Captain Brian Goodremont and Naturalist Jesse had an amazing trip yesterday. Brian said this trip was easily in his “Top Five” transient killer whale encounters ever. It’s not often that Captain Brian experiences many “first times” on the water because he’s be on San Juan Island since 1998.
In the early spring months, most of our Southern Resident Community of killer whales are out in the open ocean feeding on salmon. Although we don’t see the J, K, and L pods much, we see transient mammal eating orcas fairly regularly. We have a very healthy population of harbor seals in the San Juan Island area, which attracts pods of transients.
After getting reports of the T65As and theT49As & Bs (about 10 orcas) the Sea Hawk departed Roche Harbor and sped off towards Yellow Island, which is just outside Friday Harbor in San Juan Channel (Hey, we stop there on our multi-days!). Captain Brian reported seeing lots of surface activity including several juveniles preying on seals.
Here is where is gets reaaally good! Brian spotted the large male in the group about 50 yards off the Sea Hawk (don’t worry, engines were shut down per regulations). T he big male surfaced with a large adult seal draped across it half-open mouth! Let me say that again: A seal in its MOUTH that was still fully intact! The orca made a shallow dive and Brian, Jesse, & guests could see the seal being held delicately in its mouth. All of a sudden…WOOOSH! The male surfaced right next to the Sea Hawk with the seal still in tow. Prior to that, a juvenile swam past with a fresh kill in its mouth. It was a little gory, but Brian & Jesse could follow the blood trail streaming from the whale’s prey. Shortly after, small pieces of seal meat & blubber started surfacing around the boat. Brian estimated there was a slick about 30 yards long of blood, oil, and seal meat at the surface.
Brian has only experienced a few other transient encounters that was this intense! The other times includes transients preying on dall’s porpoise and another instance of several transients hunting an elephant seal.
We are running kayak trips and whale watching trips all this week!