Jordan | August 30, 2018 | M/V Sea Hawk | 2:00 trip
Today was such a great day out on the water as Captain Erick and I set out of Roche Harbor and headed north to reports of whales in Canadian waters. Picturesque clouds painted the horizon as they billowed up and created even more beauty all around us.
We first we headed towards Spieden Island and we checked out some harbor seals on a small rocky outcrop. These floppy little fellows were enjoying their time on land as they soaked in the sunny skies.
We then headed north along the west side of Stuart Island. We boated past the most northwestern point in the continental U.S., across Boundary Pass and into Canadian waters. We went up past North Pender Island and found our whales! We found a wonderful pod of transient (Bigg’s) killer whales called the T100s. This family group is led by T100 who guides her family all across the San Juan Islands and leads them to food. As transients, they are always searching for marine mammals to eat.
This beautiful family of whales seemed to be traveling north deeper into Canadian waters. Within this group is one sprouting male: T100C. He was born in 2002 and is now developing a large dorsal fin that he flaunts next to his tiny-finned siblings. As the older brother in this group, he serves as a good example of how whales are supposed to act and hunt.
We were really lucky to be able to watch these whales swimming and diving in their natural habitat among the islands and the mountains and sunshine.
Eventually we headed back home to Roche Harbor very content with the days adventure.