Just Another Day at the "Office"!

Friday morning finds us speeding toward Haro Strait.  Southern Resdient Orca whales, are on the west side of the island!

We are excited to see just which family of whales is present.  We arrive and realize that the whales are moving west toward Victoria....or are they starting out the Strait of Juan de Fuca?  Part way toward Victoria we are suddenly with J pod females and calves!  They have turned around and are once again headed for San Juan Island!

Here's J-17 swimming with her group of female off spring and their off spring!  They speed past us toward the island.

Then L-87 cruises by us showing off his massive fin in an elegant way.  But who are the two females he is with today?  Not the usual...but then...all three pods of Southern Resident whales have been mixing it up lately, so all bets are off!

Before we head back in we are able to float off Whale Rocks and check on the Steller sea lions.  The numbers are growing and today we find 12!  These massive sea lions are always amazing to watch, in lounging mode or bossy mode.

Our afternoon trip takes us right back out to Haro Strait and more fantastic time on the water with whales from L-pod.  The L-12's are headed up island and one of the new youngsters is busy keeping up with the family.  On the way home seal pups delight us in the Cattle Pass area.  Who can stop smiling as tiny seal heads pop us all around us?  Not me!

Hey Pup! What's Up?

Upside Down?  Or...Right Side UP!?

Upside down...or right side up..these Harbor seals seem to have R&R figured out.  I am always amazed at how well animals are dressed to blend into the environment and how they manage to look oh so comfy...in someof the most uncomfortable looking places!

August has been a bit unusual this year as far as Southern Resident orca whales sightings.  The Residents can be a pretty clear indicator of "salmon or no salmon" present in our local waters.  Since the beginning of the month, these three families of whales have been on the move...but far and near.

My first day back out on the water was August 9th and the news of the new J Pod calf was hot off the presses.  How encouraging to see a new little (ha...8 ft. long and maybe 400 pound) calf traveling alongside an eleven year old first time mom.  Everyone was in high spirits and celebrating the new birth!

Since that week, it's been "now you see them, now you don't" as far as Southern Resident orcas in our area.  They seem to arrive back in the islands, check out the fish situation, and after a day, or even hours, they hightail it back out the Straits of Juan de Fuca.  If the salmon were present...they'd stay.  That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

The flip side of that is the focus of our whale / wildlife watching trips really turns to wildlife...all of it!  We are always in seach mode for whales, but when you go intentionally slow, so you don't miss anything...guess what.  You don't miss much!  I often say, "The slower you go, the more you see...the more you see..the more you are amazed by...all you see!"  Go slow mode is one of my favorites.

Seal pupping season is the beginning of July.  That means, lots of pups are being weaned in mid August.  The pups spend a lot of time in some of our small bays where the current is not too stong.  Are they looking for mom?  Shutting down the engine and just sitting in what I call a "nursery bay" we spot one little head pop up after another.  They stare at us with big eyes.  No, we are not your mother...nor the source of your next meal.  But we are good at admiring them as they dip, dive, cruise by, snort, flip over, slip silently under the surface or just float bouyantly with their plump little bodies watch us.  Hum.  Just who is watching who?

Cruising by on a Mission

Snow White

What White Whiskers You Have!

Going Down...

Beauty 

As sweet as Snow White looks, I know he/she is part of the food chain for Transient orca whales.  We go slow, and look in every place Transient orcas would be collecting groceries.

Chubby

This chubby little one does a perfect job of playing the blending game.  Hard to spot at first, my binoculars pick out this "rock" when it wiggles a flipper.

Buddies

Remember the school game: Statue?  Think something about running around in a frenzy and then having to freeze into a statue when the word is shouted.  Not moving has it's advantages if you're someone's prey...in the game of Wildlife.

Steller sea lions are also on the Transient orca whale grocery list.  Handy that they have returned to the Salish Sea a little early this year.  All the better to enjoy a wide variety of food!  Our slow trip around Whale Rocks turns up these handsome guys.

Waltzing with Sea lions...the grizzlies of the sea!

While there are seven or eight "big boys" already occupying this protected rocky island, some are in "Mine Mode"  and some are totally zonked out or practicing sea lion yoga.

High Five

And what is this?  A strange duo as sea lions this small are usually still on the breeding grounds.

Big and Jr.? or Ms.? or Mrs.? or??

I'll be checking around to see if I can solve this mystery.  Is Mr. Small, a Mrs.?  Or a Miss?  Or a Ms.? Or a juvenile that shouldn't be here?  Or should be here, but I've never seen it before?

That's the magic of working on the water as a marine naturalist.  The slower you go...the more you see..the more you see...the more you wonder...the more you wonder the more you know...the more you know...the slower you go!

Nap Time

Sticking Close to Mum

Transients! No...Residents! NO...BOTH!

It's sunny and hot in Friday Harbor today....really hot!  Any day it tops in the high 80's qualifies as a heat wave.  Pulling away from the dock, breeze fills the boat and we are instantly in air conditioning...the natural kind!  We are off for an adventure as we have a whale report, but the returning Resident Orcas are still out of our range and not reported to be moving very fast.  We head out, knowing we will find lots to look at and enjoy, but we just are not sure exactly what or where!  What surprises await?

We decide to head across Haro Strait and hope the elusive Resident Orcas will decide to pick up speed in our direction.  Before long we have Orcas in sight...but not the Residents!  We have discovered four Transient Orca whales traveling north in Haro Strait!  In typical Transient behavior they move fast, they dive long, they come up not where we expect!

They move along at a fast clip, suddenly disappear, then reappear,  going the opposite direction and now there are 6 total!  Have they found a porpoise in the depths of Haro Strait?  The water's surfacce is almost flat today except for tide rips here and there.  We scan and scan...10 minutes pass...?  It's the Transient "Disappearing Cloak Trick"...they're suddenly gone.  Just gone.  And hard as we look, not one of the now five boats present locates them!  But wait....

Who is that in the distance?  My eye catches a spy hop....way, way across the water...and then more blows.  The Resident Orcas are now rocketing through the water and headed right for us!  Just 30 minutes ago they were out of our range, and now they are flying toward us at 11k!  In no time K pod is on our starboard side, headed with what appears to be "purpose" to the westside of San Juan Island.

We enjoy watching easily 40 whales, all of K pod and probably J pod, but they are too spread out to be sure.  They have been off in the open ocean for two days and we are so glad to see them again!

On our way back to Friday Harbor we just have to stop off for a look at the Steller sea lions perched on Whale Rocks.  They are in super relaxation mode this afternoon.  Think I'll sign up for lessons.

Another STELLAR day on the water and once again, it's true: "You just never know what you're going to see out there!"  That's the thing about wildlife...it's WILD and full of surprises.

The Party's Over....

 We head south in the afternoon and soon sun pokes through the Alaska clouds.  Traveling toward British Columbia again we are treated to a marvelous sunset and flat calm water.  Tomorrow is an entire day at sea, arriving in Victoria in the early evening.  I am totally amazed at how many Humpback whales we continue to see, all traveling north.  The blows are so distinctive, as are the huge flukes as they dive.  Pacific whitesided porpoise jet away from the ship in a group of over 100!  Then along come the Dall porpoise showing off their dressy black and white costumes.  Steve sees Orca whales.  I miss them!  Another passenger said she just saw 12 - 15 Orca off the other side.  She's from Vancouver Island, so I believe her.  I wonder wonder wonder....are these the Southern Resident Orcas that seemed to swim out as I left last week and haven't been back in local waters yet?

We dress up ok...and the penguins in the pool help!

It's been a fine week of cruising with cousins and enjoying our floating resort, the MS Oosterdam.  Truthfully, the ship is a bit big for us.  This is only a one week cruise, there are many families, 256 kids,  and it's just so busy!  We heard one mom declare to her kids: "No elevators for you this week!"  And they took off jogging up the stairs.  Good plan.

Nan's bench on the sport deck....sport of resting?

Once again our room is graced with towel animals.  I dress them up a little, just for the fun of it!

Tonight a monkey surprises us as we enter after dinner.

Down jackets are the perfect Alaska duds....even for July and August.

Interesting to think about going home to "warm up"!

Goodbye towel animals, room stewards, prepared meals, room service, beautiful views, Humpback whales, Sea otters, dolphins, and life without much for daily responsibilities!

Moon rise over B.C. mainland


HELLO HOME....

Last Stop...Ketchikan!

Yo!  Bear!

Ketchikan awaits!  I expect a small town, a creek with jumping salmon, a boardwalk around the creek and historic buildings.  It's all there...but to get to Creek Street, I have to forge past streets of tourist stores, including one of the biggest: Ketchikan Mining Co.  I think: mining for tourist dollars!  Oh the t-shirts, oh the hats, oh the jewelry counters and the hawkers on the sidewalk bidding to to "step this way."  Maybe there is some resemblence here to the actual mining days in Ketchikan?

My new best friend....

It's not raining today...yet...but still the Alaska grey and cool.  We head for the Potlatch Totem Park on a group tour.  It's a perfect place to have fun with my camera.






Then it's back to Ketchikan, to find our way to Creek Street.  No salmon jumping today.  Lots of tourists as there are three cruise ships in port.  We spend a little time walking the boardwalk and watching the Harbor seals cruise the creek for lunch.

Judging by the size of these seals...they must have a good strategy.  It appears it idea is to swim upstream toward the little waterfalls.  Then, quickly flip over on your back, nose in the air, but eyes underwater and watching for....fish!  Then just stay in place with flippers flipping and wait for the food to come to you!

Here fishy, fishy.....

The Potlatch Totem Park is very well done as far as construction of authentic First Nation Peoples dwellings and totems.  We take our time strolling ....cameras clicking.        

This is a short port call and the MS Oosterdam pulls up the ramp at 12:15 hours, heading south.  For the first time, tonight as we cruise toward Hecate Sound, the sun treats us to a sunset.  We walk the deck round and round...watching for whales.  We are rewarded.  Humpbacks abound!

Outside the Red Dog Saloon....

Creek Street in 2012

Goodbye Akaska!  Hello Pacific Ocean!

If it's Sitka, it Must be Sea Otters!

As most cruises go, you travel all night and awake in a new place in the morning.  If it's Sitka, it must be Thursday, August 2nd.  It is.  If it's Sitka, it is probably raining.  It is.  And not the gentle mist of home.  If it's Sitka, we are on another quest: Sea otters!

 I've never photographed or seen Sea otters in the wild.  I have high hopes, this will be my day.  But then...it's the "wild" life rule.  They are wild animals, and have no appointments with us on their schedules.  Not much for schedules either.                                                                                                                

Sitka is a tendering port, so it's off to the Holland America taxis and a short hop to shore.  Our excursion boat awaits and we are away in no time.  The seas outside Sitka are rough with a swell today, so we bounce though that and around the corner to a calmer bay.  We stop for a view of Harbor seals.  They are very small and very far away.  We cruise deeper into the bay though mist and a steady rain.  Did I mention it's cold?  Summer in Sitka.  Hum.  Steve and Don have their cameras in big plastic camera rain coats.  This turns out to be a brilliant idea.  I thought it might be too complex to actually figure out the settings though the camera clothes.  We spend our time up on the top level of the catamaran, under cover, but out in the open.

Then a tiny head cruises by the stern!  Quickly it turns, looks at us, and dives.  Sea otter number one!  Maybe our only one...how do we know?  But.....

Rain jackets all around!

Just smiling in the rain, smiling in the rain...

But no!  Soon we were floating along with a raft of Sea otters beside us.  At least close enough to see with binoculars, and to photograph with a 300mm lens.  Granted, it's a challenge, as the rain continues to fall, sometimes sideways....and the sky is grey and the water dark.  No studio portrait lighting here.  But such cute subjects!

The gang's all here!

Wrapping my arms around...me!

Oh...yawn...nap time!

Heads and Toes

I want to hold your head...!  

Now I lay me down to sleep...

So...I get out the marker to make another check on the bucket list!

Looking to the left a Humpback whale surfaces with a big blow!  Looking to the right, a Minke slides silently out of the water and back down, stunning the naturalist aboard.  I exclaim: Minke!  She looks at me and asks how I know?  Umm.  I reply: this is my job at home.  She says: Oh!

We get a good look at a Bald eagle high in one of those tall tall trees.  He is watching the small waterfall below, as are two native fishermen with hand nets...and the man in the boat is holding up a big salmon for all to see.

Turning for the run back to Sitka, still in the rain and heavy mist, I take a last look at a raft of bobbing brown dark heads, all together in a big otter jumble.  I smile.

Did you know....Sea otters are tained in water ballet?

It seems otters can "dance" even in the rain!

Hoping for Humpbacks

It's Wednesday morning, August 1st, in Juneau, Alaska and we are hoping for a humpback experience.  I have to remember, just because I am going on a "Whale Watch Quest" it is just that: a quest.  Since I do this all season at home, I know that wildlife is "wild life" and has no appointment scheduled to show up just for me.

Our boat is big.  I assume the experience will not exactly be "personal"....but we are off on a quest.
Speeding up the channel that leads to the Port of Juneau, the weather breaks and we are free of rain.  The clouds even appear hopeful as far as little windows of actual sky poking through.

It takes about 20 minutes before I spot another whale watching boat ahead.  I know that a really good sign is other whale watching boats that are stopped, as they are probably watching something.  And they are.  Two humpback whales are gliding around and occassionally doing deep dives ending with a beautiful fluke up in the air!  We don't stay long.  Hum.  Translation:  there is something better up ahead, or in this case, around the corner.

Three stealth humpbacks are skimming along the shore!  Suddenly they disappear.  And they don't reappear.  Until...there's a sudden explosion on the surface and one lunges up in the center of several whales...all with gaping huge mouths reaching for the sky!  Oh my goodness!  Get out that marker and check off "Humpback whales bubble net feeding" on the bucket list!  This is it!  And it goes on for an hour.

Two to Tango

Mr. or Ms. Big Mouth

Mr. or Ms. Bigger Mouth

Just a little bite

One from the rear view

We watch and watch.  What an amazing sight.  One of the largest animals on the planet, making a living off some of the smallest animals on the planet.  That thought always gives me pause.

A bit of Kairos Time today.  Chronos Time: time by the watch, schedules, you're late, hurry up kind of time.  Kairos Time: time spent in such a pleasurable endeavor that one doesn't notice time is passing, time out of time.

But eventually, chronos time catches up with us.  We must leave.  The bow turns to starboard, but not before one last look and a wave goodbye.  We couldn't have hoped for more!

Tomorrow...will we find Sea otters in Sitka???