Roche Harbor was still a buzz with the Fourth of July festivities, and apparently so were the whales. Reports had whales from Turn Point Lighthouse all the way down to Salmon Bank on the Westside of San Juan Island. Quite a large area to scan for whales, but no worries, Captain Chris and myself were on the lookout. The water was nice and calm with only a little bit of fog burning off with the afternoon heat. It made it perfect conditions to scout for whales. Immediately outside of Mesquito Pass we spotted a male and female killer whale in the distance. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Granny, J-2, and Onyx, L-87. These two are commonly spotted with each other and it's always fun to see our 103 year old orca, Granny, leading the group.
After a long time spent with our resident pod, guests and crew were ready to spot for some bald eagles and wildlife, however along the way we got a bit distracted by a surprise humpback in Speiden Channel! The whale surfaced half a mile from our boat, but it was an incredible sighting that we didn't plan on seeing. It was a solitary whale, most likely a juvenile on a slow migration North towards the feeding grounds of Alaska. These whales will start life out in Hawaii, during the winter months, and then migrate towards colder, nutrient rich waters in the summertime. It's not a bad way to spend your life- winters in Hawaii and summers in Alaska. Not bad at all. Either way it's a great opportunity to spot these megafauna out in our waters and was a rare treat! Hope to see some more soon.
Caitlin, Naturalist
San Juan Outfitters
M/V Sea Hawk