As we left the dock today, we still had not heard news of any whales in the area.  We set out to look for transients that had been in the area earlier.  We were heading north when we got a call from a fellow captain that we should turn around.  There was a group of transient orcas in Rosario Strait!  We got on scene with the T2s, T120, and T123.  These animals were grouped up nicely and travelling in a tight pack.  We watched them for about 40 minutes before we had to start making our way back to port.  On our way back in Captain Pete thought that he spotted something off the port side of the “Odyssey”.  He slowed the boat and sure enough there was T40, “Captain Hook”  with 2 other whales.  T40 got his nickname because of his dorsal fin that has fell over to one side.  It is always such a good feeling to be the boat that finds the whales!  We watched this group for a little bit before heading back in to Friday Harbor.  Another great tour!

Today we had quite the suprise encounter aboard the “Odyssey”.  There were humpback whales in Haro Strait.  Humpbacks don’t come through this area very often, so we were very excited to get the chance to see these massive animals.  What a fun experience!

After getting to see the various members of L Pod the day before, we thought that we would see them again today.  We got a report that there were orcas on the “westside” of  San Juan Island and we assumed that it was L Pod.  It turned out to be Transient orcas, the meat eaters.  When we got on scene with the whales we were just south of Henry Island.  The whales were in a travel mode, cruising right along in a predictable path.  They stopped at the bottom of Henry Island and it looked like they made a kill.  They stayed there until we had to start heading back to Friday Harbor.  Along the way we went by Spieden Island and saw harbor seals, bald eagles and a bald eagle’s nest.   It was a great trip.

Another sunny Friday in the San Juan Islands!  We set out today to look for resident orcas that were reportedly coming south from Georgia Strait, up in Canada.  We hoped that they would come down quick enough for us to see them on our tour.  After leaving the dock, we got a report that they were swimming south through Active Pass!  We were going to get to see them.  It was not too long and we were with about 20 members of L Pod.  We had the L 12’s and others.  They were very active, with lots of breaching, tail slapping and even a few spyhops.  It was so nice to see our residents back, even it wasn’t all of them.

April 30th, 2010.

Today was a very exciting day in the Salish Sea.  It’s most famous residents, the orcas of J Pod returned from an almost 2 month hiatus.  This time of year is always abuzz with excitement, as to when the residents will return.  Typically seen in all of the months throughout the year, J Pod had not been seen since early March.  Last year they were gone all of April and returned the second week of May.  This year was looking much like last until yesterday.  J Pod returns to the waters of the Salish Sea!!  It is so nice to have our “friends” back.  The waters were rough yesterday, but that didn’t bother the orcas.  Welcome back J Pod!

 April 23rd started out a little bit chilly and overcast, but a few sunbreaks came out too.  A pretty typical “mixed bag” of weather for early spring in the San Juan Islands.  We had no reports of orcas before leaving the dock, so we headed north in San Juan Channel in search of wildlife.  Our first encounter came at the amazing Spienden Island.  Here we saw one of the islands many residents, the Mouflon Sheep.  These sheep are native to Corsica, halfway around the world.  They were brought here in the 1970s and a resident herd has remained.  They are a beautiful and powerful animal related to the Big Horn Sheep of North America.  Along the southern shore of Spieden Island we also spotted 3 bald eagles.  We had heard from another boat that were also Steller Sea Lions in the area, but we were unsuccessful in spotting them.  We hoped to find them on our return trip.  After Spieden Island we went through little John’s Pass, between Stuart and John’s Island.  It is always fun going through this little body of water.  On the way back to Friday Harbor we stopped at the Cactus Islands to show our guests a very large bald eagle’s nest.  These nests can be as big a Volkswagen Beetle!  Those Steller Sea Lions were still high on our priority list, so we went looking for them.  With a little help from another boat on the water we were able to find them.  There were close to a half of a dozen!  The other vessels left the scene and we were alone with the foraging sea lions.  Our patience paid off when we saw one of the sea lions come to the surface with a large fish in its mouth.  Sea lions have to tear their prey apart into chunks that they can swallow.  When they do this they make a lot of commotion.  This commotion draws other sea lions and also lots of seagulls to pick up the smaller pieces.  We watched one sea lion try to get down a rather large chunk of fish for more than five minutes.  He finally was able to choke it down.  How exciting!

On April 22nd we left sunny Friday Harbor in search of the beautiful wildlife that makes the San Juan Islands their home. We had heard that there were some transient orcas in the area, so off we went. We went north in between Orcas and Waldron Islands through President’s Channel. A little more than an hours ride and we caught up to this group of transients. It was a pod of ~5 transient orcas, with one or two juveniles mixed in, hunting harbor porpoises. One of the porpoises was lucky enough to get away, but the other one was not as fortunate and became their lunch. While this macabre retelling may sound terrifying, it was in fact very educational and easy to miss for the untrained eye. Capt. Pete expertly maneuvered the boat in such a way that the guests could watch all of the graceful movements of the orcas without the aid of binoculars and never knewthe reason for all of it. Except of course for the fact that the other naturalist, Russell, and I were giddy with glee for what we were witnessing. All of the elements of the notorious killer whale were there. The power, speed, agility and mystery; combined and within our scope to deliver to our guests on the M/V Odyssey. So, from all of us at San Juan Excursions, thank you and we look forward to welcoming you aboard!

In Honor of Earth Day, we will be donating 25% of our proceeds from our trip this Saturday April 24th to Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group. Come join us this Saturday!!

The Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group (SFEG) is a nonprofit organization formed in 1990 to engage communities in habitat restoration and watershed stewardship in order to enhance salmon populations. As a non-governmental organization, they have unique cooperative relationships with local landowners, conservation groups, government agencies and tribes. Their regional boundaries include not only the Skagit River watershed, but also the Samish River and the watersheds of the San Juan Islands and northern Whidbey Island. 

Green Your Daily Routine [WED]      Tid bits that will help our environment

• Plant a tree! Help achieve UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign target of planting seven billion trees – one for every person on the planet – by the end of this year! Three billion are planted. Five billion are pledged. On every continent in the world trees can be planted in June, so start your efforts on WED.
• Find needy homes or charitable organizations for things that you no longer need or want rather than throwing it away.

DAILY ROUTINE:

AT HOME

• It would seem to go without saying, but many of us forget that we can save water in simple ways like not letting the tap run while shaving, washing your face, or brushing your teeth.
• Insulating your water heater will help save valuable energy, and you can go the extra mile by installing showerheads with a low flow in your bathrooms for bathing purposes to help save water. You can also put a timer on your heaters to save power.
• Using an electric razor or hand razor with replaceable blades instead of disposable razors goes a long way to cutting back on waste. And plant a tree.
• Use towels for drying your face and hands instead of tissues that are used and thrown away. Also, hang your towels to dry so that they can be reused several times. You are after all clean when you use them!
• Juice or yoghurt lovers can do their bit by buying juice in concentrates and yoghurt in reusable containers instead of single serving packages.
• Many of us like to leaf through the paper as we munch on breakfast, but consider reading the dailies in communal spaces like the office or coffee shops. However, if you prefer to have your own copy, make sure you recycle!
• When packing your lunch, opt for reusable containers for food storage instead of wrapping the food with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
• As you leave the house, don’t forget to switch off all the lights and appliances at the wall unit (if you have this feature) and unplug chargers as they continue to consume even if they are not charging; saving energy helps reduce air pollution.

GETTING TO WORK:

• Don’t go anywhere without your cloth bag so you can just say no to plastic whenever you shop.
• Radical as it may seem, in today’s “the easier the better” society, the easiest way to reduce your carbon footprint is by avoiding driving altogether. Power down and Instead try biking, walking, carpooling, public transport or an occasional telecommute.
• If you have no other choice than to drive to work, look for the most fuel- efficient car model for your next purchase and keep your tyres inflated to the correct pressure.
• If you’re one of the lucky few blessed with clear stretches of road on your way to work, use cruise control, as it saves fuel and also helps you maintain a constant speed.
• If you’re among the majority of drivers who spend their mornings stuck in traffic, consider turning your engine off if you will be idling for long periods of time. And plant a tree.
• For those who suffer from road rage, remember that aggressive driving lowers your mileage, so if you want to save on fuel and save the planet while you’re at it, accelerate gradually– something to keep that in mind the next time that bad driver cuts you off! Just count to 10 and say the planet needs me!

AT WORK:

• Do you have a morning hot drink routine? Using a washable mug is an environmentally-friendly alternative to non-biodegradable styrofoam or plastic cups.
• Leave a cup and reusable bottle for water at work to eliminate buying drinks, which get served in plastic cups, or bottled water. 80% of plastic bottles are recyclable but only 20% are actually recycled.
• When you need a pad for lists and messages, turn over an old document and write on the back of that instead.
• If there isn’t an office recycling system, start one yourself! Recycling our trash actually contributes to reducing global warming emissions. And it is estimated that 75% of what is thrown in the trash could actually be recycled, though currently only 25% is.
• When you must have a paper copy, make sure you default your printer option to use both sides. This is an easy tree-saver!
• Most computer accessories like ink cartridges and CDs and DVDs are made of materials that could be reused. Computer cords and speakers are fairly standardized, meaning they can be used for a variety of computer models and makes.
• Lower your office’s carbon footprint by seeing computers, monitors, printers, copiers, speakers and other business equipment to their energy saving feature and turning them off at the end of the day. And plant a tree!
• Turning off all unnecessary lights, especially in unused offices and conference rooms is an easy way to save energy.
• If you’re in search of something to personalize your workspace, look no further than the humble houseplant. Houseplants are good for the environment because they remove quantities of pollutants present in the air.

AFTER A LONG DAY:

• In the summer/warmer months, consider using an interior fan in conjunction with your window air-conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively through your home. While you’re at it, in winter, lower your thermostat and put on a jumper. In summer, increase it and wear lighter clothes, you will also save money!
• Don’t place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat as it senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air-conditioner to run longer than necessary.
• When cooking dinner, match the size of the pan to the size of the heating element to lower energy wastage.
• When you are feeling at your laziest, don’t throw clean clothes in the hamper to avoid hanging them up! Wear jeans more than once…

When you wash, use only eco-friendly products in your home. It’s best for you and the environment! And did we mention plant a tree!

Copied from www.unep.org

San Juan Excursions’ first trip of the 2010 season was on April 10th.  It turned out to be a great tour.  We got word that there were transient orcas in Rosario Strait!  Great news.  As Captain Pete navigated the “Odyssey” through the San Juan Islands, our Naturalists Russell and Erin kept the guests entertained with stories of the islands and the wildlife that inhabits them.  After the beautiful ride through the heart of the islands we arrived in Rosario Strait and we could start to see the orcas in the distance!  We approached the scene slowly as we were told that there was a lone adult male on his own away from the main group.  We soon spotted him and it turned out to be T14, Pender.  We watched him a little while before moving on to view the main group.  This group was the T87’s and there looked to be about 5 or 6 animals in this group.  From the seagulls circling over the top of the group and diving to the surface of the water, we assumed that the transients had made a kill.  There was lots of surface activity including  rolls and tail slaps.  We watched this group with the beautiful and snow capped Mt. Baker in the back drop.  On our return trip our guests were glad to have the heated indoor cabins to go back into and sip hot chocolate and coffee, as it was a cold and blustery day.  We were able to see two amazing bald eagles and many harbor seals on the ride back to Friday Harbor.  What a great day to start off the season!

San Juan Excursions now has a FaceBook page! Add us as a friend to stay connected with us!

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I Wish to Go… Whale Watching! Make-A-Wish Foundation Grants its 4,000th Wish

Charles William Bebe, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Dr. Eugenie Clark. Chances are that you may have heard of one of these famous marine biologists; however, four-year-old wish kid Colin knows them all.
Although he isn’t even in kindergarten yet, this energetic little guy is like a walking encyclopedia when it comes to all things under the sea. Diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia at 15 months old, his love of whales and marine life started at the age of two. At that time, he was already teaching his mom, Kellie, about whale sharks and sea life. Initially, she thought he was just talking about creatures that he had imagined. But it wasn’t long before she realized that he was actually stating fact, not fiction. "When he tells me something about sea life now, I believe him," said Kellie. 
It’s that love of the ocean that influenced Colin’s decision to go whale watching for his wish (our chapter’s 4,000th wish granted!).
After much anticipation—Colin would ask each and every day if today was his wish day—his magical day finally arrived. The minute he stepped off the ferry, Colin said it best when he exclaimed, "Let the games begin!" From that moment he was catapulted into celebrity status as flyers with his name, picture and wish story had been posted throughout the town. Everywhere he went, people stopped to give him the royal treatment. That VIP status continued aboard the boat when he was given a special proclamation on behalf of the Mayor, who declared it Colin’s Wish Day in Friday Harbor. Soon thereafter, his excitement peaked as the whale watching ensued aboard the San Juan Excursion’s flagship boat, "The Odyssey."
While out to sea, he and his family saw a pod of 19 orca whales, harbor seals, a bald eagle, sea lions and even two rare Minke whales.
This special day ended with a trip to the Whale Museum and a visit to the beach. Colin was as happy as a clam—or perhaps a whale!
For 23 years, the Make-A-Wish Foundation has had the privilege and honor of granting the heartfelt wishes of many children like Colin throughout our community. We’re proud that Colin’s wish marks our 4,000th wish granted and are so thankful to our community for its continued support.

Special thanks: Volunteers Kerry & Emily Volland and Susan Boothe
Thank you: San Juan Excursions, Friday Harbor Mayor David Jones, Council Woman Carrie Brooks
Video courtesy of TriFilm Productions
Photos courtesy of Suzanne Fogarty Photography 2009

Minke Whale

K Pod members

June 26

 A special day as we were privileged to have 4 year old Colin, his family, supporters, and the Make-a-Wish Foundation aboard. Colin had become fascinated with Orcas that he saw in the ocean scenes at the hospital he has spent many days at in the last 2 1/2 years. Hopes were high as we headed west of Salmon Bank. We were all delighted to watch K-11, K-13, K-25, K-27, K-34, K-20, and K-38, from 2:10pm until 3pm, in close family groups foraging as they headed northwest toward Eagle Cove, and two groups of other whales along the shoreline. It was that wonderful time of slack ebb tide, calm water, great visibility, sunshine, and hearing the powerful blows of the whales carry across the water as they swam past. We were all so happy Colin got his wish, when we came across two Minke whales foraging at Salmon Bank! The first Minke looked like an adult, the second a juvenile with a very curvy-hooked dorsal fin and a small white spot on the left flank. Both whales surfaced more often than we normally see, and close distance to each surfacing, so not so elusive and everyone saw them, along with rafts of marine birds! Topped off the trip with Bald Eagle, Great Blue Heron, Oystercatchers, harbor seal sightings at Long island and Whale Rocks, and harbor porpoise in San Juan Channel. A truly magical trip and the diversity of wildlife a reminder of what a unique place is the Salish Sea, an honor to share and experience through visitors eyes!

Caroline Armon, San Juan Excursions