Lauren Fritz, M/V Kestrel, 07/27/17, 10 am and 2 pm Tours
Guests on board the M/V Kestrel today certainly saw a variety of amazing killer whale predation behaviors. Both our morning and afternoon tours had the opportunity to cruise up north past Orcas Island and around Patos Island, where we watched some Transient killer whales as they searched for food. Their feeding behavior is truly amazing; they work together to make each kill, which they all share. It’s so interesting to see them as they feed, clustered in one spot as each dives down to take a bite.
We were able to enjoy some breathtaking views of Mount Baker, the Patos Island lighthouse, the North Cascades, the Olympics, and several of our beautiful islands as we enjoyed our killer whale encounters. We made sure to swing by Flattop Island, where a happy little population of harbor seals were lounging about in the sun. So adorable! We’ve been seeing lots of seal pups around this time of year – few things are cuter. Some of my favorite photos from the trip are below. Thank you to those of you who came out and joined us on the water today!
Naturalist Lauren Fritz, San Juan Safaris
