Our trips today take us from one end of the island to other. Some of the day is spent in fog and some of the day in bright sunshine. Along with fabulous views of our Southern Resident Orca whales we are lucky to see Harbor seal pups sprawled on the rocks next to moms, Bald eagle chicks perched on the edge of massive nests with adult Bald eagles nearby, Rhinocerous auklets with tiny sliver fish stacked crosswise in their beaks and returning Heerman's gulls. There is a lot happening out on the water today. All we have to do is pull away from the dock and begin watching!
Can you spot the Bald eagle chick hiding...well, almost hiding, behind the tree trunk?
We are careful to stay a good distrance away from the mom and pup pairs so the seals continue to rest together on the rocks. Soon the adults and pups will be swimming together, heads popping up and down in the kelp beds.
Although the morning trip begins in the fog, we find J pod on the west side of the island! Here's a J pod member popping up for a personal look around in the mist!
The whales continue north as we part ways and head back to Friday Harbor.
In the afternoon we once again head into fog, and luck is with us as within an hour it magically lifts. J pod appears, now flipping directions they swim in our direction
It's a day full of contrast. There is new life: a tiny seal pup keeps close to mom.
An impressively big eagle chick stands alone in the nest. Parents stand as sentinels nearby.
J pod mom Oreo tracks through the water of Haro Strait with almost adult son, Doublestuf, cruising nearby. The dense and heavy grey fog bank suddenly disapates as if a magician has lifted a curtian.
Another amazing day on the water!
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