Humpback Whales Sighted From Island Explorer 3!
Stay tuned to the Whale Report for an update on today's adventure from Naturalist Kate Janes! "The eleventh day in October was day one dreams of when picturing the perfect Fall day! Wispy clouds were scattered through portions of a blue sky background and as we rounded Cap Sante Point the ever beautiful Mount Baker came into view!! To our delight the mountain stayed in view throughout our entire journey!! Not long outside of the marina we found a Harbor Seal swimming casually by the boat, a Pelagic Cormorant using the water as a runway and a Common Loon kept a close eye on us as we passed on by!! Our journey lead us into Rosario Strait where we encountered some very surface active Harbor Porpoise and even a Steller Sea Lion feeding on a Salmon at the surface!! His feeding frenzy, involving thrashing about in the water, definitely caught not only our attention but also some curiously hungry gulls!! We continued southward, after a visit with the fast eating Sea Lion! At Colville Island we found some lounging Harbor Seals hauled out on the rocky shoreline while a mature Bald Eagle fed on the hill side of the island!! It was not only lunch time by human standards, but today the wildlife's stomachs must have also be growling!! We continued westward through the Strait of Juan de Fuca towards Canadian waters, enjoying Common Murres, Pacific Loons, and more porpoise along the way before encountering 3 massive Humpback Whales!!! Even from a distance we could see their exhalations lingering in the air 30 feet up!! Once on scene our guests really got to see just how large these cetaceans really are as they slowly rolled through the water! After a series of short respiration's the whales, who were swimming closely together, would all sound, bringing their flukes (tails) out of the water! With an average long down time of about 3 minutes, it wasn't long before they came back to the surface for us to enjoy!! Just before having to leave our guests got the opportunity to hear their exhalations! Which is one of the most beautiful sounds on the planet! It was definitely an amazing Fall day with perfect conditions while we enjoyed the company of some outstanding wildlife with the brilliant Olympic Mountains as a backdrop!!" - Naturalist Kate Janes
posted by Island Adventures Whale Report @ 5:05 PM
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