Humpbacks and Seals!

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(baby seal)



On the 3:30 Ocean Magic trip today we traveled almost to the Port Angeles shoreline where two humpback whales were traveling. They gave us a lovely look at their flukes and pectoral flippers as well. A few hard tail slaps came out of now where and was thrilling for people on board. It was quite the Juan de Fuca strait adventure traveling over to the Oak Bay Chain Islands were several seals were hauled out. In one of the photos I noticed a new baby seal just behind the mother. It is very small and silver. We also saw a variety of sea birds including Brants Cormorants! Yay the sun was out and it was warm, finally summer has returned!

K7 J2 - SR Elders

Photo taken on superpod day - July 20'07 by skipper Mark Malleson. This is a photo of the southern resident killer whales eldest females K7 Lummi (est 97 years, 1910) and J2 Granny (est 96 years, 1911). One can only imagine .... Thanks Mark for sharing. His website is located at; http://www.killerwhalephotography.com

Humpback & Sealions

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Another wonderful experience for guests on board the 3:30 Ocean Magic today. Chilly but always an adventure to be remembered. The female (I think) humbpack whale was tail bashing the ocean surface then scooping up large mouth fulls of food. She would lay on her side and heave her long 15 foot or so pectoral fin high into the air before her feed along the surface with mouth gaping wide (see yesterdays blog). We ventured to Race Rocks ecological reserve where there was a group of sealions present. Only the males show up in the area and by September it's a huge sealion party out there. They are usually sleeping on rocks, swimming, eating of fighting for rock realestate :)

2 Feeding Humpback Whales

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(humpback feeding - mouth wide open)



(head)

(mouth)

(nose)

(eye)







What can I possibly say to describe today but incredible. We watched two different humpback whales feasting non stop. Rain and fog did not stop another perfect trip from taking place. Wow...

Lpod, Porpoise, Humpback, Tufted Puffin, Breaching fish

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(Humpback headed our direction, leaves us in suspence)










(Harbour Porpoise)


(feeding humpback)

(breaching fish)

(open mouth)



(humpback with industry on Port Angeles shoreline)


(orcas and puffin)

Today was absolutely extraordinary! Why? Well for starters, we headed out on the 3:30 pm trip and the rain started but that certainly didn't stop our trip from turning out to be pure magic! We departed towards San Juan Island were all 3 pods were milling throughout the day in the fog. As we passed Trial Island we discovered that Lpod was making it's way west. One animal layed on their side pec slapping over and over again. The animals were in fast traveling behavior, speed porpoising. Witnessed a few breaches by Faith / L57 (sorry guys was busy focusing on the group speed porpoising across the Strait of Juan de Fuca). Groups of 3 traveled towards Race Passage. Flash L73, Gaia L74, Faith L57 all sighted and with others including mothers and calfs.

After an incredible glimpse of the orcas we headed towards where a humpback was feeding in the middle of the strait. On the way we sighted a school of harbour porpoise milling. We found the humpback feeding, with a pec high in the air and mouth wide open on it's side. Lots of tail thrashing as well. In the process of this, noticed that fish were flying out of the ocean and then Captain Shamus alerted me that a Tufted Puffin was flying past our vessel! I didn't know where to point my lens today it was so busy. I also noticed in the background of the very busy humpback, harbour porpoise milling which you can actually see in the photos!

After a wonderful viewing of the humpback, we headed back towards Victoria where Lpod was still making their way west. Stopped to see a harbour seal who was munching on a fish and then caught one last glimpse of the orcas. A mother and calf were traveling together as well as a large male. I also noticed later there is another Tufted Puffin right in the foreground of the photo of mom and calf orca! I tell ya, today was up there with one of the best trips I have had in 5 years! It just didn't seem to end. Magnificent!

photos soon