4-12-14 Whales Almost In Friday Harbor!

Saturday, April 12th
...over the Lime Kiln hydrophones in the early morning...

Later...
...just as we were about to leave the dock on Maya's Westside Charters another boat spotted whales just entering Spieden Channel...they were heading east in the channel and passed by Lonesome Cover Resort...

...we stopped to see some Steller sea lions hauled out at Green Pt...183R is a 'regular' and the arrow points to what appears to be a juvenile Steller sea lion.

...T77A and T49C were moving down San Juan Channel, zigging and zagging...then they were down for several minutes...then...
-a disturbance at the surface
-Steller sea lion back flippers at the surface
-the whales surfacing down island from the Steller
-the Steller took a few moments before getting out of there!

-the two whales continued down San Juan Channel...after about 45 minutes they were on to something...one whale would be down while the other remained at the surface for 3 minutes...then they would switch...it continued in three minute intervals for close to a half hour...they had something down and were not letting it surface to get a breath...
...then at 3:36 they were both up at the same time and one of them surfaced with a high spyhop!  bingo - lunch was ready!

...gulls began to show up to get their lunch...

...one of the boys tail slapped several times repeatedly...tenderizing his meal perhaps...

...after a while they seemed to spend a bit of time roughhousing...

...

...then they headed for Friday Harbor...

...they passed the entrance to the harbor and went in the south entrance to Jensen Boatyard and Marina!...this was getting pretty wild...not common for whales in come into this tight area...

...they didn't stay long and turned and came back out along the south side and continued to head down island...
...we saw these two whales three days ago as they traveled to the north...I wonder when we will see them next and which direction they will be going then!