the Transient Orcas as they were headed towards us and we don't get as many opportunities to see the Transients as they are more erradic in their movements and behavior and typically come in and out of the area, hence the name "Transient". We made the right choice because by the time we got out into Haro Strait, they had moved quite a distance closer and we were able to spend a lot of time with them. There was a large male in the group identified as T-20 whose dorsal fin is roughly 6 feet tall with a notch towards the top which is how we were able to identify him. There were likely 9 total whales traveling in the group of Transients. While watching the whales, there is a high chance that we saw them make a kill, likely a Dall's porpoise which is one of the reasons they come into this area. The Transients are marine mammal eaters and in the islands, they typically feed on Harbor seals, Dall's Porpoise, and Harbor Porpoise. We saw quite a bit of splashing and erradic movements and then saw T-20 (large male) do two side ways rolls and we saw his white belly. Very cool! On the way back, we saw Harbor Seals and a bald Eagle as well as other marine birds.

A windy-- but sunny-- adventure!

Noelle and I spent the last two days paddling with Frank, Gabbie and Debbie who had traveled up to the San Juan Islands for a wildlife filled adventure. Highlights were getting up close and personal with a few harbor seals and being rewarded with a few passes of a Bald Eagle directly above our kayaks.

We spent the evening hiking, exploring the rocky beaches, photographing some beautiful scenery and taking advantage of an open space and throwing a Frisbee around! Debbie got some great pictures of the sunset on the western side of the island while I woke up early to greet the dawn looking east. (see above picture)

After a warm breakfast we packed up camp and made our way to the beach to set off for our next leg of the journey. It took us a while to get the timer right, but I think this shot captures the smiles and energy of our trip. (From left: Frank, Debbie, Noelle, Gabbie and me) After a windy night we were all happy to be warmed by the sun again!

We paddled for a few hours and then stopped on Posey Island for a delicious lunch and last chance to throw the Frisbee before finishing our trip in Roche Harbor.

Overnight Expedition to Jones Island

Last week I accompanied Blake and a family from New York out on an overnight expedition to Jones Island. We were fortunate for great weather (even if it was pretty windy at times) and calm seas.

Heading out of Friday Harbor we moved north until we were in the Wasp Islands. First stopping on Yellow Island we chatted with the steward, stretched our legs, examined local fauna and studied some gorgeous seals from shore. Yellow Island is owned and protected by The Nature Conservancy, which is conducting extensive ecological research on the island. The island is prized (especially in springtime) for its incredible abundance and variety of wildflowers.

After a lunch break we got to our destination for the night-- Jones. We set up camp on the western shore, hiked around and explored for a bit, then settled in for a delicious dinner. The sunset that night was near perfect.

After pushing out the next morning we set off for the northeastern corner of San Juan Island, where we stopped for lunch before continuing out trek over to Roche Harbor where we ended our journey.

We feasted, we paddled, we hiked, we explored-- all in all, a gorgeous trip!

Sunshine & Seals

I paddled out on a 5 hour tour today with Martin, Tina, Jerome and Stan. We were on the hunt for whales and even though we didn't see any, we were rewarded with great Bald Eagle and harbor seal sightings. Paddling down the west side of Henry Island, we saw many mothers with pups and two males slapping the water and fighting. The other night when I saw that behavior I wasn't sure what I was looking at but after talking with other naturalists, I learned what that meant.
It turns out, male harbor seals are territorial and they exhibit a few different behaviors to challenge each other. First they'll go back and forth slapping the surface of the water, then they'll progress to grunting and roaring, and if that isn't enough for one to assert dominance, they'll begin to fight--biting, snarling and wrestling with each other. It was great to see that show for a second time-- especially now that I'm informed!

Having planned it right with the tides, we then rode the current all the way around and landed on a sunny pebble beach on the south side of Little Henry. Eating lunch on the beach with wide open views of the Olympic Mountain range was like having the best seat in the house!

J-Pod and members of L-Pod

I just got off the phone with Captain Brian who has just returned to Roche Harbor from his 11:00 whale watching trip. He said it was amazing! He reported that J-Pod and about 15-20 members of L-Pod were traveling south through Boundary Pass from Canada. By the time our trip went out, the whales were right outside of the harbor in Haro Strait. Captain Brian and Naturalist Kendall as well as their guests viewed the whales traveling south and had some up close and personal looks at the whales which is quite special and is something that cannot be planned for. It is a guideline for all boats to stay 100 yards away but in this situation, Captain Brian had situated himself at that distance but while the boat's engine was shut down, the whales had changed direction and headed right towards the boat. At that point, the whales became too close for Brian to turn back on his engine to move out of the way, so they had whales swimming underneath and around the boat. They were even able to see a female orca named Princess Angeline (J-17) and Brian and Kendall observed that she appeared pregnant so they contacted the Center for Whale Reserach and the Center had the same observation. We don't know for sure but we will find out in due time. For your information, the gestation period of an orca is 16-17 months.

Sunset from Posey

I think sunset trips are my favorite time of day to paddle! Tonight I ventured out with Crystal, Will and Jared from Santa Barbara, CA. It was a gorgeous day with blue skies and as the sun started to descend we headed over to Posey Island for a quick break and an opportunity to stretch our legs. With a brief nod to the other kayakers camped out there, we walked around and checked out the very small island. Jared was the first to discover the mother and two fawns (Columbia Black-tailed deer) present, while Will and Crystal took in the evening.

After the variable weather this week, it was a pleasure to see the sun set in all its glory!

Harbor Seals Abound!

Last night I headed out of Friday Harbor with Madeline, Henry, Karina and Eric. We were fortunate to see some great views of Bald eagles and auklets among other sea birds, but the highlight of the trip came when we rounded Turn Island and started seeing a good number of harbor seals. We were excited to see all sorts of seals including mothers and pups that surfaced to check out our kayaks up close. As we paddled along we saw some splashing right next to Karina and Eric's boat and while at first I thought it was common male behavior, it soon proved otherwise. After a few minutes of observation we realized we were seeing two male seals physically fighting with each other-- growling, biting, grunting, splashing and wrestling! I've never seen such intense interaction between harbor seals, and certainly never that close!

It was an incredible view, and we all were pretty excited to have been able to witness it from our kayaks!

We've had great success this week on our whale watching trips. For the most part, the whales have been traveling in and through Haro Strait which is quite convenient as our whale watching boat departs out of Roche Harbor daily and is located on the West Side of San Juan Island. We are just minutes from Haro Strait which means that we haven't had to travel too far.

Our kayaking trips have also had some success seeing the whales. Just a few evenings ago our 6:00 sunset trip was able to see the whales and yesterday, our afternoon trips were also able to see the whales from the kayaks. They have also been seeing Harbor Seals, Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, and other marine life.

Weather has also pick-up over the past few days. We had a few days with foul weather but yesterday and today have had blue skies and warm temperatures. August typically has very nice weather so let's hope for the best this month.