Gray and Minke Whales South of Deception Pass
The Island Explorer 3 is on-scene today with two species of Baleen Whales, mostly calm seas, and lots of sunshine. Check back for a full report from Naturalist Jami Nagel. "We are on a role for amazing weather and a double header today. We headed out of Guemes channel for our first large mammal sighting, a California sealion sunning himself on the marker, barely looking our way. We headed up Bellingham channel encounter numerous bait balls (gulls actively feeding on bait fish at the surface, this attracts seals, porpoise, sealions and even minke and humpback whales). We headed south in Rosario strait and found ourselves off Whidbey Islands, West beach area. Here we found our gray whale that has been dining on the plentiful Ghost shrimp of the sandy beaches of West beach. We watches as he manuvered himself in very shallow water just off the beach than made his way out into deeper water toward us. We headed out toward Smith Island were we encounter a minke whale feeding just south of Smith Island. Captain Carl was even gracious enough to put a down wind giving our guests the pleasure of not only seeing and hearing the whale but also smelling it too (minke whales have the nickname "stinky minke"). We headed off to Minor Island to check out a mated pair of bald eagles that nest there. As we were watch the eagles another minke surfaced taking us all by surprise. When this minke would surface it would bring its head out of the water showing us the white underside of its chin and quick glimpse of baleen. Among the other wildlife today were; harbor porpoise, rhinocerus aucklets, cormorants, harbor seals and bald eagles."-Naturalist Jami Nagel
posted by Island Adventures Whale Report @ 9:01 PM
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