It's spring break and I am back home on San Juan Island! I am loving Evergreen State College, but I am glad to be back. While this is not an orca encounter, it was too amazing not to share! On 3/27/14, I was showing two college friends around the island when I got a report that Pacific white sided dolphins were headed North from Lime Kiln State Park on the West side of the island (thank you so much Brittany!).
Luckily, we were given the chance to encounter these amazing dolphins when we were invited to join Captain Spencer aboard the Legacy of Legacy Charters! Soon we were departing Snug Harbor and heading North. We then got a report that another boat had found the dolphins close by, but in a very unusual place, just outside John's pass (between Stuart and John's Island). We headed straight over and watched the 150 Pacific white sided dolphins as they fished and zigzagged around the opening of the pass. The dolphins were spread out in different groups and when it seemed like a group had decided on a direction to travel in, they would turn around and swim the other way, maybe because they were chasing fish. We even witnessed some of the dolphins ramming of fish out of the water.
Luckily, we were given the chance to encounter these amazing dolphins when we were invited to join Captain Spencer aboard the Legacy of Legacy Charters! Soon we were departing Snug Harbor and heading North. We then got a report that another boat had found the dolphins close by, but in a very unusual place, just outside John's pass (between Stuart and John's Island). We headed straight over and watched the 150 Pacific white sided dolphins as they fished and zigzagged around the opening of the pass. The dolphins were spread out in different groups and when it seemed like a group had decided on a direction to travel in, they would turn around and swim the other way, maybe because they were chasing fish. We even witnessed some of the dolphins ramming of fish out of the water.
Some of the dolphins swim close to shore at John's Island.
After about twenty minutes with them, the dolphins decided to head through John's Pass, a place where cetaceans rarely go. They all porpoised through John's and entered Boundary Pass, where they continued feeding and generally heading up the pass. Then, a few dolphins headed over to our boat to play and bow-ride! At one time, we had more than five dolphins on the bow, but for most of the time we had two, which we named Patches and Flash. Patches got his/her name due to some spots that were on his/her back, which looked like a skin disease, dead skin, or scar tissue. Flash got his name from his frequent super speed swimming and jumping. During one of his jumps, I was able to get a picture that showed he was a male!
The dolphins exit John's Pass.
Flash bow-riding.
Flash doing one of his jumps!
Flash!
Another dolphin jumps with South Pender Island in the background.
Patches bow-riding!
Patches' identifying characteristic, the spots on his/her back. Patches also had extensive rake marks along both flanks that looked like they were from orcas.
Patches' head pokes out from underneeth the bow as he/she bow-rides.
One of my college friends got some magnificent footage during our time with the dolphins. I took some of the best shots and put them all together in a short video on Youtube, which you can view below.
After our amazing encounter with the dolphins, we headed over to Spieden Island, a private island where exotic deer and sheep have lived since the 70's. The exotic species include: mouflon sheep, fallow deer, and sika deer. It's always fun to see these animals! We even spotted one of the few fallow deer on the island that are white!
One of the white fallow deer of Spieden Island! The deer has leucism, a condition of reduced pigmentation.
A mouflon ram on Spieden Island.
Harbor seals near Spieden Island!
Just another prefect day on the water! Thanks so much to Captain Spencer for taking my friends and I out to see the dolphins and other wildlife!
