Our June 15 bird cruise was blessed both with beautiful weather and many interesting encounters. Four different active Bald Eagle nests and three active Osprey nests along our route hold the promise of wobbly-legged fuzzy young soon to come; for now, it is a treat just to see the impressive adult raptors incubating their eggs… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 15, 2013
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A whale of a Crab Cruise!
We had quite the evening on Bellingham Bay for our Chuckanut Bay Crab Cruise. The seas were flat calm and the sun was shining. Instead of heading straight into Chuckanut, we altered course for the south end of Lummi Island for an extra bonus on the cruise, Orca whales! They were Transient Orca, the same… Continue reading A whale of a Crab Cruise!
Whales & Wildlife Report – June 15, 2013
It’s a beautiful, sunny day in the San Juan Islands today. The resident Orca groups were out of range today, but were first on the scene with a group of transient Orca whales up near Sucia Island. We had a good half hour or so with them, with no other vessels around. We followed them… Continue reading Whales & Wildlife Report – June 15, 2013
Whales & Wildlife Report – June 12 & 13, 2013
There weren’t any Orca whales to be found on the 12th or 13th, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t whales out there. On Wednesday we found a group of 3 Minke whales out on the west side of San Juan Island. That was topped by a rare sighting (for this time of the year) of… Continue reading Whales & Wildlife Report – June 12 & 13, 2013
Whales & Wildlife Report – June 10 & 11, 2013
Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day in the San Juan Islands. Orca whales turned out to be a bit elusive, but we were able to find an active group of Minke whales out on the west side of San Juan Island. Today, passengers on two of our boats had a great time watching a group… Continue reading Whales & Wildlife Report – June 10 & 11, 2013
It was sunny and warm with the whales today!
After leaving Bellingham in windy overcast conditions, the clouds parted over the islands. By the time we found J-Pod on the south end of San Juan, the wind had died to almost nothing, and the whales put in a heck of a show! Breaching, spy hopping, and tail slapping repeatedly throughout our time with them.… Continue reading It was sunny and warm with the whales today!
Fantastic views of J-Pod today!
We just arrived in Friday Harbor after some fantastic looks at J-pod on the southern end of San Juan Island. They were pretty spread out when we first arrived but we sat with a large male, J26, and watched him chase some fish. Then a female and calf joined in on the frenzy and the… Continue reading Fantastic views of J-Pod today!
Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 8, 2013
It is now late spring, and the resident birds of the Salish Sea are primarily focused on one activity now: nesting. Glaucous-winged Gulls have decorated many of the smaller islands and rocks with their twiggy cups. Pelagic Cormorants cram their nests into the narrowest of crannies and crevices on steep and inaccessible (to those lacking… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – June 8, 2013
Bird Watching Cruise Report – May 25, 2013
Harlequin Ducks were certainly one of the star birds this week, with no fewer than thirty-six spotted at three different sites, far more than we have typically been encountering on our bird cruises, although we have seen at least a few on every trip so far. The largest concentration was in the vicinity of Chuckanut… Continue reading Bird Watching Cruise Report – May 25, 2013
Had a great look at 4 Minke Whales!
We just left the Salmon Bank area after some incredible viewing of 4 Minke Whales! They were feeding all around the boat and surfaced right next to us several times. Best of all, the seas were flat and it wasn’t raining.
