June 14, 2018 – Islands were joined together in this morning’s extreme low tide. We navigated inside Turn Island watched by three raccoons in a tree and caught the tail end of the ebb out through Cattle Pass. We’d been listening to spectacular calls and echolocation of Southern Resident orcas on Lime Kiln hydrophone. We are very concerned they may not be finding enough to eat so we’re hopeful, hearing the echolocation, that they’re finding Chinook salmon. We arrived to find them milling and then traveling with some social cuddle puddles, breaches and spy hops. The J16’s turned towards us and vocalized into our hydrophone. We continued on the flood to circumnavigate San Juan Island taking a course north of Spieden and Flattop Islands. We spotted many eagles nests one with eaglets noticeably larger than last week and now stretching their wings.
Sea lions and bald eagles on Whale Rocks
Bald eagle in flight to Whale Rocks
Two juvenile bald eagles
Cattle Point Lighthouse
Orca spy hop
We believe this orca is J31 ‘Tsuchi’
Orca tail in the air while youngsters were goofing around
Orca spy hop next to another little juvenile orca
J16 ‘Slick’ and J50 ‘Scarlett’
Sailing with whales in gorgeous conditions
J50 ‘Scarlett’ popping up close to our boat
J16 ‘Slick’ popping up close by our boat
Orcas and Olympic Mountains
J19’s off Pile Pt
J50’s saddle patch and interesting transient-like dorsal fin shape
J26 ‘Mike’
J16 ‘Slick’ with J50 ‘Scarlett’ and J36 ‘Alki’
Lime Kiln Point Lighthouse
Bald eagle chick flapping his/her wings in the nest (there were actually 2 chicks visible)
Downwind wing on wing to Kellett Bluff
Harbor seals on Sentinel Rock
Spieden Island
Looking into Canada
Pair of bald eagles with nest
Harbor seals in the bull kelp
Harbor seal resting in the bull kelp
Pair of bald eagles near their nest
Another bald eagle
After circumnavigating San Juan, and visiting New Channel, we made it to Flattop Island
Pigeon Guillemots at Flattop Island
Bald eagle coming in for a landing
Black oyster catchers resting
Bald eagle outside of Friday Harbor