We left Roche Harbor today with no confirmed whale sightings in the area. We decided to head down Mosquito Pass and go down the West side of San Juan in hopes of spotting some whales since that is an area they have been commonly seen. In route we saw quite a few bald eagles in flight as well as some harbor porpoises in Haro Strait. We got down to around Eagle Point and sighted a large portion of the resident L-pod. They were approximately 15 individuals traveling very closely together. It is always very nice to see a large group of whales traveling together because they are very commonly dispersed over a wide area within their individual family groups. They whales were traveling at a pretty slow pace which made for a relaxing a serine viewing of the whales. We enjoyed watching the relaxed whales for a bit and then headed back up the West side of San Juan Island towards Roche Harbor. On our way back into Mosquito pass we saw a few harbor seals hauled out on the rocks. We got a little bit further into Mosquito pass and was pleasantly surprised by a lone stellar sea lion in the area. It is always great to see seals and sea lions on the same trip so guests can see first hand the major differences between seals and sea lions. We had an absolutely wonderful group of guests today who appreciated every moment of our lovely Sunday trip!
Naturalist Rachel
San Juan Outfitters, M/V Sea Hawk