May 15, 2019 – Following the coastline and leaving Friday Harbor we met two bald eagles at Point Caution. Unfurling the head sail we sailed quickly to Neck Point before tacking our way through the islands of Wasp Pass.
We cut inside of Coon Island watched by an immature bald eagle and there were many harbor seals by Bird Rocks Light. We reefed the main sail in the lee of Reef Island before crossing the channel to Green Point. One California sea lion was in the water near the hauled out steller sea lions.
We drifted the flat waters of New Channel passing more eagles before catching the flood through the Cactus Islands. Harbor seals were napping in the new kelp forest. The flood current carried us quickly to Flattop Island and we drifted again admiring the fruitcake geology of the shoreline and hearing the calls of black oyster catchers and pigeon guillemots.
We sailed all the way back through Spring Pass and downwind wing on wing inside of Yellow Island. Before Friday Harbor we once again watched the pair of bald eagles watching us move quickly in the current.
route map 5/15/19
Pair Bald Eagle
Wa Starts Ferry Wasp Pass with Mount Baker
Immature Bald Eagle on Coon Island
Harbor Seals
California Sea Lion
Steller Sea Lions of Green Point
Bald Eagle in Madrone
Elephant Rock with wildflowers
Mouflon Sheep
Harbor seals in Kelp Forest
Flattop Island wildflowers
Eagle nest
Wing on Wing