Transient Orcas T124As and T100s pass each other at Turn Point Lighthouse

May 27, 2018 – We were lucky today to have orcas close to home. As we arrived on scene the T124A’s appeared to be hunting steller sea lions very close to shore at Green Pt. We’re unsure if there was a seal or sea lion that they got, but they got something. We saw some gulls dive down for some scraps, but it didn’t take long for them to finish and move on traveling through New Channel and crossing over to the Stuart Island shore. We sailed witht hem for awhile before departing tocheck out Turn Pt Lighthouse. To our surprise, the T100’s who were northbound in Haro Strait earlier were milling just off the lighthouse. We watched them swim around in circles perhaps waiting for the T124A’s who were headed that way. Strangely, when the whales met up they both went in opposite directions without any noticeable get together. Oh whale. Off we went around Johns Island and over to Shirt Tail Reef to enjoy the full moon rising and the sunset.

Transient orca in New Channel

Whale watching Sailing

T124A’s

T124A’s

T124A1 – per the CWR, she usually travels separate from her family

Elephant Rock

Sailing in New Channel

Pair of bald eagles

T124A’s

T124A’s passing Stuart Island

The calf laying on its side next to mom

Gorgeous orca ‘rainblow’

Newest calf, T124A5 (born last year)

Lovers Leap and Turn Point Lighthouse, Stuart Island

Mt Baker, Turn Point Lighthouse, Lovers Leap

T100C with Mt Baker

Huge tanker wake coming at us!!!

T100C and Lovers Leap

Turn Point Lighthouse and Olympic Mountains

Black oyster catcher

Full moon rising

Sunset at our stern sailing home to Friday Harbor

Cutting through the islands at sunset

Looking North at Sunset