Sailing with Southern Resident Killer Whales Js and Ks with multiple breaches

July 25, 2018 – An amazing day. Crossed San Juan Channel to Fishermans Harbor, Lopez. Bullfrog tender to pick up family including 4 enterprising and enthusiastic young lads. With help from our young passengers in spotting and steering S/V Peniel we charted a course tacking down San Juan Channel passing Harbor Rock, Goose Island and Whale Rocks to Long and Hall Islands en route to Iceberg Point. Bald eagle activity included carrying a fish through Cattle Pass, which riled Black Oyster Catchers into vocals and even chasing of the eagle . Many Harbor seals warming on the beach at Goose Island. Mixture of Brandts, Double Crested and Pelagic cormorants at their nesting sites.  Many new Glaucous winged gull chicks. Two Bald Eagle chicks above their nest. We hen sailed half a mile offshore of Iceberg Point were we met the Southern Resident Orcas, the J19s,  who stopped for foraging after coming down Rosario. J39 passed and his brother Blackberry 27 was a little off shore. In the distance were the J16s close to shore with J50 looking tiny. J26 adult male was a little off shore of them. They continued to Salmon Bank while we sailed on to explore the South Lopez Coast including Swirl Island, McArdle Bay and Castle Rock. We sailed across Rosario to meet some members of the the K13s. We saw siblings Male K25 with sister K20 and K20s son K38. We saw breaches from all three repeatedly. When they passed a very loud Tug boat ‘Dublin Sea’ pushing a barge they breached very close multiple times next to the commercial vessel. With the help of our young passengers we navigated passed Bird Rocks,  James Island, Thatcher Pass, Spencer Spit and Upright Head to circumnavigate Lopez and drop anchor in Fishermans Harbor near sunset.