By Captain Ken Rea
Today started off with a birding tour and of course, that meant a trip to Smith Island. We saw many birds and I learned a new one – the WHITE WINGED SCOOTER.
We saw BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, PIGEON GUILLEMOTS, HARLEQUIN DUCKS, PACIFIC MURRES, RHINOCEROS AUKLETS, 
TUFTED PUFFINS, three species of CORMORANTS (BRANT, PELAGIC and DOUBLE-CRESTED), RED-NECKED GREBES, BLACK PELAGIC, GLAUCOUS AND HEERMAN’S SEAGULLS, RED-NECKED PHALAROPE and a few I am sure I am forgetting.
We saw some STELLER SEA LIONS playing in the water, rolling around and spinning on top of each other.
Then came the afternoon tour with the T65B pod of ORCA with a couple of seal kills and they really hammered on a STELLER SEA LION. But, after drawing blood, they left it alone, floundering, as if it was just for fun. Maybe it was a training session for the one-year-old calf that was really into and enjoying the chase and the hunt
To learn more about Captain Ken, visit Spirit of Orca
Captain Ken Rea
Ken Rea, owner and operator of the Spirit of Orca, is also the tour guide, photographer and naturalist on his Whale Watching and Wildlife Tours in the Salish Sea, San Juan Island, Washington.
