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Captains Log - June 2005
If you have been on one of our tours, we would love to hear from you. Please give: date, tour time, what you saw. If you have photos send them. They could be placed on this page and could win our Photo Contest. One winner for kayaking and one winner for whale watching by boat
June 30, 2005 Thursday Gene and guests on the 5-hour Orca Search By Kayak not only saw the Orca Whales today, but ended up being surrounded by the whales. The kayak group (we only take 8 guests) were on the southwest side of Henry Island, near Roche Harbor. Our 11:00 &1:00 whale watching boats also saw whales. The wind kicked up &we did reschedule guests on the evening tour. High wind is one of the only reasons we cancel tours, just to be on the safe side.
June 29, 2005 Both the 11:00 &the 1:00 saw whales today. The 5:30 hasn't departed yet. It was J pod. They were up at Point Roberts, then came south to Patos Island, then headed off south east. Lots of Dall porpoise today (lots!). They did not bow ride but eveyone had a good time watching them. Great sunny clear day. The morning kayak tour with Lindsy Lee saw lots of tide pool creatures and had a nature tour on Posey Island (the smallest state park). It was a perfect paddling day.
June 28, 2005 Lindsay Lee &Brent, guides on the Orca Search by Kayak, started out on the north end of Henry Is. today (just outside of Roche Harbor) turned south, then about mid-way down Henry Is. there were the Orca Whales. It was K pod-porpoising south. They saw a Bald Eagles nest and the two birds were vocalizing to each other. The kayak tour stopped to view the cormorant rookery, a busy place. They also spent some time viewing hauled out harbor seals off of White Point in Mosquito Pass. A great kayak tour with 12 wonderful boy scouts (15 - 17 years of age) and a beautiful day about 70 degrees and sunny! The 11:00, 1:00 and 5:30 Whale Watching boats all saw whales today too.
June 20, 2005 Monday The 11:00 whale watching tour met up with J pod on the west side of Henry Island (west of Roche Harbor) and went north up to Turn Point, on Stuart Island, where they left the whales, who were still northbound. The boat then went along Stuart to view other wildlife, stopped and spent some time watching an Eagle at it's nest.
June 19, 2005 Sunday-Father's DayJan Tabor sent this is: We were on the 1:00 tour. We saw the L-Pod near Stewart Island? (I think that’s right—I remember Eric?—I think that was the naturalist’s name—he went to school at the University of Wisconsin—saying that the lighthouse was the northernmost point of the contiguous states. It looked like the whole pod was together and playing. We did not see a whale come completely out of the water, but lots of partial breaches— and standing on the tail and looking around. It looked like they were doing synchronized swimming. The captain made the comment: These are wild animals, folks. This is not a trained display in an aquarium,” (which it looked like) “these are natural behaviors”—we watched them in the same place for about 15 minutes. At one point, a whale took off and swam across the bow of the boat just underwater approximately 150 yards from the boat—we didn’t approach her, she approached us. The speed was incredible. The wake looked like a torpedo. That was what the captain said he had never seen before. The naturalist commented that it looked like the whales were having a conference and one of them didn’t agree with the decision.
Then the whales began to split into smaller groups and headed back north. Two females were swimming with the calf between them, along with the adult male and the matriarch-Lummi. We followed along, keeping our distance for a while, then the captain got ahead of the whales expecting them to go into a bay. Three started to, then turned toward open water. I wish I knew more of what I was seeing, but I think if you talked to the naturalist, he would be able to tell you. I think he will remember my daughters because they all also graduated from Wisconsin, and they spoke quite a while about it.
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June 18, 2005 Saturday The late afternoon trip just missed J and K as they were high tailing it into Canada, but the 1:00 boat did see J and K. As many days in the PNW, changeable weather. In the morning it looked gray and overcast, but by noon, weather sunny and nice. All the kayakers had a great day on the water. Sometimes I do forget to write about the kayak tours. People seem more interested in the Mega-Fauna/Orca Whales, but there is abundant wildlife on all the kayak tours. Seabirds, Seals, Kelp Forests, Eel Grass Beds, Tide Pools are all much more predicable. The 5-hour kayak tour saw J pod north bound off Henry Island, near Roche Harbor, plus eagles, dalls porpoise, seals, PEREGRINE FALCON, a cormorant rookery and tons more.
June 17, 2005 Friday The 11:00 boat saw whales at Battleship, north of Roche Harbor, J pod. It poured in the AM, but the whales did not care. The 3:00 tour went to the light house and saw K pod. It was flat and calm. Mt Baker was out and so were the Olympics. The 1:00 boat also saw K pod.
June 16, 2005 Thurday - boy, all whale watch operators left wondering where the local orcas are. All three boat tours had wonderful wildlife viewing. The 1:00 had a great dalls porpoise show (or show offs), but no Orcas spotted today by anyone. This happens, but fortunately, almost never. Since the boats did not see whales, today, neither did the 5-hour Orca Search By Kayak-but they did see some wonderful wildlife. There were plenty of bald eagles, mature ones and not so, a family of Canda Geese with their teen age gooslings, tons of Cormorantss at their rookery on Henry Island, the harbor seals put in an appearance. (They will soon be pupping) Lunch stopped at our favorite beach. Plenty of seabirds cruising by.
June 15, 2005 Wednesday Naturalist Derin from the 1:00 boat told me that they say L pod which was spread from Port Townsend to the Light House at Lime Kiln. On that same trip they also saw a Minke whale. Shy creatures, we dont see them that often. Derin says they also saw numerous 'bird balls'. When we see bird balls it usually means something is going on just below the surface.
The 3 hour kayak tours saw our usual friends. Some shy harbor seals, bald eagles at their nest with the young one. Kayak tours are great for a seals eye view and also because they are almost entirely noise free. As long as every stays quiet, wildlife can be observed going about their daily routines.
June 14, 2005 Tuesday The AM boat saw transient whales near Spieden Island and also near Stuart island (north of Roche Harbor). The PM boat saw K and L whale pods down south on the west side of San Juan Island. Numerous Minke Whales reported near Canada today.
June 13, 2005 Monday The 11:00 Whale Watch Boat spent time with K pod by Active Pass. The 1:00 Whale Watching Tour was also with K pod. By this time they were in a resting mode. Right now the 5:30 Sunset Whale Watching Tour is with K pod, but this time they are outside of Cattle Pass near Ice Burg Point (by Lopez Island). Just shows you how much the whales move around in any one given day!
Our 10 AM kayaking had a perfect morning for a scenic wildlife tour. Saw the usuals, Bald Eagle, Great Blue Heron, plenty of Harbor Seals and lots more. Water calm. Perfect kayaking water and weather.
June 12, 2005 Sunday Our 11 Whale Watching went all the way near Anacortes, but it was well worth it. Not that often that the whales are over there. Kayaking on Sundays is usually soothing. Guests all gone back to the mainland and islanders at home with family. Kayakers had the water pretty much to themselves.
June 11, 2005 Saturday Capt. Peter reports that the afternoon tour was out by Gooch Island, northwest of San Juan Island in Canada, and saw T 20 &T 22. Capt. Nancy also saw them on her earlier 11:00 tour. Transients. Later in the day Capt. Nancy says they have been with J &L pods near Turn Point and Henry Is. The whales are spread out over a mile. As she was telling about the trip, a whale came up within two feet of the boat to the cheers of guests. (the boat was stopped with motor OFF - respectful wildlife viewing!)
June 10, 2005 Friday Saw K's &J's near Turn Point. It was a good hydrophone day -lots of vocalizing. Reports of transient orcas heading up Haro Strait and even a humpback at Kellett Bluff which is right outside Roche Harbor. Now there is something unusual.
June 9, 2005 The island is a bit deserted today. Typical of the week after Memorial Day. The 1:00 saw J pod down south of Lime Kiln. J1, Ruffels, looked handsome as ever. The dalls porpoise were quite playful today surfing the bow. Stopped and viewed an eagle nest and spent some time watching harbor seals hauled out sunning and sleeping.
June 8, 2005 Wednesday Both the 1:00 and the 5:30 saw whales. The evening tour didn't have to go far. They were on the north end of San Juan Island near Roche Harbor.
June 7, 2005 Tuesday, Well Lyndsy Lee's guests saw whales on their 3 hour kayak tour. We had an early morning whale watching charter at 9:00 and they saw whales- way south near Canada, then the afternoon tour saw whales too.
June 6, 2005 Monday, What a whale watching day it was. Lyndsy Lee saw whales on her 3 hour kayak tour and as a bonus she and her guests also saw Dall porpoise out by Battleship Island. Both boat tours, 1 &5:30 saw whales also.
June 5, 2005 Sunday, both tours, the 11:00 Roche Harbor &1:00 Friday Harbor saw whales today. The forcast was for rain, but as usual, they only got rain in Seattle, not up here in islands.
June 4, 2005 Saturday, All 3 Whale Watching tours saw whales 11:00 &3:00 Roche Harbor, &1:00 Friday Harbor. A great day on the water.
June 2, 2005 The "K" pod is back! Now all three pods (families) are here. Our 3-hour kayak tour 10:00 saw J pod. Our 11:00 Whale Watching boat and our 1:00 whale watching boat both saw J and K pod. What a great day for wildlife viewing and blue skies with sun.
June 1, 2005 The Sea Hawk just pulled in, a bit later than usual. They were down by Discovery Island watching. . . HUMPBACKS! Three of them. They even saw a couple breaches. We were all standing around trying to remember the last time that a humpback was in these waters - two years? no, threee years ago? Could have been longer. Big tide going out and Sea Hawk had to fight it all the way back. What a treat - Humpbacks in the San Juans.
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