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10-13-2014, 10:29 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
City: Oakland,Ca
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 108
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Orcas in the San Juan's?
So we finally got back to Olympia about 15 minutes before the rain. Looks like our cruising in the Sn Juans is going to be a bit different than forecast. Everyone on the boat wants to know if we will be seeing Orcas?
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10-13-2014, 10:59 PM
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#2
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Guru
City: Tri Cities, WA
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 4,406
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No. They're a publicity stunt put on by the whale watching tours to get people to go on the boats. If they don't see whales they give you a free tour, but most of the people have gone back home by then.
Just kidding, of course. There are some areas where you are more likely to see orcas. One of those is along the west coast of San Juan Island, but it's dependent on the season.
__________________
Mike and Tina
1981 Boston Whaler 13'
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10-13-2014, 11:29 PM
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#3
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Guru
City: Birch bay wa
Vessel Name: Rogue
Vessel Model: North Pacific 42
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 648
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Very good chance of seeing Orcas. West side of San Juan Is is a good choice. Turn Point on Stuart Is and all of Boundary Pass are good spots. Call one of the whale watch charters, out of Friday or Roche, they might help you out when you get up there. The different outfits all talk to one another, something like 60 boats out there, and they have hydrophones at different spots, so if they are out there they usually know where they are at.
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10-13-2014, 11:37 PM
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#4
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Guru
City: Sidney BC Canada
Vessel Name: RochePoint
Vessel Model: 1985 Cheer Men PT38 Sedan
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,744
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GFC
No. They're a publicity stunt put on by the whale watching tours to get people to go on the boats.
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10-14-2014, 04:39 AM
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#5
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Master and Commander
City: Vallejo CA
Vessel Name: Carquinez Coot
Vessel Model: penultimate Seahorse Marine Coot hull #6
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 12,559
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Seals in Carquinez Strait?
__________________
Kar-KEEN-ez Koot
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10-14-2014, 06:36 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
City: Sidney BC
Vessel Name: Our Island
Vessel Model: KK Manatee
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 202
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Not sure if they still do or not but the whale watching boats used to communicate on VHF channel 71. So you might try listening in if you're out and about.
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10-14-2014, 09:40 AM
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#7
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Guru
City: Cowiche, WA
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 662
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We seem to see the Orcas on a incoming tide on the west side of San Juan Island from Cattle Pass all the way to Open Bay. Last month we were fishing that coast and had them around us three days in a row. Oddly enough we only caught fish when they came our way. It was like they were herding the salmon towards us. We always picked up gear and went into neutral when they were around and had them approach quite closely and even swim directly under our Willard 30.
__________________
Keith Olive
1974 Grand Banks 36-427
Vashon Island, WA
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10-14-2014, 10:41 AM
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#8
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Guru
City: Concrete Washington State
Vessel Name: Willy
Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 18,743
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Orcas are highly over rated. The're just sea cows that think the're fish.
I always thought they knew exactly where we were w our engines running and they almost certainly do but I still ran right into one .. T boned him at 6 knots. Eight tons meets 30tons? Everybody survived but now I stay well away from them. And then I had a policy of not altering course to get closer to them. And I didn't on collision day.
I think there should be no commercial whale watching and boaters should stay basically far to well away from them. Most don't though. Accidentally getting close or steering toward them is IMO harassing them.
Beautiful to watch but Mother Earth probably wouldn't miss them much if they were to become extinct. There would just be lots more seals and fish. Ever watched a cow Orca teaching her young how to kill and eat seals? It's a bloody mess and happens in Thorne Bay at times.
Mark are those seals or sea lions?
__________________
Eric
North Western Washington State USA
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10-14-2014, 10:56 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
City: Sidney BC
Vessel Name: Our Island
Vessel Model: KK Manatee
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 202
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Quote:
Originally Posted by manyboats
I think there should be no commercial whale watching and boaters should stay basically far to well away from them. Most don't though. Accidentally getting close or steering toward them is IMO harassing them.
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10-14-2014, 01:01 PM
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#10
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Guru
City: Birch bay wa
Vessel Name: Rogue
Vessel Model: North Pacific 42
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 648
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This should generate more posts than the anchor issue. Great stiiring the pot many boats!😱
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10-14-2014, 01:33 PM
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#11
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Master and Commander
City: Vallejo CA
Vessel Name: Carquinez Coot
Vessel Model: penultimate Seahorse Marine Coot hull #6
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 12,559
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Quote:
Originally Posted by manyboats
...
Mark are those seals or sea lions?
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Sea lions. I should have said "pinnipeds" to be safe.
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Kar-KEEN-ez Koot
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10-14-2014, 02:10 PM
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#12
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Veteran Member
City: San Diego
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 39
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Don't need to go to San Juans
Between Alki and Restoration Point in May. I've seen way more Orcas in the Sound south of Admiralty Inlet than in the San Juans.
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10-14-2014, 03:47 PM
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#13
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Guru
City: Cowiche, WA
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 662
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Wow, that was a fast thread creep. I thought the OP was asking about possibly seeing Orcas in the San Juan's. Suddenly it is about whale watching and what you think about Orcas and Whale Watching? Maybe that should go to a different thread to be continued. Not trying to start an argument, just trying to stick with the original question.
__________________
Keith Olive
1974 Grand Banks 36-427
Vashon Island, WA
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10-14-2014, 03:51 PM
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#14
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Guru
City: PNW
Vessel Model: 1976 Californian Tricabin LRC
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 1,860
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Unfortunately, the resident Puget Sound Orca pods eat salmon and not seals and sea lions.
I would gladly contribute to a fund aimed at teaching our Orcas the value of eating our overabundant population of seals and California sea lions instead of the tons of salmon they consume.
PS: Here is a web site that may give you some insight on where to look . . .
http://www.orcanetwork.org/nathist/salishorcas1.html
__________________
Larry B
Careful . . .I Have a Generator and I'm not afraid to use it !
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10-15-2014, 12:45 AM
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#15
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Veteran Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 83
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DCBD
Not sure if they still do or not but the whale watching boats used to communicate on VHF channel 71. So you might try listening in if you're out and about.
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Some of them show up on AIS as well. If you see a cluster on the other side of the island you know something's going on.
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10-15-2014, 11:37 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
City: Olympia, WA
Vessel Name: Sea Eagle
Vessel Model: Nordhavn 47
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 201
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sisuitl
Some of them show up on AIS as well. If you see a cluster on the other side of the island you know something's going on.
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It's a dead-giveaway when you see the whale watching boats turn their AIS off and then turn abruptly. The last couple of years, I've seen more Orcas Southeast of Lopez Island than I have off the West side of San Juan Island.
We have also spotted porpoises almost every weekend in South Puget Sound and Grey Whales north of Seattle.
__________________
Scott (Boydski) Boyd
Yes Please, Grand Banks Eastbay
Sea Eagle, Nordhavn 47 (sold)
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10-15-2014, 12:20 PM
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#17
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Guru
City: Port Townsend, WA
Vessel Name: Traveler
Vessel Model: Cheoy Lee 46 LRC
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,576
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This time of year the resident orca travel all around Puget Sound, not just in the islands. So you may see them on your way north! Here's a Facebook page that gives updates on the orcas location as well as any other whale sightings in the area, including humpbacks, grays, and minkes.
https://www.facebook.com/OrcaNetwork?fref=ts
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10-17-2014, 01:36 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
City: Oceanside
Vessel Name: Cheers
Vessel Model: Bayliner 32
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 107
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Re:mark
Quote:
Originally Posted by markpierce
Seals in Carquinez Strait?
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There used to be seals lounging on the San Diego channel entrance buoy until it sank several months ago. They initially said they were going to replace it with a virtual waypoint.
On the other hand we've seen a few blues down here in SoCal recently.
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10-17-2014, 08:34 AM
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#19
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Guru
City: Port Townsend Washington
Vessel Name: " OTTER "
Vessel Model: Ocean Alexander Europa 40
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,378
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Quote:
Originally Posted by manyboats
Orcas are highly over rated. The're just sea cows that think the're fish.
I always thought they knew exactly where we were w our engines running and they almost certainly do but I still ran right into one .. T boned him at 6 knots. Eight tons meets 30tons? Everybody survived but now I stay well away from them. And then I had a policy of not altering course to get closer to them. And I didn't on collision day.
I think there should be no commercial whale watching and boaters should stay basically far to well away from them. Most don't though. Accidentally getting close or steering toward them is IMO harassing them.
Beautiful to watch but Mother Earth probably wouldn't miss them much if they were to become extinct. There would just be lots more seals and fish. Ever watched a cow Orca teaching her young how to kill and eat seals? It's a bloody mess and happens in Thorne Bay at times.
Mark are those seals or sea lions?
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wow... one could have a field day with this one.
HOLLYWOOD
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10-17-2014, 02:14 PM
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#20
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Guru
City: Concrete Washington State
Vessel Name: Willy
Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 18,743
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Go ahead hollywood 8118,
You going to make a case for the value of Orca's?
Or getting among their midst?
Or saving the whale watchers jobs?
Or Orca's eating seals?
Or do you see something I don't see?
Not much else going on on this forum anyway.
__________________
Eric
North Western Washington State USA
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