Captain Brian & Naturalist Aimee just returned from their afternoon whale watch tour aboard the Sea Hawk. Naturalist Aimee was SO excited about their Southern Resident Killer Whale encounters today that she could barely speak! It was all squeals! It’s one of the many reason we love having Aimee as part of our SJO staff. For her, every day on the Sea Hawk is new and exciting and Aimee shares her enthusiasm with all our guests!
The Sea Hawk departed Roche Harbor. Basically, within 15 minutes, they ran smack into L pod as they traveled north along the west side of San Juan Island. There was no avoiding it! Captain Brian immediately shut down the engines to let the Sea Hawk float quietly to not disturb the endangered Orcas as they were foraging and traveling. Out of the 40+ whales traveling north, Matia (L77, born 1987) and her female offspring (L119, born just last month!) gave guests on the Sea Hawk a very close look. L77 was pushing L119 along with her nose before swimming directly off the bow of the Sea Hawk! Everyone could see Matia clearly underwater while L119 did a little porpoise at the surface. So cool!
Naturalist Aimee also reported some exciting courting behavior displayed by Mega (L41, born 1977). Mega is one of the largest males in L pod and has a distinctive nick half way down his towering dorsal fin, and then another small nick several inches above his saddle patch. Maybe we’ll see a new L pod offspring in 17 months!
On to guide Michael’s incredible 5-hour Orca Search kayak tour today. Michael and his guests where floating in the kelp forest just north of Half Moon Bay on Henry Island. He gently plucked a bright orange blood star off the rocks to show his guests. He looked up, and WHAM! Killer whales all around them! They quickly rafted up and watched the Southern Resident Orcas travel north for 45 minutes. 45 minutes! Michael identified members of K pod & L pod, and also though he identified members of J pod. There was a ton of surface activity including a huge spy hop in Half Moon Bay! Michael estimated the big mature male was only 10-15 yards from their kayaks. He said “it was almost obnoxious how many whale were traveling, spy hopping, and breaching around us!”
Guide Jen had an equally exciting encounter with river otters and a very hungry looking adult bald eagle on their afternoon half-day kayak tour. Jen & her guests paddle towards Half Moon Bay in hopes to observe the mated pair of bald eagles that constructed their nest at the very top of a Douglas Fir tree. Jen saw an adult eagle perched on a rocky outcropping just under the nest; below the eagle were three juvenile river otters nervously swimming around seeking shelter. The bald eagle hungrily watched them (no wonder! Michael confirmed that there are two very healthy looking juveniles in the nest!) before letting the river otters quickly swim away.