Orca Whale spouting off of Kellett Bluff.
The girls wanted to see some whales, so we headed down Haro Straight for Kellett Bluff, which is a favorite hangout for Orcas. The current was running hard against us and the winds funneling between the San Juan and Gulf Islands made it a bit choppy, but it didn’t take long for me to find a couple of pods of Orcas cavorting in the water.
I slowed the boat down to a crawl and allowed the current to carry us slowly past the whales, which are used to being herded by whale watching boats, so ignored us completely while we marveled at their grace and beauty. After about thirty minutes of joy and listing to lots of OMG from the girls, I turned south and headed for the Straits of Juan de Fuca.
More Orcas
I spotted another pod of Orcas off of Lime Kiln point, so we stopped again briefly for some Ooohs and Aaaahs, before continuing South.
Normally, the Straits of Juan de Fuca can be a bit of a challenge with large swells from the Pacific Ocean and steep wind waves that pack up on an ebb current, but once south of San Juan Island, we found flat calm seas and hazy visibility. We also found lots of dolphins, porpoises and whales.
A Minke Whale rolls right next to Sea Eagle
We had a couple of Minke Whales surface right next to the boat, which is always exciting for both the captain and the crew. One of the advantages of the whisper-quiet, four-blade propeller on Sea Eagle is that it turns so slowly there is almost no vibration and wildlife rarely even know the boat is there until right next to them.
What a great way to spend a Saturday!
