Orca Whales Sighted Near Salmon Bank
This great photo of a breaching Minke Whale was taken from the Island Explorer 3 by Passenger Dennis Fung. Captain Carl reported that our guests are watching lots of Orca Whales, and a Minke Whale too, with a little fog! Stay tuned for an update on a great whale show, and the crazy August weather, from Naturalist Kate Janes! "Our day started under blue skies as we navigated into Guemes Channel! The fog began to set in as we entered into Rosario Strait heading southward towards the Strait of Juan de Fuca! The fog made for a dramatic setting as Rhinoceros Auklets fished, Heerman's Gulls flew by and were found perched atop floating logs and Harbor Seals swam in the frigid 48 degree water! Then at Salmon Bank a Minke Whale appeared out of what appeared to be nowhere! We watched as it surfaced 3 times before continuing on to find the Orcas of the Southern Residents! We found the SUPER POD (all 3 pods) at the south end of Haro Strait milling about the international border between Canadian & American waters! We watched as a large group played about taillobing, backdiving, cartwheeling and spyhopping during our visit! There was even a young one that was really enjoying itself doing backdive after backdive seemingly showing off its moves! Eventually we had to leave returning to the south end of Lopez Island where our guests enjoyed the lifted fog exposing the surrounding islands! The afternoon started with a brief period of showers that lasted until we entered into the inner islands via Thatcher Pass, then it was all blue skies! We navigated the inner islands visiting with a pair of soaring Turkey Vultures, swimming Harbor Seals, and a close encounter with a mature Bald Eagle that passed overhead! We found the Super Pod of Southern Resident Orcas heading north along side Stuart Island! Calypso was the first whale our guests saw as she made her way up the shoreline as the Turn Point Lighthouse came into view! We pulled into the middle of Haro Strait and found Samish, Riptide, Princess Angeline, Suttles, and Matia rolling about close to the surface! Their milling/rolling behavior carried on for quite sometime as they ventured closer to the starboard side of the boat!! Our guests got great looks as the whales lingered just under the water making their white portions appear almost green!! We stayed with the whales until they started towards Swanson Channel entering into the Canadian Gulf Islands! We watched as their exhalations caught the sun causing them to appear golden in the waning light!" - Naturalist Kate Janes
posted by Island Adventures Whale Report @ 1:39 PM
0 Comments
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home