Captain Cal and I headed out of Roche Harbor with a full boat today. No other captains reported any sightings of killer whales (orcas), so we decided to try our luck looking for all sorts of other wildlife (while keeping our fingers crossed for whales of course). And what a day we had!

To start with, it was absolutely gorgeous out-- clear skies and water like glass all the way across to Canada. We motored south to Kelp Reef and glimpsed some dozing Steller Sea...

Today I paddled out with Peter, Erika and Maren and despite the bright sunny skies, we encountered wind almost every way we turned! It was one of the more challenging days I've paddled lately, but luckily they were up for the adventure. We started by trying to get a closer look at all the birds sheltering around Posey Island, but could only identify a handful before they scattered.

Sprinkled among the more common Buffleheads, Harlequins and Guillemots were some...

San Juan Island sea kayak update:

Today I paddled out with Peter, Erika and Maren and despite the bright sunny skies, we encountered wind almost every way we turned! It was one of the more challenging days I've paddled lately, but luckily they were up for the adventure. We started by trying to get a closer look at all the birds sheltering around Posey Island, but could only identify a handful before they scattered.

Sprinkled among the more common Buffleheads...

We've been sighting a wide variety of marine mammals in our area this week, but none so spectacularly huge as the Steller Sea Lion. The Stellers, also known as the northern sea lion, is a massive pinniped, only smaller than the walrus and elephant seal. With males up to 8-11 feet long and over 2,000 pounds, it's hard to believe they are not at the top of the food chain!

The Stellers come into these waters to looking for all sorts of food-- salmon, rockfish, herring...

Down at the Roche Harbor docks the whale watch and sea kayak staff are getting ready for the busy season ahead--painting, sanding, staining and waxing just about everything in sight. We've been taking advantage of the good weather this week to get our 'office' in top shape, and today was no different. Although the To-Do list was mounting I kept getting distracted by the Belted Kingfishers noisily splashing by the banks on the other side.

These blue and white birds...

San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife update:

Lately Blake and I, along with our guests, have been seeing a large number of Bald Eagles out on the west side. Some of these eagles remain here year round, with others migrating seasonally. This month we're seeing the eagles population increase in preparation for the bountiful summer months.

When food is plentiful, you can often see 8 or more individuals crowding around a seal carcass, but other times one adult will eat...

San Juan Island Sea Kayak Report from April 13th:

Today we paddled out to the west side looking for critters, and took a closer look at the Pigeon Guillemot. These glossy black and white birds, chunky in stature, are easily recognizable by their bright red legs and feet. I like these birds as they are especially easy to spot on open bays, and often swim quite close to the docks. When diving underwater looking for bottom fish, the Guillemot propels itself with its...

San Juan Island Whale Watching report for Friday, April 10th:

Well, it's early in April and we've had great success spotting wildlife the past few days. On Friday Captain Nancy and I left Roche Harbor with gray skies overhead. There were reports of Transient Orcas near Fulford Harbor, and we crossed our fingers we'd make it across the Haro Strait before they disappeared. Luck was with us as we drew close to the southern tip of Salt Spring Island, and we watched as...

Today was my first kayak trip of the season, and what a great trip it was! Derrick and Rachel braved the gray skies and we paddled out to the West Side. The birds were fantastic-- we sighted five bald eagles, countless Harlequin ducks, mergansers, buffleheads, auklets, guillemots, oystercatchers, kingfishers, cormorants, herons and more!
I was pleasantly surprised to see dozens of seals lounging and swimming, but the real treat of the day came later. We were...

Great day for whale watching on San Juan Island

J-POD SPOTTED ON THE WEST SIDE TODAY!! For those who don't read our blog frequently, J-Pod is one of our three resident family groups of Killer Whales. These three pods make up the Southern Resident Community. While J-pod sightings are not uncommon in the winter months, it is very exciting to have a sighting right off the west side of San Juan Island. I'm working on getting a confirmation from The Center For Whale...