San Juan Island wildlife update for Wednesday, July 7th, 2010:
Don and Tim reported back that they saw our Southern Resident Killer Whales on this gorgeous sunny day! For many of their guests it was their first time seeing whales, and a not-necessarily-expected but certainly welcome surprise!
Friday Harbor, San Juan Island sea kayak tour wildlife update for July 4th:
Captain Brian wanted to report that two of our 5 hour sea kayak tours are currently with the Southern Resident Killer Whales (or SRKWs)! Our whale watch tour is also viewing whales on this busy 4th of July. What a great day!!
San Juan Island 5 hour sea kayak tour wildlife update for Sunday, July 4th:
Kayak guide Katy reported back from her 5 hour sea kayak tour today that not only did she see our Southern Resident Killer Whales but she was so surrounded by them that her return was delayed! She and her guests rafted up in some kelp, and had to wait for all the whales to swim away before they could paddle again.
San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife update for Sunday, June 6th:
Emily paddled out on her first 3 hour sea kayak tour of the season and what a way to start the summer! She saw a red fox on the beach, numerous harbor seals and eagles, lots of shore birds and our Southern Resident Killer Whales! Off the west side of Henry Island and moving north, she and her guests saw a few small groups at a time, from all 3 pods-- the SUPERPOD! J's, K's and L's were present and all slowly...
San Juan Island sea kayak wildlife update for Tuesday, June 1:
Yesterday afternoon Debbie and I paddled out for a 3 hour sea kayak tour with a private group. We were thrilled with the wildlife we saw-- lots of harbor seals sunning themselves and bald eagles doing exploratory flights. Debbie even found us some purple ochre sea stars to check out!
The highlight of the trip was catching a glimpse of wild bald eagle behavior that neither she nor I had ever seen before-- or...
Today I paddled out on a 3 hour sea kayak tour departing from Roche Harbor, San Juan Island. Despite the dreary weather, we all managed to have a great time! There were harbor seals and harbor seal pups to see, bald eagles to look for, tasty bull kelp to eat, crabs to find, jellies to scoop up and more!
At San Juan Outfitters we paddle rain or shine, so it's important that everyone bring the gear necessary to ensure comfort and safety regardless of the weather....
Blake paddled out for a 3 hour tour yesterday and reported lots of harbor seal activity out on the west side. Lately the harbor seals have been coming closer and closer to the kayaks, and seem to be quite curious. We'll see how that progresses as the season goes on!
The highlight of his tour was when a Bald Eagle flew above his group, swooped down to the water, and came up with a fish!
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...
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...