Whale Watching Report

Belly Flop!

Spyhop Central

Photo by Naturalist Kate Janes

"Blue skies, above average temperatures & the Orcas of J Pod in the islands who could ask for more?! Well, we sure got much more! Departing from Cap Sante Marina we had 3 Turkey Vultures soaring and eventually perching on the point. Then moments later a mature Bald Eagle was soaring high above Guemes Channel as a mob of Glaucous-winged Gulls followed hoping for a morsel of its future meal! We navigated up Rosario Strait watching Harbor Porpoise feeding in riptides and finally entered into the Strait of Georgia and soon after to the whales!! Guests watched as the 25 members of J pod moved along Saturna's shoreline taillobing, pect slapping, and breaching all along the way!! As they rounded East Point it was as if the rush of the current in the new body of water sent them into a frenzy!! Their activity went through the roof with cartwheels, breaching (one pictured above belly flopped!), multiple spyhops, and bellyrolls!! Ruffles (J1) was unmistakable as he swam with his mom Granny (J2) and the majority of the pod! Although spread out the pod was traveling in sub pods! At one point a whale spyhopped in one sub pod just as another was spyhopping a few hundred yards away in another!! We not only enjoyed the sunshine and the whales but also: Rhinoceros Auklets, Pigeon Guillemots, Harbor Porpoise, California Sea Lions, Pelagic Cormorants, 5 Bald Eagles, and fishing Harbor Seals!!" - Naturalist Kate Janes