Victoria San Juan Cruises

After Orca populations in the San Juan region dropped a bit in 2008, they rebounded in 2009 with the births of five Orca calves, and 2010 is off to a great start with the birth of another calf on January 3rd. There are now 88 resident Orca whales in the San Juan Islands. To read the complete story, visit the

The new orca was photographed Saturday near Port Townsend and confirmed as a new calf by the Center for Whale Research. It has been assigned the number L-113 and is the fourth baby orca spotted this year.

The new arrival brings the population known as Puget Sound southern residents orcas to 86. The population reached 140 or more in the last century, but their numbers have fluctuated in recent decades. They were listed as endangered in 2005.

The orca’s mother is presumed to be L-94, a 14-year-old female named Calypso. If the parentage is confirmed, the baby would be her first calf.

If it is a first-born, chances are not good that it will survive past its first birthday, compared to a female’s later offspring, experts say. That is because females "offload" high levels of toxic chemicals to their first-born, both in the womb and in their milk.

Jami Nagel, a naturalist for Island Adventures, captured a picture of the new calf off Point Wilson near Port Townsend on Saturday, as the pod of whales headed into Puget Sound.

The Center for Whale Research has confirmed that the calf had never been seen before.

"We’re hoping they’ll come back in so we can get another look at the calf," said Susan Berta of Orca Network. "Sometimes in winter, they’ll make their first jaunt out and then come back in."

Early Monday morning, orca calls were heard on a hydrophone off Port Townsend, where they presumably were heading out to the ocean through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Berta said.

Just one year earlier in October 2008, scientists reported seven Puget Sound killer whales had gone missing and were presumed dead. It was the biggest decline among the orca population in nearly a decade. The reason for the deaths is unknown, but scientists suspect pollution and a lack of food may be the whales’ biggest problems.

Three other baby orcas were spotted this year: J44 and L112 in February and J45 in March.

Information from: Kitsap Sun, http://www.kitsapsun.com/, Bellingham Herald http://www.bellinghamherald.com, AP http://www.ap.org

The orca whale sightings have remained strong through the month of August, with frequent sightings of the 3 local pods (J, K & L pods), as well as transient orcas and minke whales. We are entering the final 2 weeks of our operating season, with our San Juan Whale Watching Tours ending on September 7th. However, our cruises to Victoria, on which we also see orca whales frequently, will continue through September 27th.

In the latest issue of Travel & Leisure Magazine, Victoria, BC was named #8 in a list of top 10 US & Canadian cities.

1. New York
2. San Francisco
3. Quebec City
4. Charleston
5. Santa Fe
6. Chicago
7. Savannah
8. Victoria
9. Montreal
10. Seattle

We seem to have hit the peak season for Orca Whale watching over the past two weeks, with frequent sightings of all 3 local pods (J, K and L pods). Yesterday (July

we even saw what we call a "Superpod" - a gathering of all three local pods of Orca whales! With excellent weather forecast through the weekend, this is a great time to visit the San Juan Islands or Victoria, BC.

Over the last two weeks we have moved from operating only weekends, to our current 7-days/week service. The whale watching has been very good over the last two weeks, with Orca and Minke whales seen most often, along will occasional Gray and Humpback whale sightings. The weather continues to be great as well, with calm waters and lots of sun!

The Black Cat Farm of Eliza Island

Eliza Island is the first stop we make on our San Juan Islands cruise to Friday Harbor aboard the Island Commuter 2. Now home to over 100 summer homes on the 141 acre island with only five year-round residents, this island has a storied history. Named after the daughter of Spanish Expedition Commander Francisco De Eliza in 1791, an interesting part of its history is the Consolidated Black Cat Company of James F. Wardner. Wardner’s resume is long and varied: rabbit raiser, miner, orange grower, pig farmer and owner of a cat ranch. His goal was to raise the felines on the isolated island and sell their pelts for $2 to compete with the sale of seal and otter furs that were so popular at that time. He even brought in a cat rancher by the name of Sam Weller to feed the cats and take care of them until their pelts were needed.

Needless to say, the ranch did not survive (although the number of unlucky cats before retirement is unknown) and the only remnant of black cats seen near this northern port is the eatery “Le Chat Noir” in Fairhaven.

One of the most popular activities on San Juan Island is bicycling. The island is relatively flat, with rolling countryside and just a few gradual hills. With our San Juan Island Commuter service to Friday Harbor, you have nearly 5 hours (on a day trip) to explore the island. For many cyclists, it is possible to do a round-trip to just about any point on the island.

A great trip, which is only about 12 miles round-trip, is from Friday Harbor to American Camp and South Beach. The ride takes you out of Friday Harbor, past the airport and into the rolling countryside that makes up the interior of the island. As you pedal southwest along Cattle Point Road you reach the west side of the island, feeling the breeze and salt air that is a welcome relief.

American Camp is worth visiting for at least 30 - 60 minutes, perhaps longer if you’d like to walk along the interpretive trail. To reach South Beach you continue about a mile south on Cattle Point Road, then take a right onto Pickett’s Lane. It’s just a quick coast downhill to South Beach, where you can have lunch, walk along the beach, and view the many fishing boats, cargo ships and occasionally, Orca whales, that pass by this area.

Make sure you allow plenty of time for the 6 mile return ride back into Friday Harbor, It’s also a good idea to bring plenty of water, sunscreen and snacks - there are no stores or restaurants along the way.

The whale watching has been excellent over the last two weeks, with frequent Orca and Minke whale sightings. Just as impressive is the weather we have had, calm conditions in the islands and lots and lots of sun! Temperatures are supposed to sneak into the low 80’s this week, and will hopefully extend into our scheduled trips this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Now is a great time to visit the islands, or go whale watching, before the summer vacation crowds hit Bellingham and the San Juan Islands.

Our San Juan Island Commuter service to the San Juan Islands, as well as our whale watching tours, began this season on Friday and it’s been a great start to the season! The weather has been perfect, with lots of sun and temperatures in the mid-to-upper 60’s. Best of all though, the Orca whales have been seen on all of our whale watching trips so far! They started off just off shore of San Juan Island, but have been seen further north more recently, close to Pt. Roberts. We currently have seats available for our tours next weekend, May 22-25, but space is limited, so call or book online soon.