Our Southern Resident orcas are here! Sailing with K12's and K13's and a humpback whale MMZ0004 Zephyr

July 1, 2020 – Lots of excitement as soon as we woke this morning with news that K pod had arrived to San Juan Island. We’d been expecting them after hearing they were Southbound from Hanson Island at noon on June 29th – 205 Nautical miles away. They passed Lime Kiln at 9:15am – 45 hours later. So they averaged 4.5 knots at continuous travel. And good news is that they were foraging at False Bay.

We left with our passengers and headed South through Turn Island Pass and catching the counter current by tacking into Griffin Bay. Passed the cormorant rookery of Goose Island and fighting the strong flood tide at Cattle Point Lighthouse. The K12’s and K13’s had been foraging off South Beach and we met them as they travelled North in a resting line close to shore at Pile Point. Passing Lime Kiln they made a turn at Bellevue Point with K12 in the lead. Double breaches began and continued as they pushed South against the current at speed. We viewed at a distance of well over 1/4 mile, 500 yards, to be sure to give plenty of space.

We met a humpback whale MMZ0004 ‘Zephyr’ who was traveling parallel to the orcas off Lime Kiln Lighthouse similarly swimming into the strong flood current.

Sailing North with current in our favor we came in close to Kelllet Bluff. We watched as a parent returned to their grown eaglet hearing a few calls. Wing on wing passed Battleship Rock and a super fast beam reach to the protected waters of New Channel. Reefing the main we sailed close hauled to Flattop where we again found shelter with the Pigeon Guillemots as we went to second reef on the main. Close hauled and tacking down to Spring Pass and then through the maze of islands for an easier ride against the strong Southerlies. An exciting day all round.