3-3-15 Fun Time with Porpoise and Sea Lions

Tuesday, March 3rd

...today was a great encounter, not far from Lime Kiln, with Dall's porpoise while out with Capt. Jim...one of the best Dall's encounters in a long, long time...

...then we headed up to Kelp Reef marker to see if there were any Steller sea lions about...and that was quite amazing!

 
...the only thing that could beat all of that, of course, would be the whales!
...they'll be back...after all, it is still only March, even though it feels like April...

...please don't allow your focus to veer away from the need for wild salmon...it is wonderful that there are three new babies...but they cannot carry the Community by themselves...

10-6-14 Humpback In the Fog and Dall's in the Sunshine

Monday, October 6th 
...off the dock as the fog was clearing...on Maya's Westside Charters we head toward a humpback whale...
...back into the fog...it's quite a sight to see an animal this size rising out of the fog...

...I reduced the fog as best as I could...

...as we headed back we came upon some Dall's porpoise not far from Lime Kiln lighthouse...some in small numbers returned just about the same time that the Pacific white sided dolphins showed up...it's the food...
...this was the best encounter I have had with Dall's porpoise in a long time...and it was nice to have them in the neighborhood...in wonderful calm seas and great lighting...

...zoomed in on the above image...

...hybrid on the right...Harbor porpoise males have been breeding the Dall's porpoise and the result are hybrids...

...here's a closer look...the lighting made it look more tan than gray...

...ride along for a few minutes...

...Dall's porpoise...

...hybrid with sunlight streaks...

...I see that I may need a different lens when they are this close!...

...the Residents headed west yesterday...fog all morning today and from the forecast it looks like fog every morning for a few more days anyway...

3-12-14 Signs of Spring and Then Some

Tuesday/Wednesday, March 11th and 12th
...from a visual standpoint the last few days have seemed a lot like spring...
...our first lamb of the season on Spieden Island...

...a bald eagle in the nest...

...when the Steller sea lions leave the area, well that's a sign of summer... often we see 183R but this time it was 16Y hauled out at Green Pt...

...and Dall's porpoise...they aren't a sign of spring, but it's a great treat to see them as we did...

...no killer whales today...that is until word came in late in the day...the T60s and a few others - from what I heard - were north of of here...I wonder if they or the Dall's will be around tomorrow...