Whale Watching Report

Another beautiful sunny day on the Salish Sea with the whales. Stay tuned for updates from Naturalist Vicki Kirkland.

We could not have had a more splendid day to set off on a wildlife safari. Seabirds were plentiful from the start. Our first major sighting was a single Steller Sea Lion bull that appeared close off our starboard side. Capt. Carl brought us to a smooth stop in order to get a better look. The big bull was traveling slowly, staying close to the surface. A few minutes later we encountered a handful of harbor porpoise.
Captain Carl then pointed the Island Explorer 3 towards Salmon Bank, a prime foraging spot where some of our local Minke whales are likely to be found. On the way, we took some time to observe lots of Harbor Seals hauled out on the rocky shoreline of tiny Colville Island.
The shallow waters around Salmon Bank were alive with activity. Hundreds of gulls were swirling up for arial bombardments as flotillas of Common Murres and Rhinocerous Auklets dove to attack. We were in luck. Three minkes, consisting of two adults and one juvenile, patrolled around and through the birds. We were able to witness multiple speed lunges by the whales just under the surface of the water. They were hitting right below the tightest formations of birds. Most likely, the diving birds were helping to compress the schooling fish against the surface of the water into dense "fish balls". The minkes then charged in to steal the prize in one enormous bite. It was a splendid show. For the most party, Minkes in the San Juans prefer their own company. It's a special trip when we are able to watch multiple Minkes in one spot.
The Orcas were still a good distance away so we had to say goodbye to the Minkes and press on towards Victoria. Heading into Canadian waters, we met up with the forward edge of L pod. They were extremely spread out, traveling slowly in small family groups. The whales were everywhere! L-74 and L-78 were standout males who were close enough to identify. A handful of slow spy hops from some of the younger animals were a special treat. Sprinkled among the whales were continuous squadrons of Red-Necked Phalaropes. These dainty, eight inch birds are visitors to Puget Sound. They're just making a pit stop to refuel, migrating from the Arctic to as far south as Peru.
On our return to port we passed through prime Minke territory once again and were treated to an encore viewing of harbor porpoises and our Minke friends. It was an incredible day on the water. Sunshine, calm seas and lots of wildlife.
Birds observed on our cruise included: Turkey Vultures, Heermann's Gulls, Glaucous -Winged Gulls, Common Murres (accompanied by fledged youngsters in their winter plumage), Double-Crested and Pelagic Cormorants, Belted Kingfisher, Pacific Loons and Rhinoceros Auklets.