Whale Watching Report

For today's trip we worked our way across Rosario Straits and around the southern part of Lopez Island. We stopped at Colville Island to watch 6 turkey vultures soaring over the island and two adult bald eagles perched on the ground. One bald eagle took flight and landed right next to his or her mate. Many harbor seals were hauled out on the rocks as we passed by slowly. Next we found orcas swimming north along the west side of San Juan Island, just south of Lime Kiln Park. We saw mostly J-pod orcas, but there was at least one L-pod orca swimming with them, L57, Faith. Soon after we arrived on the orca scene many of the orcas were approaching a big bull kelp forest near shore. We saw 6-7 orca spyhops within a few minutes right on the edge of the bull kelp forest. A few minutes later one of the orcas breached out of the water. Later as the orcas swam north of the park, J26, Mike, came over to give us a look. He appeared to be chasing salmon at one point with several changes of direction. Soon we joined Ruffles, J1, as he was swimming up ahead. Not long after we got close to Ruffles he turned completely around heading toward us and chasing a salmon at high speed. We continued to parallel view Ruffles and soon J19, Shachi, joined him. Just as we were waving goodbye to the orcas today Granny, J2, came out of nowhere it seemed and gave our passengers a great close up view. Everybody gasped as she came out of the water at close range because none of us expected her to be there. On the way back to the dock we chose a route through the inner San Juan Islands. We stopped once at Decatur Island to view the bald eagle's nest there with a chick still perched on the nest and one adult parent perched in a tree nearby. The Sun gradually worked its way out by the middle to end of our trip, and the weather conditions were nice all day long. Naturalist Bart Rulon