JULY 17, 2009 MORNING Humpback whale in the Strait of Juan De Fuca

Departure time: 1003

Vessel: Five Star Charter's Fastcat

Looking at Mount Olympus in the Olympic Mountains through the Elwha River Valley

Sighting #1: Humpback whale (Balaenopter acutorostrata)

Time: 1118
Location: 3 miles south of Becher Bay, Vancouver Island

Behaviour: milling

Links

American Cetacean Society humpback whale fact sheet

Center for Whale Research online humpback catalogue of humpbacks seen in the Salish Sea

Department of Fisheries and Oceans humpback catalogue

The humpback whale's tail...you can see it is mostly dark underneath. These features are used to identify individual whales

Above 2 photos: a nice look at the two blowholes that baleen whales have. All toothed whales only have one blowhole

Here you can clearly see the 'tubercles' on the whales head. These are believed to be important for sensing the environment, like whiskers

Whale watching and fishing! Nice catch!

Above 2 photos: adult bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sitting on the post at Haystock Island

Sighting #2 Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina)

Time: 1306 Location: Haystock Island, Witty's Lagoon

Behaviour: hauled out and swimming

Links
Vancouver Aquarium harbour seal fact page

Above 3 photos: harbour seals hauled out at Haystock Island with Mount Olympus, Olympic Mountains behind

Juvenile bald eagle sitting above the nest at Albert Head

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!

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!

JULY 16, 2009 MORNING Fog in the Strait of Juan De Fuca and bald eagles

Departure time: 0900
Vessel: Five Star Charter's Supercat

Sighting #1: Steller Sea Lion (Eumatopias jubatus)
Time: 1115

Location: Iron Mine Bay, East Sooke Park

Behaviour: swimming

Cool Steller sea lion fact: Steller sea lions make a low roaring sound as opposed to the barking sound made by California sea lions (Zalophus californianus)

Links

Vancouver Aquarium Steller sea lion fact page

Marine Mammal Research Consortium Sea lion facts

Above 3 photos: fog off of Becher Bay, Vancouver Island

Sighting #2 and 3: Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Times: 1140 and 1225
Location: Becher Bay and Albert Head

Behaviour: first was flying overhead and others were sitting in trees
Cool Bald Eagle fact: Is likely, as an adult, to obtain its food by hunting and killing; younger birds rely more on scavenging and piracy

Links

Hinterland who's who bald eagle fact page

Adult bald eagle flying past us in Becher Bay

Fog bank in the Strait of Juan de Fuca with Mount Olympus in the background

Adult bald eagles on tree at Haystock Island

Juvenile bald eagle sitting above nest (to the right) near Albert Head

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!

JULY 15, 2009 AFTERNOON J, K and L pod in Rosario Strait

Departure time: 1402
Vessel: Five Star Charter's Supercat

Sighting #1: Southern 'Resident' fish eating killer whales (Orcinus orca)

Time: 1530 - 1604

Start location: 1 mi east of Bird Island, Rosario Strait, Washington

Behaviour: groups spread and travelling, taillobs

End location: 1.5 mi southeast of Bird Island, Rosario Strait, Washington

Pods and individuals identified: J, K and L pod - L87, K11, L55

Links

Center for Whale Research killer whale fact page, photo ID and matrilines

Orca Adoption Program at Friday Harbour Whale Museum

Orcasound online hydrophone network

Orca Sightings Network

American Cetacean Society fact sheet

L87, Onyx, an 17 year old male killer whale with a US Coast Guard ship in the background

L55, Nugget, a 32 year old female killer whale

Above 3 photos: L87

Above 3 photos: K11, Georgia, a female estimated to be born in 1933

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!