There was the first frost of the coming Winter on the dock this morning. The sun was glistening off the flat water’s surface and the chill in the air only gave us an excuse to drink more hot chocolate!
We sailed south towards the Olympic Mountains with Mount Baker to the East, their snow capped peaks shinning bright. Once we were in the middle of the Strait of Juan de Fuca we made a turn to the West and that is where we saw our whale species for the day. A humpback whale was zig-zagging its way around, searching for food. Its tail flicked up during lackadaisical dives, with rays of sunshine glistening off its fluke. It truly was a beautiful sight!
We entered Race Rocks Ecological Reserve to the sight of sleeping Harbour Seals and adorable pups propped next to their mothers’. Not to be out done, the Sea Lions were very active: fishing in the water and climbing up the rocks. A big gang of Steller Sea Lions were hunting in the Bull Kelp while the California Sea Lions were as noisy as ever with their barks.
It was a particular treat to spot “Harry” the Sea otter nestled in the Kelp bed. He was so well camouflaged it would have been easy to miss him but his tell-tale fuzz gave him away. He was enjoying the peace and serenity of the morning too.
