Saturday, May 26th
This morning, the Orca Spirit headed east into Haro Strait in search of J-pod. First, we cruised along the east coast of Trial Island, the location of a very scenic lighthouse and home to several harbour seals. Harbour seals were found in abundance this morning and we also watched a majestic mature bald eagle before continuing our journey east. We travelled next to Spieden Island, an island known for its imported moufflon sheep and other exotic animals. We were fortunate to see several of these fascinating animals resting near shore on the easternmost edge of the island. It was at this time that we received word that J-pod was inbound in Boundary Pass only a few miles away. Arriving on scene, we found the whales spread out and foraging as they made their way towards Turn Point. We had some great views of J16 (Slick) and her new calf J42, and also had a great pass with Mike (J26) one of the "sprouter" males in J-pod. It was a fantastic tour and an excellent start to the day.
In the afternoon, we caught up with the whales near Lime Kiln Lighthouse on San Juan Island. The whales were in a playful mood as we several breaches, including a couple from the aforementioned Mike! The 25 member pod was still spread out, but we had some excellent viewing of many orcas including the matriarch of J-pod Granny (J2) and Polaris (J28). A highlight of the tour was a spectacular pass from Mike. The calm seas and brightening sky made for another great afternoon.
This morning, the Orca Spirit headed east into Haro Strait in search of J-pod. First, we cruised along the east coast of Trial Island, the location of a very scenic lighthouse and home to several harbour seals. Harbour seals were found in abundance this morning and we also watched a majestic mature bald eagle before continuing our journey east. We travelled next to Spieden Island, an island known for its imported moufflon sheep and other exotic animals. We were fortunate to see several of these fascinating animals resting near shore on the easternmost edge of the island. It was at this time that we received word that J-pod was inbound in Boundary Pass only a few miles away. Arriving on scene, we found the whales spread out and foraging as they made their way towards Turn Point. We had some great views of J16 (Slick) and her new calf J42, and also had a great pass with Mike (J26) one of the "sprouter" males in J-pod. It was a fantastic tour and an excellent start to the day.
In the afternoon, we caught up with the whales near Lime Kiln Lighthouse on San Juan Island. The whales were in a playful mood as we several breaches, including a couple from the aforementioned Mike! The 25 member pod was still spread out, but we had some excellent viewing of many orcas including the matriarch of J-pod Granny (J2) and Polaris (J28). A highlight of the tour was a spectacular pass from Mike. The calm seas and brightening sky made for another great afternoon.
