sea birds

Joe returned from his 3 hour tour in high spirits today. Not only did he have fantastic guests that were ready to encounter anything that came their way, but they had a great time looking at the animals out there. Although they worked against strong winds to fast moving currents, their upbeat attitudes ensured that everyone had a good time.

They were rewarded with up close wildlife encounters including sea birds, bald eagles and of course, our local harbor seals...

This morning I saw out a large group of Harlequin ducks feeding out on the calm water. While they're a common sight on our sea kayak tours, this was the first time I'd seen so many grouped together while swimming. I watched for a few minutes and saw the dozen birds all diving and surfacing in unison; using their large numbers to corral and cooperatively hunt their prey.

Hege and I paddled out for a 5 hour tour this morning, and while we were hoping to see whales, we were content with a long, hard paddle and numerous bird sightings. The clouds from earlier lifted and we had bright sunny skies with us all day (my sunburned face will attest to that!). As Hege was a great novice paddler and happy to keep moving instead of examining the flora and fauna up close, we sailed around Henry Island and headed down to San Juan County Park...

It's always wonderful to hear again from guests who have gone out with us, and we just received the following email and pictures from Larry Z. Thank you Larry! We are very much looking forward to meeting you and your wife in September!

"Dear San Juan Island Outfitters,

The Roche Harbor sea kayak tour with you today (May 3) was the highlight of my introduction to the Pacific Northwest!

Even though I am 6' 2", I fit fine into the tandem sea kayak. The weather was...