san juan island

Today I paddled out with Peter, Erika and Maren and despite the bright sunny skies, we encountered wind almost every way we turned! It was one of the more challenging days I've paddled lately, but luckily they were up for the adventure. We started by trying to get a closer look at all the birds sheltering around Posey Island, but could only identify a handful before they scattered.

Sprinkled among the more common Buffleheads, Harlequins and Guillemots were some...

San Juan Island sea kayak update:

Today I paddled out with Peter, Erika and Maren and despite the bright sunny skies, we encountered wind almost every way we turned! It was one of the more challenging days I've paddled lately, but luckily they were up for the adventure. We started by trying to get a closer look at all the birds sheltering around Posey Island, but could only identify a handful before they scattered.

Sprinkled among the more common Buffleheads...

We've been sighting a wide variety of marine mammals in our area this week, but none so spectacularly huge as the Steller Sea Lion. The Stellers, also known as the northern sea lion, is a massive pinniped, only smaller than the walrus and elephant seal. With males up to 8-11 feet long and over 2,000 pounds, it's hard to believe they are not at the top of the food chain!

The Stellers come into these waters to looking for all sorts of food-- salmon, rockfish, herring...

Down at the Roche Harbor docks the whale watch and sea kayak staff are getting ready for the busy season ahead--painting, sanding, staining and waxing just about everything in sight. We've been taking advantage of the good weather this week to get our 'office' in top shape, and today was no different. Although the To-Do list was mounting I kept getting distracted by the Belted Kingfishers noisily splashing by the banks on the other side.

These blue and white birds...

San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife update:

Lately Blake and I, along with our guests, have been seeing a large number of Bald Eagles out on the west side. Some of these eagles remain here year round, with others migrating seasonally. This month we're seeing the eagles population increase in preparation for the bountiful summer months.

When food is plentiful, you can often see 8 or more individuals crowding around a seal carcass, but other times one adult will eat...

San Juan Island Sea Kayak Report from April 13th:

Today we paddled out to the west side looking for critters, and took a closer look at the Pigeon Guillemot. These glossy black and white birds, chunky in stature, are easily recognizable by their bright red legs and feet. I like these birds as they are especially easy to spot on open bays, and often swim quite close to the docks. When diving underwater looking for bottom fish, the Guillemot propels itself with its...

San Juan Island Whale Watch report from Saturday, April 11th:

The predicted rain held off for us, and Captain Brian P. and I headed out into the sunshine as we left San Juan Island in hopes of whales. Reports of whales off the Saanich area of Vancouver Island held true for us, and as we came close to shore we sighted them. At first it looked like a small group of two individuals, but as we drew closer we could identify two adult whales and one small calf! The...