Dejavu-ditto on August 29, 2001 Monday, same time sightings of the same Minke Whales and wildlife, yet no reports of Resident Orcas, a stronger 8’+ flooding tide, and reports of Transient Killers Whales in the south sound of the Salish Sea!
August 24, 2011 Wednesday
Rumors are of the Resident Killer Whales heading back in from the Pacific Ocean, yet out of our range. A sunny, warm, calm water, despite a 7’+ incoming, flooding tide, is a beautiful summer day! We go south down San Juan Channel, seeing many Harbor Seals, marine birds, and Harbor Porpoise feasting on forage fish. There are large gatherings, indicating large schools of herring, sand lance, or smelt, and Minke Whales! who go after the fish too. We start seeing 2 Minkes out by Salmon Bank at about 3:20pm to 4:00pm. They did their usual “Slinky” dives and unpredictable, yet nice to see many surfacings! One of the whales was quite a bit smaller than the other, so I wonder if it was the juvenile we named “Twinkie” of ‘Christy Heinde-Banks’? – the Minke we thought was a male until she was sighted with her calf!Bald Eagle on Long Island, near the nest, and a dozen or more male Steller Sea Lions in the water and on Whale Rocks. It’s unusual to see them all summer here, they are native to Alaska. Are the Stellers establishing new territory?
Harbor Seal Pup
‘Slinky’ Minke Whale
OnBoard Tours Whales 
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