Sailing into Canada to meet the T34s, T37 and 37Bs

August 22, 2019 – Excitement started early on before we’d exited the harbor we spotted a harbor seal with a very large fish. Further up the channel we found a bald eagle perched on Shirttail Reef. Little did we know he was stalking a Peregrine falcon who was working on catching lunch. As soon as he did, the eagle took off and was chased by a black oystercatcher while enroute to chase the falcon. The falcon dropped its catch into the water and the eagle swooped down unsuccessfully missing the catch. The Peregrine falcon swooped around Low Island a couple times before flying off. We hope that Peregrine falcon leaves our favorite little black oystercatchers on Low Island alone!

A lone steller sea lion was swimming near Wasp Pass. As we approached Flattop Island a bald eagle sitting in a nest with a chick sitting below it. There were many harbor seals hauled out along the honeycomb sandstone shoreline and harbor porpoise porpoising all around chasing fish. Drifting passed Ripple Island and the bull kelp beds we continued on towards Turn Pt Lighthouse and Lovers Leap.

Crossing Haro Strait into Canada we plotted a course to meet a group of Biggs/Transient killer whales known as the T34’s, T37 and the T37B’s. Three family members were trailing about a mile behind. We left the whales at Russell Island and had a fast close-hauled sail via the south side of Morseby towards Stuart Island.

Drifting in New Channel after we enjoyed our dinner we spotted a bald eagle in the water swimming to shore. As he climbed onto the Spieden shoreline he pulled out a fish in his talons. We visited the north side of Flattop Island on our route to Orcas Island Ferry dock.