This evening we departed just past 7 pm on Five Star Charter's Supercat with cruise ship guests on their way back to Seattle after a trip to Alaska. We headed out into the Strait of Juan De Fuca to see if we could spot any whales. We looked at Constance Bank in the middle of the Strait of Juan De Fuca, then Seabird Point, Discovery Island, Beaumont Shoals to the east of Discovery and then back past the Chatham Islands and through the Chain Islands in Oak Bay.
Unfortunately whales weren't to be found this evening but we did get to see a Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) in the process of catching and eating a fish which was probably a salmon. It was cool to see him flipping the fish through the air and eating it. Then on the way home through the Chain Islands we had a beautiful sunset...it was a great evening for a cruise despite not spotting any whales!
Steller Sea Lion in the middle of catching a fish which appeared to be a salmon
Eating his catch
Above 2 photos: note the features for identifying this animal as a Steller sea lion...he has earflaps (therefore not a seal), no saggital crest (the large forhead seen on California sea lions) and is a lighter blonde colour (California sea lions tend to be darker)
Sunset at Chatham Island...looks a bit like Africa with the outline of the Arbutus tree in the foreground!
This is why I like evening cruises...the amazing sunsets! (Baynes Channel)
The bow of the cruise ship the Star Princess
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