Sail with Humpback and J pod

August 9, 2018 – We sailed North on news of a Humpback Whale coming down President Channel. A Great Blue Heron watched us as we passed Low Island as did the Harbor seals warming on the rocks in Spring Pass. As we came out of Spring Pass we met the Humpback whale BCZ0180 ‘Monarch’. We turned to travel alongside as he/she travelled South down San Juan Channel towards Friday Harbor. We left the whale and sailed a beam reach to view the Harbor Seals on the beach of Yellow Island and then turned downwind wing on wing North to Spieden Island. New Channel calm waters reflected the forested shore and in addition to the Harbor seals and Eagles we found a Peregrine Falcon. Drifted between the Cactus islands and along the edges of the Kelp forest before deciding to push south on news of the J pod Resident Orcas heading North on San Juan Island West side. Passed by Battleship Rock and a Harbor seal who’d caught a salmon and we met J22 (Oreo) and her son J38 (Cookie) foraging off Andrews Bay. J14s matriline were also there. We all travelled slowly North with continued foraging to Open Bay. Some good vocalizations and echo location on the hydrophone. At Kellet Bluff we left them to quickly travel the San Juan shoreline cutting through Pole Pass to Orcas island ferry. Beautiful light in the late afternoon and a rich warm sunset as we returned to Friday Harbor.