Morning Tour
There was a touch of fog hovering over the water as we set sail this morning but that certainly did not dampen down our search. With our eyes glued on the water we travelled East towards the Canada/USA, we scanned the coastlines of Discovery and San Juan islands. Success struck around the southern point of Lopez Island. A Humpback whale was rising and falling at the surface of the water.
It was very relaxed while swimming along and the sound of its breath piercing the morning’s silence was captivating. We spotted a bait ball of small shoaling fish in the distance, unmissable with a flock a sea birds energetically feeding at the surface.
A memorable moment of the morning came when the Humpback whale made its way over to snack on the fish, scaring all the sea birds away.
Our trip was rounded off with a cruise through East Chain Passage. Large groupings of Pelagic Cormorants perched themselves on the high up sections of rock while the Harbour Seals lazed lower down at the waters surface.
Afternoon Tour
The Marauder IVs trajectory for the afternoon was that of to the south and west. Nearing Sooke and in the middle of the San Juan channel we came across a Humpback whale! It had its mind on food and was carrying out pretty consistent 12 minute deep dives with periods in between on the surface.
This particular Humpback had a mesmerizing tail pattern of a black background and intricate white detailing throughout. On the way back east we stopped in at Race Rocks were it was a meeting of the Sea Lions!
California and Stellers all hung out on the rocks in high numbers. Their presence, odour and sounds definitely meant they did not go unnoticed. We also witness a Harbour Seal pup suckling on its mothering, a touching sight to witness.
Have a look at our Facebook Album to see more amazing pictures of this trip! 🙂