Beautiful Snug Harbor at Mitchell Bay on San Juan Island
Snug Harbor is about a 30 minute ride from the Earth Box Inn where we stayed in Friday Harbor. We met our boat here...Legacy...and left from this harbor every day but one to go looking for the Orca whales.
Legacy
Our vessel used to search out the Orca whales.
View of the resort and harbor from the parking lot.
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Another view of Snug Harbor.
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Snug Harbor Resort
Campfires, picnic tables, cute cabins, grassy lawn make this an ideal family vacation spot.
View of Snug Harbor Resort as we departed on the Legacy.
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Lin, Jim and Roger as we speed out to the sea looking for the whales.
Legacy; Washington; San Juan Islands
Snug Harbor Resort view from the dock.
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A fleet of boats all in line, all scouring the waters for the elusive Orca whales.
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Rhinoceros Auklet hunting for the next meal for the little ones back at the nest.
A relative of the Puffin, these birds dive up to 187 feet and can stay submerged for about 2 1/2 minutes while hunting for fish to bring back to the nest. As they collect the fish, each one is secured within their beak so that as additional fish are collected, none are lost.
Taking flight to feed the little ones.
Can you see the the horn-like extension on the beak? It's only seen on the Rhinoceros Auklet during the mating season of summer. Ornithologists are not sure what purpose it serves..
Rough seas don't stop these guys!
The whales are popping up everywhere..no time to waste with Aaron Baggenstos, Roger Lancaster and Jim.
Constantly on the move, these transient Orca whales eat meat other than fish. Their diet mostly consists of seals, sea lions, porpoises and other marine mammals.
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Thar they blow!
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On our way to the next spotting of Orcas.
With Jim, Roger Lancaster, Aaron Baggenstos, John Greco and Dorothy Murray.
Peaceful, mystical, magical view of these great mammals.
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Joyful headlong dive of an Orca after a kill.
Transient Orca whales show their exuberance after feeding by tail slapping, breaching, and various other acrobatics.
Transients differ from residents with subtle changes in their markings and coloration. Here is a distinct color difference in a younger transient Orca whale.
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Sleek stealth.
These two Orcas look like submarines headed towards their target.
And last but not least....
My favorite photo of the entire tour...transient orcas on the move. I was fortunate to capture this scenic shot....it's not easy to obtain a clear photograph of an Orca actually coming out of the water showing his beautiful markings. The seas are usually rough and the whales are fast and unpredictable.
Orcas playing and feeding at sunset
Orcas at sunset IMG_4134
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Swimming along with the boat
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Follow the leader
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Probably mama and calf
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They don't seem to mind the boats...
they go about their business as if we aren't even there.
Full steam ahead!
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