Sunset Feeding Frenzy
Tight Quarters (3 Gray Whales)Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes
Second Look (Harbor Seal)
Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes
Dinner Bell (Pigeon Guillemots)
Second Look (Harbor Seal)Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes
Dinner Bell (Pigeon Guillemots)Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes
"There's not a better way to spend an end of a beautiful day but out on the water with whales!! As we prepared our guests for boarding the Island Explorer 3 an Osprey landed on a nearby piling with dinner clutched between its talons (see Naturalist Jami Nagel's photo in the previous entry of the whale report)!! The wildlife adventure really begins at the dock which is teaming with a multitude of birds and Harbor Seals. As we departed the marina we were greeted not only by a pair of California Sea Lions but also a stream of incoming pleasure boats returning from their time on the water. Their smiles only eluded to what was in store for us!! Just east of Gedney Island is where we found 4 Gray Whales!! One would have thought we were boating on a lake rather than in the Puget Sound with the glass calm water!! The whales (#49, #22, #383 and an unidentified whale) swam together under a backdrop of the Cascade Mountain Range still capped with snow. After a great visit with the whales we departed heading towards Camano Island. On the way a few very shy Harbor Porpoise made their presence known to a handful of those on board, while Harbor Seals cruised the waters presumably looking for dinner. At Camano Island we found both Bald Eagles near the nest. One was actually perched just above the nest providing a scale upon which to size up the nest!! On average a Bald Eagle's nest is 8 feet across, 4 feet wide and weighs about 1 ton, but when you are a 3 foot bird with a wingspan over 6 feet you need the space!! Leaving the Eagles we returned to the four Gray Whales close to where we left them. The whales had changed behaviors and were now feeding in the shallow waters on Ghost Shrimp!! A chorus of Western Grebes croaked as the whales exposed partial flukes (tails) and pectoral fins!! Our evening was filled with an awe invoking feeding frenzy by 4 very hungry Gray Whales, a large raft of Surf Scoters enjoying the whales "leftovers", a pair of fishing Marbled Murrelets, and a flyby from a group of Pigeon Guillemots!" - Naturalist Kate Janes
posted by Island Adventures Whale Report @ 10:48 PM
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