Half day afternoon sail North with the T18/19s Transient or Biggs Orcas

July 30, 2018 – Half day afternoon sail North on the flood tacking at Shirt Tail reef where we passed Harbor Seals with pups resting and warming on Low Island. On hearing of the T18s/19s Biggs Orcas we motor sailed quickly to Limestone Point and stayed close to shore on the back eddies to arrive at Battleship Island where the whales were hunting. While drifting outside of Roche Harbor the whales suddenly surfaced between us and the shore moving on to the kelp forest near Barren Rock.Black Oyster Catchers flew in to join others on Barren Rock created a ruckus with their greeting ceremony.T19C was on his own milling at Roche Harbor entrance while the other 3 played with the kelp in the kelp bed. The 2 females had kelp draped over their back and T19B was lifting kelp with his tail fluke. After many powerful tail slaps and 2 cartwheels by T19B, T19C rejoined and they continued across Spieden Channel to Green Point. They made a short distance into New Channel before continuing to Flattop Island. Their was a split as T19B and a female circled Gull Rock while 19C and a female circled Flattop Island. They all joined at Flattop Island before passing us on the East side of Flattop Island heading up to White Rock. We turned to head South though Spring Pass and Pole Pass to arrive at Orcas Island ferry terminal. Some light haze in the air today from forest fires in California, BC and perhaps Siberia made for a diffused smoky sunset