July 30, 2023

sanjuanwhales

Jul 31

Anacortes Whale Watch

10 AM Highlights

Biggs killer whales
Harbor seals
Eagles
Sea lions

July 30, 2023 -- 10 AM Whale Watch

This morning we had a nightmare on seal street!! Our Biggs killer whales definitely showed that they were the apex predators, however before we caught up with these black and whites, we made a turn for the straight of Juan de Fuca. At the start of the trip, we had no reports of whales in the area, so we decided to try our luck in the straits for some humpback whales.However half way down Rosario strait, we got a report of orcas in the north, so we made a massive U-turn and began trekking up Orcas Island. We made our fist wildlife stop of the day at Peapod Rocks. Here, a few harbor seals hauled out taking advantage of the low tide. We also saw a pair of bald eagles, one juvenile and one mature. The juvenile took flight, trying to dodge a rather annoying seagull that continued to pester the pair.Continuing on, we curved up to Barns and Clark to spot even more harbor seals and a second mature bald eagle. Just up ahead, pointed towards Matia island, two families of killer whales made their way north. Once we got on scene we realized we were visiting with the T34s and T37s, led by matriarchs Grace and Rocky iii. Grace, Rocky, and their calves have been spending quite a bit of time in the islands lately, which gives us a great opportunity to get to know them better. One thing we're learning is that these two families enjoy a good meal.Upon crossing the coastline of Puffin Island, these two families began scouting inside the kelp Forests. Nervous harbor seals looked on in horror from the rocks as the orcas circled and splashed in the kelp. T34B Sonder made an impressively close approach to one harbor seal right at the water's edge, sticking his head up to examine his prey. The family continued circling Puffin Island, eventually finding an unlucky seal and quickly taking it down. Once they'd completed their hunt, we watched as the two families engaged in prey-sharing behavior below the surface. After finishing their meal, the whales continued their movement north up and around Matia Island. Eventually, they split into two groups, one sticking close to the outer island chain while the other moving out into the straight of Georgia.Having spent as much time as we could with these whales, we decided to peel off to search for more wildlife. On our way back home, we stopped by the Sinclair channel markers to say hello to several steller sea lions packed on one of the red cans. After, we cruised back to the dock with another successful day under our belts!-Amy