A Brief Respite From The Orcas

A Belated Happy Thanksgiving to all!  The southern residents have actually been around over the holiday- they passed by the Lime Kiln Lighthouse headed south yesterday morning MILES offshore, apparently headed west towards the open ocean. We've also been hearing them at the Port Townsend hydrophones...and that's about all the whale new I can share.

Life on an Island this time of year can be inspirational in its solitude- the visitors have returned to their off island homes and the Islanders begin to prepare for winter. The fog often rolls in off the Haro Straits and blankets the town in a salty sea scented mist, the eagle cries wafting overhead and out of sight temporarily.  The Trumpeter Swans have returned for the winter- their passes overhead making a brightly outlined juxtaposition against the grey of the waters beneath their flight. Grebes and loons as well as Harlequins dot the waterfront, their calls echoing up the hillsides.  There is a certain beauty to the solitude of this season which the Islanders embrace, even if the throngs of tourists do not.

One of the wonderful aspects of life devoid of shopping malls (or even McDonalds for that matter) is avoiding the potential for isolation by huddling together with some of the closest friends I have ever had the joy of knowing.  Friendships have a new meaning here- the relationships are meaningful and enlightening- each adding a nuance of beauty into your life for whatever reason. The people here are truly genuine- no goals other than to enjoy life to the fullest and embrace the beauty offered by not only the landscape and wildlife but one another. 

I have been inspired by some of these very kind souls to look introspectively, approach the world with a different outlook and embrace the beauty of art. Yup, drawing. Oh well- it had to happen someday, right? We started out a couple of years ago making jewelry (how addictive that can become!), moved on to pencil sketches and watercolors. The girls in the studio are all accomplished artists, some nationally recognized- and yet they are unfailingly encouraging and generous with their instruction. Every Sunday and most Thursdays we gather together to collaborate and accomplish, share inspirations and dreams and most importantly, create. Honestly, I cannot have ever imagined this spirited camaraderie back in Maryland- then again, maybe I was simply not looking.

So, not to bore you with the details, thought I would post my first colored pencil sketch just for fun. I know it's not a whale photo- but artistic license is the word of the day...smiles.  I think I overcompensated the colors subconsciously because of our currently grey landscapes- but if the color fits.... Happy Sunday!

Sometime Pictures Simply Cant Speak a Thousand Words

The cool fall air and colorfully leaved trails on San Juan Island are not only  harbingers of another winter yet to come.  This time of year you wake up to the hoots of various owls, the animals are foraging with resolute courage and the sunsets over the Haro Straits begin to burn with colors not seen in summer months.

For me, the season, although my absolute favorite of the year, brings about a bit of nostalgia for all of the wonders experienced since the unfurling of the first little forest flowers in March. I cannot help but look back over the year in photos, pining for the youth of spring and the robust colors of summer. And I realize, that sometimes photos simply cannot speak the thousands of words I would love to portray about the inherent beauty of the Islands we call home.  Described as  "jewels," with their "timeless beauty" referred to so often that it almost becomes trite... you have to wonder how do you truly encompass the magic known as life in the San Juan Islands? Since I am not a writer, that task (thankfully) will be left to others.  I will, in the interim, do my best to "describe" with my lens- a photographic diary of images and thoughts so that I will remember each day and give each person a glimpse of a surreal reality. Can you tell I am nostalgic?  Some reasons why, and these are not the "best of"- just little snapshots of life on an island miles off the coast of Washington State:

Days spent at the local coves swimming with Bogey..ok she swam, we threw sticks.

Low tides have so much to offer, thankfully, while we sat on the rocks at Lime Kiln waiting for the whales.

Countless hours spent at dawns throughout the summer at American Camp, watching for fox pups and waiting for the perfect shot which never came, but enjoying their antics nonetheless.

Reveling in the majesty of the hundreds of eagles perched on rocks an in trees across the expansive waterfronts.

Following the moulting of a local elephant seal, waiting patiently for his true beauty to emerge.

Days spent on the water with the Marine Mammal Stranding network, where with sadness comes majesty...an interesting juxtaposition.

A once in a lifetime visit to Stuart Island, courtesy of the Whale Museum!

And my reason for living on San Juan Island ....the most enthralling animals in the world.

The first of many glorious winter sunsets over the Haro Straits.

As the southern resident community of whales spend their days this week at the mouth of the Fraser River desperately seeking out the last salmon of the season, we patiently wait for the inevitable last glimpses we will have of our underwater compatriots this season- the lives around which most of the island's lives flourish during tourist season. And watch the beauty of the late fall sunsets unfurl.

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Southern Resident Orcas Return to the San Juan Islands!

After a weekend of warm, cloudy weather and no whales other than a large group of transients (meat/ marine mammal eating whales) on Sunday, yesterday morning we were treated to reports that there were southern resident orcas on the west side of San Juan Island.  Milling well offshore of False Bay, the whales took their time approaching the Island- but by 11:30 0r 12:00, the first whales could be seen- close to shore and headed North towards the lighthouse.

And what a show we were about to experience- one of the best land based whale watching days so far this year.  We ran to Lime Kiln Lighthouse, known for it's west side viewing opportunities. Luckily, the summer crowds are beginning to dwindle and the parking lot had lots of room! Heading down to the rocks, we could hear the first blows (orca whale exhalations) through the trees. That was just a taste of what was to come!

Once we arrived at our viewing spot on the rocks, we were treated to the first close pass- Ruffles (J1) and some other J's were intermingled with L's- so we knew there were members of two of the three pods here. Traveling close to shore, the whales took their time, making a very slow pass by the shoreline. Granny (J2) was further offshore but in the lead as usual! We saw Faith, Canuck- whales were truly everywhere! But the best was yet to come as we waited out the rest of the whales to see if everyone would head north. This year it has certainly NOT been uncommon for J pod to make a beeline for the Fraser River, leaving any accompanying pods behind! Although there have been some unusual travel patterns with various L's and K's traveling with other pods for long periods this summer.  We crossed our fingers, looked south and waited...and within 1/2 hour the rest of the orcas passed by. And did they pass by!  At least 25 whales made their way into shore- J's and L's intermingled- coming within feet of the rocks at the park. One whale even treated us to a breach within feet of our vantage point. Of course, given the travel patterns this year and very few close passes at the light, I had only brought my 300 mm lens- so the whales barely fit into my pics!!!!  But simply listening to the blows and watching all of their faces rise from the water as the orcas made the pass was enough- sometimes you just have to sit back and take it all in, forgetting the "perfect photo quest."

Another spectacular day in the San Juan Islands!

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It's Tough Out There as a Little Dog- A Day in the Life on San Juan Island

Have you ever wondered what it's like for a puppy living on the west side of San Juan Island? Well, there's views...unlike a city dwelling puppy, the Haro Straits sits right outside your door. It's awfully fun to watch the sunrises and sunsets from the yard- the wilderness surrounding you and challenging your youthful expertise in scenting!

Little Miss Bailey celebrates her 11 weeks of life tomorrow...and what tales she has to tell. She has watched a superpod cross the Haro Straits, listened to the echoing blows of exhalations in the night, has been approached by curious mother deer and spotted fawn, to mutually determine if either presented any reason for concern.  She has hiked the trails at Lime Kiln and Cattle Point, frolicked with visiting children and kayakers at Deadman's Bay. She has traveled by ferry to Seattle and beyond, she has played with a Great Pyrenees in the surf at Anacortes. All in all, it's a dog's life.

It hasn't always been this easy though- life on an island (of course) has to throw you some interesting angles. It is just recently that the eagles have stopped circling when she plays in the yard. At 20+ pounds now, she's just too big to consider as a feast...unlike our neighbor's little pup three years ago- snatched from his yard one sunny afternoon.

And our little friendly foxes, while so much fun to chase and scent- pose yet another interesting twist. Not too long ago, I wrote a piece on Flickr about a relationship which had developed with a young fox in our yard.  Animal interaction at it's finest!

Well, this has been an interesting continuation to the story. This summer, we were able to determine this friendly little fox is indeed a female, when she brought her pups to the house one evening.  The pups were clearly intimidated by being so close to a human but the visit afforded me the honor of meeting them from afar.  Once Bailey arrived on the scene, the little fox, who we affectionately (if not somewhat unimaginatively...)call "Miss Foxy," has lingered longer and has come very close to the pup during each visit.  This was unnerving at first- I was always jumping to grab her up in my arms before the fox got too close and eventually trying to keep the determined little puppy from chasing the young mother.  It certainly seems as thought the young mother is simply curious about the new addition and acts as though she understands our mutual foray into new motherhood. Still, constant vigilance is in order.

All in all, life is good- but certainly not the usual childhood! :)

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August 10th Superpod!!!

Sunday started out like any other day in the San Juan Islands this summer, a bit of cloud cover and scenic views across the Haro Straits. Took the puppy for a walk on the trails at Lime Kiln (to calm her down a bit!)- but the day was going to change upon my return home. I received a phone call at 10:00am from Captain Ivan of Western Prince Whale Watching Tours- there were whales heading in towards the Islands- lots of whales. At first, the operators thought they had J Pod and a "few L's," but that would change as the day went on. They were out at Race Rocks off of Canada's west coast- so the watch began.

And it was well worth the wait! By mid-afternoon, I was seeing so many fins crossing the Straits that I just knew there was more than "a few L's." Looking through my scope, I thought I saw Cappuccino (who is a beautiful boy in K pod) but wasn't positive given the angle. First to hit the shores were members of J Pod- Ruffles and Granny immediately headed North offshore, but Slick and her family along with the Cookies made an exceptionally close pass in resting mode off of Hannah Heights. I ran to the Lighthouse- knowing this was going to be good. Ran to the rock and I was just in time for the show- whales everywhere!!!! Lots of L's made close passes at the Lime Kiln shores- here are a few photos from the day! Lots of lunging, breaches, rolling and tail slapping- looks as though the whales were quite excited to be reunited. This is the first time in weeks, if not more, that all three pods of the Southern Resident community have been together- we'd have to wait until 5:00 to see those K's, who had apparently headed SOUTH before turing north to meet up with J's and L's. 

Sounds as though many of the whales are at the Fraser River this morning, although just got word that orcas have been spotted off the south side of the Island at Cattle Pass ....more to follow!  Here's where the whales would be off of the south side right now....

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Waking up to the Southern Resident Community of Whales

It is 6:00am and I am awoken by the sound of orca whale blows (exhalations) out of my window- on the west side of San Juan Island.  To hear the whooshing sounds of the whale blows all surfacing within seconds of each other - then silence - then blows all louder than before is almost magical in itself. The morning was beautiful- the sky was blue and the water even more so. The whales were spread out and not very close to shore, but the stillness of the quiet morning brought the echoes off the Straits and directly to my waiting ears. A loud whoosh, another and another! I turn to the south and hear whales in the distance, turn to the right and see whales headed down island from the North.

And far offshore, I spot him...a huge six foot dorsal fun slowly curving into the waters offshore, the dorsal fin ruffled even at this distance. J Pod has been splitting up alot lately with Spieden (J-8) seeming to be traveling with the J-14's and others, while Granny (J-2) and the rest of the pod have been traveling without them. But seeing Ruffles, I know J Pod is back in town!!

No pictures from today, although J Pod traveled up and down the west side of San Juan Island until 3:00pm- and it currently appears they have made yet another decision to head North- guess the fishing has been good at the Fraser River.

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Tomorrow is the Big Day!!!

We are about to add a new member to the San Juan Island family! Tomorrow I head to Moses Lake to pick her up- our new beautiful little 8 week old yellow lab. 

Hopefully she will love Friday Harbor as much as we do, although in comparison, I suspect she may find it a bit chillier than she is used to. We went to select her in the beginning of July and the temps in Moses Lake were 106 degrees. Ouch! let's see, today we're enjoying a supposedly summer day in July- the temperature reached a whopping 63 degrees- and that was the high!

We have several names in the running- Madrona (a tree indigenous to the region which has reddish bark and a very distinctive shape full of dark shiny leaves.  We're also considering Coho, an endangered species of salmon. Another name we're considering is Cedar, because we certainly have lots of evergreens out here!  If you're reading this blog and come up with a great name that celebrates the Pacific Northwest, drop me a line (e-mail) and we'll surely consider it!!!

So, the cedar waxwings have returned and the days are filled with their beautiful calls. Just yesterday I was in my yard and happened upon a group of babies! Located on an important Pacific flyway, the San Juan Islands are a birder’s paradise: a stop-over for thousands of migratory birds and home to numerous species that inhabit the region year-round. Raptors such as eagles, hawks and peregrine falcons are island residents, and songbirds, seabirds, shorebirds and waterfowl are common sights. Took a couple of photos...

I'll be sure to post some photos of the baby girl this weekend- have some issues with the sensor on my camera being a bit dirty- but we'll work around that too!  Have a great day! Sandy

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Red Beaks, White Caps and Blue Skies- July 4th San Juan Island Style

Another holiday has passed us by- a weekend spent with friends and a cacophony of oystercatcher calls down at Hannah Heights Beach on the west side of San Juan Island, WA. The whales (members of all three pods) made it in for the end of the weekend- foraging and milling on the west side all day today- never even making it up to Lime Kiln Lighthouse (so far).  It is frustrating to watch all of the holiday boat traffic pay no heed to the Whale Watching Guidelines- boating over the whales and through them.  Boaters should beware, though- a new law, signed by the Governor on March 28, 2008, (HB 2514) establishes a 300-foot zone around orca whales that vessels must avoid. The law provides the Department of Fish and Wildlife with enforcement tools to better protect the endangered Southern resident whales. Violators can be fined up to $500 with possible charges filed as applicable.

So, back to the American Black Oystercatchers!!!  We were visited by four of these colorfully fun shorebirds Friday evening- conspicuous black birds found on the shorelines of the Islands just about year round. As their name implies, they forage in the intertidal zone, feeding on marine invertebrates, particularly molluscs such as mussels, limpets and chitons. We watched them hunt so close to the water's edge they had to repeatedly fly up to avoid the surf.

Happy Fourth of July!!

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Whales in Baines Channel

If you didn't have a chance to read Orca Network's update this week, you missed plenty of excitement...especially on Wednesday morning.  I suspect that day will remain a highlight of my whale watching days for many years to come. We had the opportunity to meet up with members of both J & K pods (could have been some L's too??) returning to the San Juan Islands at approximately 11:00am. We met up with the whales as they headed through Baines Channel. While that was exciting in an of itself, when we approached, we were greeted with line after line of resting whales, tightly grouped, intermingled and slowly making their way west toward San Juan Island.

Pictures certainly cannot do the experience justice. But we'll try!!

We stayed with the groups for about two hours (they seemed to gather speed as they entered the Haro Straits- heading north and breaking into three separate groupings). The whales appeared to be heading North but by the time we arrived home to the west side of the Island, many of the whales seemed to have turned and headed south- we even stopped to watch at least 5 of them come well into Deadman's Bay (just south of Lime Kiln). By 6:00pm that evening, we still had the southern residents heading south along the shores, after a day of what seems to have been unstopped milling!

The Orcas Visit For OrcaSing on San Juan Island

June is Orca Month! 

It is an extra-special month for the Southern Resident orca community, whose members who have lovingly followed the beloved icon of the Pacific Northwest and Puget Sound ever since man has shared these waters with them. Recent and significant declines in their population have led researchers, government agencies and concerned citizens to begin focusing on efforts to ensure the whales will be able to continue to thrive in their own habitat. Indicators show that between 1995 and 2001, the Southern Resident orca population declined by 20%, leading to their being listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in November of 2005.

June calls for increased focus on stewardship efforts to protect and preserve the Puget Sound for the Southern Residents.  Their habitat is a fragile one and the harm being done to them both directly and indirectly comes into focus- with many agencies sponsoring events to educate the public and highlight the current and future initiatives to save the whales. One of these events on San Juan Island is OrcaSing- an annual event cosponsored by People For Puget Sound, The American Cetacean Society, The Friends of the San Juans, The Whale Museum, The City Cantabile Choir, the Italico Brass Quntet, and The Whale Trail.

Last night, those gathered for the summer solstice presentation of OrcaSing, were not let down, as members of all three pods visited Lime Kiln State Park as if on cue for the ceremonies. We watched as the familiar fin of Ruffles, J-1, made a splash well off of Deadman's Bay, a cove just south of the light- as the chorus of the ceremony began. But then they turned...making the watchers wait out the pass for what seemed like forever. But when they did, while well offshore...it was a pass replete with breaches, cavorting- with all three pods represented- can you say electric energy? And luckily for those participating in OrcaSing, they were directly in the whales' path. By 8:30pm, the pass was over and the crowds thinned as the last fins could be seen on the horizon of a beautiful sunset.

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