Blog Credits: Chiska Francis, Satya Mayeux, Max Chung

The day started off with breakfast and lunch makings that we are soon to be tired of. Everyone is starting to get oriented and used to the routine. We had a packed day of activities and listening to speakers.

The day started off with a short walk to the Whale Museum down in Friday Harbor. Tracie Merrill, the Education Director gave us a in-depth tour of the different pods of orcas in the Salish Sea. We learned the difference between a transient and resident orca.

Transient orcas eat big mammals such as seals, sea lions, and porpoises. Residents really like Chinook salmon, which is especially popular May through September.

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In Tracie’s very interesting tour, she showed us the worlds first documented case of conjoined harbor seal twins. The mother sadly died at birth due to the complications and the seals died before or during birth. Tests confirmed that the anomaly was not due to environmental toxins or contaminants, but because of disordered embryonic migration and fusion.

After leaving the Whale Museum, we shortly after headed to County Park where we enjoyed a nice lunch packed in the morning. After staying there for nearly 1.5 hours, we spotted something in the distance.

Right when we were loading into the van to head to Lime Kiln, 7 whale watching boats were spotted, so we knew there was something attracting the attention. After waiting 10 minutes, we spotted the Transient 100 pod only with Laurel (female) Estrella (female) Hutchins (female). They were reaching the surface every 30 seconds, and watching them for 25 minutes was peaceful. Others gathered around and we whale watched until it was time to head to Lime Kiln Point State Park.

After a nice lunch with whales, we headed to Lime Kiln to meet Josiah Feld and Erin Audrey Corra.

Josiah Feld is the Vice President of PKOLS Preserving Knowledge of Land and Sea. He is Straits Salish SENĆOŦEN W̱SÁNEĆ and Pyramid Lake NUMU Paiute from STOLȻEȽ (San Juan Island). His initiatives use cultural preservation, language restoration, and grassroots organizing to heal the generational divides caused by historical colonization and forced borders.

Erin Audrey Corra is the Founder and Executive Director of the Friends of Lime Kiln Society (FOLKS). Dedicated to Lime Kiln Point State Park, this nonprofit inspires stewardship by connecting people to its cultural and ecological heritage. Educator and naturalist Erin brings over 30 years of experience to this mission, driven by her mantra: “Inspiring awe into action”.

If you would like to learn more about Josiah and Erin, checkout their Western Washington University talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34bwRw5g7jU&themeRefresh=1

After a day full of sun and learning, we are ready for the pesto pasta salad and roasted chicken the dinner prep group is making tonight. Thank you Tom, Sophie, Cooper, and Bella!

We are so excited to welcome our guest speaker, Sage Enright for dinner tonight. Sage is a marine researcher and conservationist based in Friday Harbor, Washington. She serves as an Outreach and Operations Coordinator and Eelgrass Project Assistant for the San Juan Islands Conservation District (SJICD) and is a technician at the University of Washington Friday Harbor Laboratories (FHL).

She studied Geology for her undergraduate degree and is pursuing a Master’s degree at Western Washington University’s College of the Environment.

After a educating talk with Sage, we will have lights out early for our 3 day kayak expedition tomorrow. See you for blog day 4!