Orcas and humpbacks, oh my! T65A's and Heather (BCY0160) and Raptor (BCY0458)

July 8, 2019 – We left Friday Harbor and set a course to the North. Winds were light today and the currents were ebbing. We heard a report of the T65A family of Orcas a ways North in Trincomali Channel coming South. There was also a humpback whale heading west in Boundary Pass and two others at Eastpoint Westbound. After watching an immature bald eagle eating on Low Island we continued North and drifted the southern coastline of Flattop Island seeing harbor seals nursing pups through our binoculars.We moved quickly with the ebb into New Channel drifting passed the edges of the kelp forest and hearing eagle calls.

We took Johns Pass around Stuart island and then crossed into Canada where we met the T65As Biggs Orcas. The male T65A2 was back with his family; we’ve been seeing him travelling with his aunt the T65Bs on July 2nd and 3rd. We travelled together slowly Eastbound until passing the two Humpbacks Heather (BCY0160) and Raptor (BCY0458). At that point we left the 65As to drift with the humpbacks in the beautiful calm waters which mirrored the coastline of Tilly Point, South Pender. After a few majestic surfacings we followed the coastline and caught a glimpse of a bald eagle feeding an eaglet in its nest at Blunden Island.

Onwards to Java Rocks where a Black Oyster Catcher returned with a beak full of what looked like sea lettuce seaweed (Nori) to an excited pair of chicks doing their head bobbing greeting ceremony. After a close pass of the honeycombed sandstone caves of Monarch Head we rejoined the T65As traveling towards Eastpoint. We then headed to visit Skipjack Island and Bare Rock before crossing Presidents Channel with a straight course to the head of Turtleback Mountain. Drifted the Orcas Island coastline while having our dinner and returning to Friday Harbor in the evening light.