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.
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