Whale Watching Report

Ruffles surfaces with the Cascade Mountains as a backdrop.

We headed north to start out this calm and beautiful day. Our first wildlife spotting was just outside Cap Sante Marina where we found a harbor seal and a bald eagle. On our way in between Cypress Island, and Guemes Island we spotted many pigeon guillemots, and rhinoceros auklets. We found the orcas in Georgia Strait swimming southward from Cherry Point to Lummi Island. Just before we reached them we also saw several harbor porpoises. J-pod was spread out over a few miles when we arrived. The first orca we spotted was J27, Blackberry. Next we saw J1, Ruffles, coming toward us so we waited for him. He must have found some fish because his mom J2, Granny, changed direction and swam right over toward him. The two of them came over toward us and circled the boat as our engines were shut down, presumably chasing fish. Next Shachi, J19, and Eclipse, J41 swam by us. After that J30, Rip Tide, and J8, Speiden swam over and we paralleled them. Speiden became very active as she started with a spyhop, followed with a cartwheel, then finished with a big breach over the span of ten minutes. Next we cruised ahead and joined Ruffles and Granny again as they swam side by side toward the north end of Lummi Island. On our way back to the dock we stopped at Jack Island to watch three bald eagles. Two of them were adults and one was chasing the other around. That was an exciting finale to a great day with J-pod. Naturalist Bart Rulon