April 1, 2007

This afternoon the Orca Spirit and our adventurous passengers headed east into Haro Strait to look for orca, porpoises, sea lions and other wildlife. We stopped at Speiden Island to see the moufflon sheep and other exotic game. At Green Point, on the eastern edge of Speiden Island, we encountered several Stellar sea lions, including one fellow that was lazing away the afternoon on the shore. We continued northwest through New Channel where we observed several bald eagles soaring overhead and a very large group of harbour seals foraging. Our next stop was at Mandarte Island, a fantastic seabird colony, where we noticed several pelagic cormorants perched on the cliff walls. Before heading for home, we stopped at an eagle's nest on Sidney Island. A bald eagle was perched only a few hundred feet away, indicating that the resident pair has most likely returned for another summer. Here's hoping some eaglets are on the way! Although we did not find any cetaceans today, it was an excellent afternoon out in the Salish Sea.