Humpback Whale.
Minke Whale
The pictures above and below show a Minke Whale feeding in on a Bait Ball (small fish, possibly Sand Lance, that are near the surface).
The four pictures above were taken by Ron Bates, MMRG.
Today in the Strait of Juan De Fuca our vessels found a number of Baleen Whales including 5 Minke Whales and a Humpback Whale. The Minke Whales were discovered near Hein Bank, and at least one of the Minkes could be seen lunge feeding on a Bait Ball. Minke Whale are often found near Hein Bank as this relatively shallow area (60 ft compared to between 300-100 ft for most of the strait) as large amounts of small bait fish such as Sand Lance are concentrated in this area. Minke Whales can reach over 33 ft long, weigh over 10 tons and are the second smallest of the Baleen family of Cetaceans. Due to their streamline shape Minke Whales can reach speeds of 15-20 kts.
A Humpback Whale was also sighted in the area near Port Angeles and was possibly attracted to the area by a large shoal of Krill.
During our tours today we also encountered Dalls and Harbor Porpoise, Sealions, many Harbor Seals & Pups, plus a number of Bald Eagles. It was a fantastic day to witness the incredible diversity of Marine Mammals and wildlife that can be found in the local area.
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