First Whales of the Year!

This morning while on Facebook, I was alerted that one of my friends was listening to whales on the Lime Kiln Hydrophone. Sure enough, I tuned in and after a brief moment was able to hear vocalizations loud and clear. Ran upstairs to the scope and began scanning the Haro Straits. After approximately 15 minutes, we were able to spot two large fins three or four miles offshore, headed north at an amazingly fast clip. It certainly looks like the boys have been growing this winter!!!! No photos- but it certainly sounds and looks like J pod is visiting the islands! My first whale sighting of 2009! Woo hoo!

Here Today Gone Tomorrow..The Southern Residents Outdo Themselves!

Wednesday evening was perhaps one of the most beautiful nights of the summer. With the clouds whispering over the Haro Straits, the water was absolutely dead calm. The repetitive cheers of Harlequin ducks could be heard echoing across the shores amidst the calls of bullfrogs and Belted Kingfishers. As the sun began to fall beyond the terrain of Vancouver Island, so did the hope that the orca whales would make a pass on the west side with enough light remaining to commemorate the pass in photos. Jeanne Hyde had called to let me know the whales had been spotted- so I made my way to Lime Kiln to see the approaching superpod.

Sometimes the lighting is perfect or the seas lay down in such a way that the fins of the whales come into focus by themselves- no talent needed, the photograph takes itself. Other times, you have to put the "perfect photo" aside and simply revel in the moment- whether it is a close pass to shore where the orcas play in the kelpy shoreline or where the sounds of their blows echoing off the waters literally takes your breath away. It's not always about the shot, although that has been a hard lesson to learn. Tonight was one of the latter...

With the sun fading, the first dorsal fins came into view. While many whales passed miles offshore, we sat in reverence as several groups passed very close to the shoreline, the golden waters embracing the shadowy profiles and the blows echoing across the waters. The pass brought a hush to the crowd...each of us experiencing the interaction in absolute silence. It's so difficult to describe a moment like this...one where you are absolutely awed by the orcas and the overwhelmingly majestic beauty of the Islands. And while we watched, two perfect fins sliced through the waters, a harmony created by 50+ years at one another's sides. It was Granny (J2) and Ruffles (J1)- the matriarch of J pod and her constant companion for the last 50 years, gliding through the oceans side by side, their exhalations echoing to our ears. It was such an emotionally beautiful pass, just a couple of photos to commemorate- but one that will linger in my mind as almost ethereal.

Returning home to the now dark Straits, I couldn't allow the moment to end. I sat outside on the shoreline, listening with awe as the blows echoed across the straits, some close to shore at my feet, others surely headed towards Discovery Island..and many in between.  Even the most seasoned whale watcher can still be awed, as well it should be with these magnificent creatures.

The Seattle PI wrote and beautiful series on Granny and the whales' plight which is truly worth reading. This six-part special report both chronicles the long life of Granny, the respected elder in her Northwest orca pod, and examines the weak regulations, spotty enforcement and political foot-dragging that have put local orcas in jeopardy. Enjoy! Until next time...Sandy

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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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San Juan Islands Has it All!!!

Located in the pacific northwest, the San Juan Islands have something for everyone- kayaking, biking, sunshine, great Inns full of charm, incredible shopping and WILDLIFE!!!! Today, the whales were the center of attention, with J Pod showing up at 6:34am on the West Side of the San Juan Island, heading North and close to shore.  They made it to the light and abruptly turned south....

By Noon, they still hadn't made a decision as to what direction they felt like traveling- actively engaged in a hearty round of what people often call "the West Side Shuffle." Lots of socializing, lots of play and a little resting along the way.  As of this writing, at 3:10pm PST- the pod remains south of False Bay, lots of fun to be had by all on the west side today!!!

It is important to stress that the wildlife in the pacific northwest is not only cherished but also protected. The National Park Service's Organic Act of 1916 gave us the responsibility to "… conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Many of the local parks and adjoining areas have been designated as refuge areas by the USFWS.

Like so many beautiful coastal places, the San Juans and commensurate tourism are developing at a rapid pace, natural habitats are being altered and the marine environment is showing signs of stress. Within the County, there are now over 40 listed species of concern. Environmental stewardship begs us to constantly remember how fragile the ecosystem within which we live truly is and consistently focus on our footprint's impact upon the existing fragility - being sure NOT to add to it. 

Just the other day, while at Lime Kiln, we sat on the rocks watching the whales go by. To our right, on an outcropping- a large harbor seal had hauled out to sun himself. Harbor seals often haul out at low tide to digest food, rest, give birth, or nurse young. We watched in AMAZEMENT as 15- 30 people began crawling down the rocks to "get a better picture." The seal became more and more stressed as the onlookers got closer.  Finally, we headed over to the Park Ranger who advised this has been an ongoing problem at the Park, signs have been posted and they're trying to figure out how to keep this from continuing.  In the interim, I hope people realize that while cute, harbor seals are wild animals that reach five to six feet (1.7-1.9 m) in length and weigh up to 300 pounds (140 kg). If disturbed too often, they have been known to abandon favorite haul-out sites or their pups....and this is pupping season in the Islands. So please, remember the law- keep yourself 100 yards away from all wildlife on the islands! The path toward sustainability requires that residents and visitors take personal responsibility  for the natural wealth in order to protect the future for all, reducing our impact in the interim.

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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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J Pod On The West Side This Morning

Another beautiful day in the neighborhood! 

Early this morning, J pod returned to Friday Harbor, heading in towards the west side of San Juan Island- very spread out and lazily passing Hannah Heights. The orca whales have returned! We went to the lighthouse and sure enough, had a wonderful pass very close to shore. 

A pod of whales is actually an extended family containing maternal groups composed of mothers and their offspring. Some of these family units have as many as four generations traveling together. The resident killer whales in the San Juan Islands have three pods: J, K, and L. J Pod is presently composed of 25 individuals. One of the oldest matriarch orcas, Granny (J-2), is in J Pod. (courtesy of the Whale Museum)

Of interest, Faith, also referred to as L-57, has been traveling with J Pod for the past week or so. Faith was born in the late seventies and is a strapping 30 year old male. He is a stand out in the southern resident community and is easily recognized due to a slight tilt at the top of his dorsal fin. This morning, he was traveling with a few of the younger J pod males and Polaris, J-28, who is a female born in 1993.

There are plenty of keepsakes to commemorate your visit to the San Juan Islands available! Please click on an item below or visit Zazzle to see all the great photos of the southern residents!!

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San Juan Island Lighthouses

San Juan Island is home to two of the most scenic lighthouses in the Puget Sound, namely the Lime Kiln Lighthouse and Cattle Point Lighthouse.

LIME KILN LIGHTHOUSE

Situated on the rocky shoreline on the west side of the island's Westside Road, Lime Kiln Lighthouse is a VERY popular whale-watching location. Visitors spend can spend the day watching orcas, porpoises, seals lions and river otters playing just offshore of the rocky point. Peak tourist season is May through September, with June and July being the most likely months to see whales.The lighthouse, built between 1914 and 1919, remains a significant navigational beacon for ships in the Haro Strait. Interpretive programs are offered by the Whale Museum with scheduled tours available during the summer months. The light derives its name from lime kiln operations back in the 1860's.

Lime Kiln remains the last major lighthouse constructed in Washington State. The lighthouse boasts a 38-foot concrete tower and fog signal building and was the last electrified light (in the 1940's). Automated in 1962, Lime Kiln Lighthouse is accessible through Lime Kiln State Park on the west side of San Juan Island.

CATTLE POINT LIGHTHOUSE

Cattle Point Lighthouse derives its name from the flocks of sheep and cattle that grazed in the area, owned by the Hudson Bay Company. The first light on Cattle Point, a simple brass lens lantern on a post, was established in 1888. Then, in 1912, the Navy added a navigational compass near the light on the south eastern side of the Island and the Cattle Point Lighthouse now became a significant tool for traveling in the dense fog which tends to accumulate at the point. Automated in the 50's, the lighthouse is located within the Cattle Point Interpretive Area, next to the San Juan National Historical Park off of Cattle Point Road.

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