Saturday, May 19th
This morning, the Orca Spirit headed to the waters off of the northwest end of San Juan Island, where we encountered J-pod spread out and travelling northward during a strong ebb tide. It was a fantastic tour, as we spent time with the 25 member pod of resident (fish-eating) killer whales. We had an excellent encounter with J-27 (Blackberry), a spectacular sprouter male, and several other orcas. The southern residents are a playful group of whales as was evident when several whales decided to "surf" in the wake of a large container ship. We also had an excellent look at J16 and her family, including the new calf J42. It was an amazing sight.
In the afternoon, we travelled north to Boundary Pass to meet up with J-pod that were still spread out and likely foraging in the nutrient-rich, current-swept waters. With the engines shut down, we drifted in the current and watched as the whales swam northward. The highlight of the trip was a sighting of J1 (Ruffles), the eldest male in the southern resident community and a truly spectacular animal. It was an excellent way to end another great trip!
This morning, the Orca Spirit headed to the waters off of the northwest end of San Juan Island, where we encountered J-pod spread out and travelling northward during a strong ebb tide. It was a fantastic tour, as we spent time with the 25 member pod of resident (fish-eating) killer whales. We had an excellent encounter with J-27 (Blackberry), a spectacular sprouter male, and several other orcas. The southern residents are a playful group of whales as was evident when several whales decided to "surf" in the wake of a large container ship. We also had an excellent look at J16 and her family, including the new calf J42. It was an amazing sight.
In the afternoon, we travelled north to Boundary Pass to meet up with J-pod that were still spread out and likely foraging in the nutrient-rich, current-swept waters. With the engines shut down, we drifted in the current and watched as the whales swam northward. The highlight of the trip was a sighting of J1 (Ruffles), the eldest male in the southern resident community and a truly spectacular animal. It was an excellent way to end another great trip!
