Captain Jim and I left Roche Harbor with reports of whales South off San Juan Island. The Seahawk slipped out Mosquito Pass and into the Haro and we were off into a beautiful day on the water. By the time we hit False Bay we'd caught up to a group of Resident Killer Whales milling a mile offshore.
Some groups of Residents we see on a regular basis as Naturalists, and some we don't see all that often. Myself, I have less experience with L Pod and find it a run challenge when I run into members I've never seen before. Nigel, or L95 stayed quite near our boat, offering me a good opportunity to learn how he looks, and our guests excellent views of his massive dorsal fin. He snorted his way around the boat several times before moving south to where the other animals in the area were.
We left Nigel and the rest of L Pod still foraging, and we hope, finding lots of Chinook Salmon, South of False Bay and took our guests home. A few Bald Eagles and Harbor Porpoises later, we were back to port.
Naturalist Brendan
M/V Seahawk, San Juan Outfitters