Our rich natural environment and diverse wildlife is an endless fascination, and the reason so many of us choose Whidbey Island as a place to live. We all owe a duty to the wise "conservation" of our natural bounty. Here, we will share in pictures and words some of the wonders of our wild "neighbors". Because most of Whidbey Island is forested, game abounds. Many of us who live here deeply value and respect our rich diversity of terrestial and marine life. On these pages we have established commentary about our wildlife, with a special emphasis on our indigenous eagle populations, and our Gray whale and Orca appearances.

Among our "favorite fauna" is an animal quite unique to Whidbey Island - the giraffe. Langley is the world headquarters of the Giraffe Project; a non-profit organization devoted to finding and reporting human "giraffes" - those who stick their neck out for the common good. Whidbey Pacific is very proud to be a corporate sponsor to the Giraffe Project. We urge everyone to support this international effort. The world should always be on the lookout for Giraffe Heroes - they perform those small and large acts of unrecognized heroism somewhere every day, across the world. See if you can sight a "giraffe". For further information, visit www.giraffe.org, or call them at 360-221-7989. Be a Giraffe! I found a sample essay, possibly better buy literature review you can find more.

Several of our wildlife species are so prominent that we sometimes treat them as pests - deer, racoons, rabbits and foxes. Even our most common residents, the Columbia black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus), evoke wonder. On Monday, October 22, 2001, your intrepid editor saw a very large (probably between 225 and 250 lbs.) "six point" buck crossing Wilkinson Road at 9:52 AM. This is the first 6-point we have seen in 20 years of observation! Within the past few years, the coyote population has exploded. Unfortunately, this intrusive species (not native to Whidbey) will eventually displace the foxes and racoons, a natural food source. There are still occasional sightings of black bears, though they have become quite rare within the past twenty years. One of our most magnificent "friendly fauna" are the reclusive river otters. You are unlikely to see these amazing fishing acrobats unless you are an inveterate beach-walker.

Since the overuse of DDT during the 1940's, large raptors, such as eagles, almost fell into extinction on Whidbey. In the intervening forty-odd years DDT has slowly exfiltrated the environment such that the larger carniverous birds can now reproduce more successfully; including our osprey, egrets, and Great Blue herons, as well as our "northern" bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus alascanus). By 1980 it was estimated that Whidbey's bald eagle population had declined to about a "dozen" breeding pairs. Since then, all these populations have grown dramatically. Eagles are both predators and carrion-eaters. The mild climate and rich marine fauna of Puget Sound make feeding easy for bald eagles. They are often seen in the afternoon searching parallel to the shore for fish in shallow water. These favorable conditions have helped reestablish their habitat. There are now hundreds and hundreds of resident eagles. No matter how many there will be, we continue to be inspired by their majesty. For those who are especially interested in our special wildlife, we have began an Eagle Watch and a "Whale" Watch.

The Eagle Watch. The Watch is a listing of eagle sightings you make while visiting or living here. If you will e-mail us with the date, place and time of your sighting, we will, with your permission, enter the sighting into the Watch. If you would prefer not to have your last name identified, your sighting would be entered as, for instance, "Bob R". Otherwise, your sighting would appear as below. If anyone is interested in reporting other rapters or large bird species, we would be pleased to show them also. We will maintain and continue The Eagle Watch indefinately. You may begin submittals at any time.

The Eagle Watch
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2001
10/19 Bob Roberts.......eagle roosting.......4000 Saratoga Rd...9:15A
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Perhaps our most awe-inspiring natural pleasure is to view the antics of the magnificent Gray whales and their porpoise relatives. The Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) is a migratory "baleen whale", annually ranging from the cold food-rich waters of Alaska to the west coast of Mexico during winter. Baleen whales feed by drawing in water rich with favored foods that are filtered and retained by hanging strands of baleen. The Pacific gray whale's favored food are Amphipods (tiny "shrimp-like" animals) that are stirred out of the bottom muds and sediments by vigourous "slapping" of the bottom with their tail flukes. Because of some unusual climatic shifts in the past fifty years, Grays migrate along Whidbey many months of the year in their north-south, or south-north migrations. We now see these wonders moving north to Arctic waters from their breeding grounds along southern Mexico from February through July. Depending on climatic conditions, and we would guess favorable feeding conditions, they migrate south from October through February. While we used to see Grays only for a few weeks each year, we now see them off both sides of Whidbey almost year-round, except in August and September. This year (2001) they were even seen off Langley into August.

The "Whale" Watch. The Watch is a listing of Gray whales sightings you make while visiting or living here. If you will e-mail us with the date, place and time of your sighting, we will, with your permission, enter the sighting into the Watch. If you would prefer not to have your last name identified, your sighting would be entered as, for instance, "Regnar K". Otherwise, your sighting would appear as below. If anyone is interested in reporting Orcas or other marine mammals, we would be pleased to log them also.

The "Whale" Watch
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2001
08/06..Regnar Kearton.......3 Grays .......Saratoga Passage....4:20PM
12/03..Mary Scott....."20" Orcas...btwn Clinton-Mukilteo...10:30AM
2002
5/2......H. W...................two Gray's......Near Clinton dock....9:40AM
4/23....H. W....................2 Gray's.....Mukilteo-Hat Island......2:11PM
10/31...MM..........40 Orcas ("K-pod")...Saratoga Passage....4:10PM
12/04...MM......."20" Orcas("L-pod?")...Saratoga Passage.....4:05PM
2003
04/28....RK..........6-8 Grays..................Saratoga Passage....2:15PM
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It seems likely this 12/03 sighting was J-Pod of the Southern Residents. J-pod currently has 21 members (Ed.)

Popular with "whale-watchers" are the black and white Orcas; the infamous "killer whale" of screen fame. In truth the Orca is neither partcularly a killer, nor are Orcas true whales. They are near relatives of true whales in the family of "toothed-whales" that includes Dolphins and Porpoises. There are 70 species of Dolphin. Our most famous dolphin is the Pacific Orca (Orcunus orca). In Puget Sound these social animals tend to live in resident groups of 15 to 50 animals, called "pods". There are three resident "pods" in Puget Sound, all of common ancestry, collectively called the "J-clan". Their numbers have varied from 67 (the 1972 count) to as high as 97 animals in 1996. Today, estimates cluster around 78 individuals. Of these the "L-pod" is the larger with 40 (plus a confirmed new calf [L-101](November 2002), now 41 members. "K-pod" is the smaller with 18 members, and "J-pod" with 20 members is the most likely to be seen off Whidbey Island. Other visiting groups, called "transients", are those most often seen around Whidbey. In inner Puget Sound, Orcas prefer to eat Chinook salmon, though in reality they probably eat all salmonides, and in addition seals, sea lions, turtles and other fish. Sadly, Orcas suffer most from what is probably too much human curiosity. As a result of their attractiveness they are found in many public and private "zooquarians". Those who live in the wild are harassed daily by sightseers and well-wishers who undoubtedly have influenced their behavior and likely their survivability. Puget Sound Orca numbers have recently declined; the romantics immediately think pollution, however marine scientists are likely to conclude that we have just "loved" these wonderful mammals too much.

Let's Have Some Fun!

Give Me A Personal Name.

Homer?

What's My 'Moniker'? Describe My Character In Human Terms.

"Cagey Old Bird"?

E-mail your selections to us at: Realty@whidbey.com.

KK writes: (5/02/02) "'He' looks to me like, 'Martin'".

MH writes: "It's 4-17 and I think I have seen eagles every day for the past 5 days. One soaring high over Sandy Hook tonight, yesterday a pair near Maxwelton Beach and previous specifics forgotten! There has been a pair flapping up and down the valley at home on a regular basis. FYI, the owl has made our cedar tree a stop point at dusk again.

"As for the avian, I still think he's an Elmer, or possibly Clive."

This of course doesn't look at all like Whidbey Island! The pic was sent us from Mombasa, Kenya. It's too entertaining to pass up. Resting in the shade of a wing of this Czech Let 410 aircraft are nine smart "beasties" who know shade when they find it!

The manipulation of digital pictures is making "anything" possible. Here is the impossible, made possible.

Last Updated: 02/03/04

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