Harbor seals start slapping for San Juan Island sea kayak tour

San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife update for June 1rst:

One one hand I can't believe it's already June 1rst and on the other, the absolutely stunning weather of the past week makes it feel like it should be August already.

This afternoon I paddled out on a special tour with two lovely ladies from Colorado. The water was as smooth as glass all around us, so we were able to see the antics of some seals from far off. A few males were out and about practicing their mating displays, so we got to hear the double flipper slap and see the big splashes from a ways away. It's always exciting to be able to see, identify and interpret animal behavior, and today was no exception.

While crossing to Pearl on our return, we saw a juvenile bald eagle on the beach defending its prey against two adults. As we got a little closer, the juvenile took off (while vocalizing loudly) and one of the adults swooped in while the other stood guard. What they ate I don't know, but it had lots of fur-- raccoon or mink, methinks.