Sunday, September 24, 2006

T21 & T100 Groups

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On the noon Ocean Magic II trip we first visited Race Rocks Ecological Reserve. There were adult and juvenile male sea lions hauled out on the rocks and swimming in the kelp beds. Harbour seals were on the lower rocky areas lying on the smooth algae. Double-crested cormorants, Brandt's cormorants, and Heermann's gulls were seen on the rocks. We then crossed over to Haro Strait to view T20 and the T100 group of transient killer whales. Along the way we spotted a group of Dall’s porpoises busy foraging in Juan de Fuca Strait. When we arrived on scene with the transients they were traveling northeast a couple miles off Lime Kiln Lighthouse, San Juan Island. The winds were calm, and the spray from their breaths hung in the air. The two males were traveling tight together while the rest of the group was a bit further inshore. The whales continued along their path until nearing the coastline then doubled back toward the middle of the strait.

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