A sail around San Juan Island plus Southern Resident orcas from J Pod

August 31, 2019 – It was a beautiful day to be out on the water. We circumnavigated San Juan Island on our adventure. There were many harbor seals hauled out, harbor porpoise, steller sea lions, cormorants, murres and many bald eagles.

The Southern Residents from J pod were still hanging out in the same area off False Bay. We drift sailed offshore as we watched lots of orca travel slowly south with lots of socializing and breaching. A nice group was playing with a loose pile of kelp with lots of spy hopping.

The Center for Biology and Canine Conservation group found an orca fecal sample nearby and it was interesting to watch how the group worked together with the dog on board and a drone to find and retrieve it. Such incredible research is being done in our area.

We continued our journey after our exciting viewing of the orcas and enjoyed a peaceful dinner in New Channel north of Spieden Island. There was reportedly a humpback in the area south of Flattop Island but we never did find it. It was a beautiful sunset with glassy mirror-like seas on our last leg crossing from Yellow Island back to Friday Harbor.