Sunshine and Orca Whales!
The Island Explorer 3 is on-scene with the Orca Whales! Check back for details on today's tour from Naturalist Kate Janes and click here to see the location of the Orca Whales from space! "The inner islands lead us today to the Southern Resident Orca Whales! Traveling between Decatur & Blakely Island we enjoyed a sunny ride past the Lopez Ferry terminal as Pigeon Guillemots played in the waters nearby. We navigated south down Upright Channel where we entered the Strait of Juan de Fuca at Cattle Pass. It was just south of False Bay where we found the Orcas of J pod! We spent our time visiting with Oreo's family & Blossom's children as they milled about just off the shores of San Juan Island! Tsuchi swam along our port side giving our guests great looks and an opportunity to listen to her exhalations! She lead us to Oreo, Doublstuff and Cookie who were just ahead! Right when we were about to head farther offshore to visit with Blackberry & Mako, the whales we were visiting with apparently had the same idea as they began heading in the same direction!! We eventually had to leave the Orcas and ventured home through the waters surrounding the south end of Lopez Island! It was at Castle Rock where we found playing Pigeon Guillemots, Harbor Seals, and a couple of Black-tail Deer grazing on Lopez Island! Our afternoon trip brought us back into the inner islands, but unlike our morning trip we made a stop near Friday Harbor! This stop wasn't for shopping but for Orcas!! We found a group of Transient Orcas (the kind that eat marine mammals) heading east along Shaw Island! Among the resting whales was T20, a large male with a dorsal fin standing over 6 feet tall! Our guests were in for a treat, which was definately a first for all of the crew, as we headed south into the Strait of Juan de Fuca leaving the Transients in Upright Channel as they milled in the riptide! Our guests enjoyed a double header consisting of both races of Orcas that occur in this area (Transients & Residents)!! We found members of J pod milling about just south of Eagle Point! The Residents where in quite a playful mood as Blackberry, Tsuchi & Mako rolled about doing bellyroll after bellyroll! It wasn't long before young Doublestuff joined in on their fun! Before we knew it we were surrounded as they circled the boat as if the whales wanted a closer look at us! We left the whales eventually as they began heading north towards False Bay! We turned south and returned to port through Rosario Strait!" - Naturalist Kate Janes
posted by Island Adventures Whale Report @ 12:57 PM
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