JULY 16, 2009 AFTERNOON Minke whale at Hein Bank and Harbour porpoise and seals

Departure time: 1407

Vessel: Five Star Charter's Supercat

Rhinocerous Auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata) going for a dive!

Sighting #1: Minke whales (Balaenopter acutorostrata)

Time: 1525
Location: 1 at South Hein Bank marker and another at north Hein Bank marker, Haro Strait, Washington waters

Behaviour: milling and foraging

Cool minke whale fact: the minke whale's life span is believed to be about 50 years

Links

American Cetacean Society minke whale fact sheet

Sighting #2 Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)

Time: 1615

Location: 2 miles south of Beaumont Shoals, Haro Strait

Behaviour: milling, slow rolls at surface

Links
American Cetacean Society harbour porpoise fact page

Harbour porpoise surfacing near Beaumont Shoals, Haro Strait

Above 2 photos: Double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) in the Chain Islands, Oak Bay

Sighting #3 Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina)

Time: 1306 Location: Chain Islands, Oak Bay

Behaviour: hauled out and swimming

Links
Vancouver Aquarium harbour seal fact page

In the middle of this photo sits a sea gull with her two little chicks on the Chain Islands Oak Bay!

Harbour seals hauled out in the Chain Islands, Oak Bay

SIMPLE WAYS TO HELP SAVE THE WHALES AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT To learn some ways how you can help save the whales and the oceans they live in see the Whale Nerds Unite blogpost for June 27, 2009!