San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife update for Tuesday, September 14th:
Emily and I paddled out early Tuesday morning with a large group, and boy was it a gorgeous day. We began in total fog, with visibility less that 200 yards. We paddled along the shore, with the mist lifting every so often and allowing us brief glimpses of the islands surrounding us. With little boat activity, it was the perfect morning to paddle-- so quiet out there! Highlights of the trip came from finding an ochre sea star that all our guests could touch and examine up close, and the dozens of curious harbor seals that popped up and around our kayaks. We even got a gorgeous view of a watching bald eagle and a few great blue herons. Oh, and how could I forget about the Steller sea lion that surfaced just feet away from our kelp bed? This large tawny male surfaced just a few times more to breathe and then dove down and disappeared from sight. Spectacular.
Quite possibly one of my favorite tours of the year. ~Aileen