Welcome to the Whale Report Blog

Much of my time on the water this past month was spent fixated on the surface, watching colorful rusted red blobs pulsate through the water. The flowing orangish tentacles contributed to the organism’s name, the lion’s mane. The largest lion's mane ever recorded washed up on a beach in Massachusetts Bay in 1870 with a bell over 7 feet wide and tentacles 120 feet long. This is longer than a Blue Whale, putting the lion’s mane amongst the ranks in the controversial competition of the...

Today was a day of lots and lots of harbor seals!  Everywhere!  And many of them were lined up like sausage links!  Transient orca sausage links!

We first went north towards Waldron Island and found them basking on a nearby rock.  Next, we went further north into Canadian waters and found them off of Saturna Island where five of them were lined up in a row.  Out by Sentinel Island, we found another thirty or so, with about six babies hauled out along the shoreline in their little...

Today there were whales.  Lots and lots of whales.  We saw Cappuccino, Deadhead, baby K, other K's and some L's (and maybe some J's?).  There was breaching, some upside down tail slapping and even a little spyhopping.  It was so good to see the residents back in town.  Even though they are known as "residents" it is important for people to understand that they are more like part time residents.  They do leave to forage or do whatever it is whales do and although we miss them when...

With two full boats, we headed up north across the border and into Canadian waters, all in search of the Southern Resident Killer Whales that had been out to sea (to the best of our knowledge) for a few days.  We ended up in the Strait of Georgia, just south of the city of Vancouver, when a passenger tapped me on the shoulder and said, "look, there!"  And there they were!  Orcas spanning over a quarter of a mile were lined up in smaller groups and heading north.  As we paralleled...

The sun may have been shining today, but it was raining marine mammals!!! Shortly after leaving Friday Harbor and heading south we saw a large group of Harbor porpoise. We cut the engine and the miniature Cetaceans that are famously shy were all around the boat and even porpoising out of the water, exposing much of their flanks. Then once in Salmon Bank a Minke whale’s long back broke the surface and was soon followed by its small hooked dorsal fin.

As we entered Cattle Pass back...

Schalk August 27, 2011 killer whale aka orca whale off San Juan Island

Schalk August 27, 2011 MV Sea Lion 55' new fast boat San Juan Island

Schalk August 27, 2011 Orca whale off San Juan Island

Schalk August 27, 2011 Orca whale in the mist off San Juan Island

Schalk August 27, 2011 Orca whale breaching off San Juan Island

Schalk August 27, 2011 Orca whale and the Sidney Ferry off San Juan Island

Schalk August 27, 2011 Lions Mane Jelly off San Juan Island

Schalk August...

It warms my heart when I see full grown adults get excited--yelling, pointing, shouting, oohing and aahing--over marine life!  'Cause I'm one of those adults too!

Today, with no orca reports in the Salish Sea, we headed out on the water with a boat full of curious and eager passengers and lots of hope to see marine life.  South from Friday Harbor, we started off with some harbor seals hauled out on the rocks, five of which were lined up side by side like sausage links!  Further on at...

Transient killer whales were the big sea creatures in town today!  We filled up the Sea Lion vessel with eager passengers and went out to the Rosario Strait just past Orcas Island in search of ocean life.  In the distance, we could see a splash then a white cloud indicative of whale snot (a blow) and then a black fin.  After another minute, two more whales surfaced and then a female and a little orca.  But wait?  Was that another two orcas 400 yards away from the group of five?  Why...

Well, we just did the math.  From August 1- 29 we have ran a total of 49 Whale Watches.  Of those 49 trips we successfully located whales 47 times.  And not just Orca, but Minke and Humpback Whales as well!!  That is a 96% success rate at seeing whales on our trips.

On top of whales we have also been seeing Stellar's Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, Harbor Porpoise, Dall's Porpoise, and Bald Eagles on a regular basis.  One day we even encountered an Elephant Seal.

Every day is different.  We...

Today we traveled all the way to Victoria to see one lone transient.  He was magnificent.  It was a long haul but when we arrived he appeared to be patrolling up and down the rocks.  He has one of the broadest dorsal fins I have ever seen.

The word on the street was that he had been harassing a sea lion prior to our arrival.  When we got there he was just cruising, back and forth along the rocks, occasionally rolling slightly on his side as if he was looking up toward the rocks to...