May 30, 2024: Pacific White Sided Dolphins | San Juan Island

Date: May 30, 2024
Location: Jackson Beach County Park, San Juan Island, WA
Weather: Mostly sunny, 57 degrees Fahrenheit, with 9mph winds from W
Tide: Ebb
Pods/Individuals:
Total whale count: ~8
Behaviors: Foraging
Boat Count: ~4
Observer: Tamara Kelley

While I was on the island in hopes of catching J Pod who had traveled northbound the night before, I ended up being surprised with an opportunity to see Pacific White Sided Dolphins, also called Lags.

While White Sided dolphins inhabit the North Pacific, they are very rarely seen in the Salish Sea south of the Strait of Georgia. The same pod had been seen two days prior off of Whidbey Island before eventually making their way up to San Juan Island.

While I was scanning for whales along the west side a friend tipped me off to the reports that the dolphins were around Griffin Bay. I quickly made my way to Jackson Beach County Park in hopes of seeing them.

When I arrived, I couldn’t see the dolphins but had a general idea of their location based on one of the local whale watch boats. The dolphins started making their way into Argyle Lagoon where I was able to get first looks at them from the boat launch. The dolphins didn’t spend much time in the lagoon before exiting back into Griffin Bay.

Myself and other spectators raced from the dock back to the beach where the pod swam quite close to shore traveling north through the Bay. They ultimately spent the next several hours circling in the same location around a small reef hunting.

I stayed for a little over 2 hours watching the dolphins hunt. At one point I brought out Kylo (the Orca Conservancy dog) and told the people I was chatting with that he would get really excited once he realized the dolphins were there. It took him a while to notice them, but when he did he was very excited, barking and trying to run into the water. He was confined on his leash, and for his safety and the wellbeing of the dolphins I did not let him in the water.

I eventually left upon hearing reports of orcas nearby, and shortly after leaving the area the dolphins did as well.