We departed on Five Star Charter's Supercat just after 0900 this morning. It was very foggy but we decided to head out into the Strait of Juan De Fuca and see what we could find. After a run through the Strait we headed back towards the Oak Bay Chain Islands to check for seals and possibly Transient 'mammal eating' killer whales. We didn't find any Transients but we did spot a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sitting on the double crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) nests at Great Chain Island . Just before we left the Chain Islands I heard the barking of a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). A couple hundred meters away from us we spotted a kayaker being checked out by the sea lion as he was paddling along the rocky shore of the islands!
After checking out the Chain Islands we continued on to Seabird Point off the south end of Discover Island to see if we could spot the minke whale which has been feeding in the area. When we arrived at Seabird Point we could smell the breath of the minke whale...which is so bad minkes have been given the nickname "stinky minke". Due to the fog we could not find it but shortly after 1100 at we finally spotted the minke!
Minke whale we've been seeing feeding around Seabird Point, Discovery Island
Gull in flight
Young harbour seal checking us out
Young harbour seal off Seabird Point
Minke whale feeding in association with gulls
Minke whale feeding in association with gulls
While we were watching the minke whale we also spotted many harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) also feeding in the area. We often spot porpoise between Seabird Point and Beaumont Shoals because the area is very productive due to the upwelling of nutrients from the shallowing waters at Beaumont Shoals and the mixing that occurs from currents passing Seabird Point.
Harbour porpoise off Seabird Point, Discovery Island
Harbour porpoise off Seabird Point, Discovery Island
After watching the Minke whale and harbour porpoise for a while we went to Brinn Rock off of Seabird Point to check out a Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) that another whale watch boat reported to us. When we arrived at Brinn Rock the sea lion was swimming around in the kelp bed. It likely was there to forage for fish species; their diet can consist of Pacific herring, pollock, salmon, cod, and rockfishes and they will also eat octopus and some squid.
Steller sea lion at Brinn Rock off Seabird Point, Discover Island
Dall's porpoise spotted offshore of Lime Kiln Lighthouse, San Juan Island during afternoon trip (~1530)
Dall's/Harbour hybrid porpoise travelling with Dall's porpoise. Harbour porpoise males have probably been breeding with Dalls porpoise and the hybrid offspring are travelling with their Dall's porpoise mothers and learning behaviours, such as bow riding, that are not typical for Harbour porpoise!
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