All Aboard Sailing

Minke whale north of Waldron and wildlife in New Channel

By allaboardsailing@yahoo.com September 30, 2020 Full Day Sail, Sailing with Minke Whales, Sailing with whales
September 30, 2020 – Winds were fickle but we took advantage of a breeze for light air drift sailing to go quietly through the Wasp Islands where a bald eagle roosted on high point of Nob Island. Tacking our way through Spring Pass and a fast beam reach to Flattop. At this point winds dropped and the ocean was like a mill pond or a giant mirror. We moved on to White Rock and wrapped around Waldon Island where we found a minke whale. The light air allowed us to slowly move in silence as the minke surfaced about us amongst large groups of loons, murres and gulls.
After a really fun encounter we left the minke and headed towards Johns Pass meeting many groups of harbor porpoise along the way. After remarking that we’d not seen a peregrine falcon on the bluff in some months Barbara spotted one perched in one of the trees. In the tranquil setting of New Channel we also saw bald eagles, great blue herons and a Steller sea lion who caught a large fish. The kelp forests are a refuge for many harbor seals. Coming through Ripple Pass and circling down to Green Point where there were now seven Steller sea lions hanging out together in the kelp. A slight smoky haze in the air as the sun set over Friday Harbor for the last day of September.

Bald eagle on Nob Island

Harlequin ducks

Madrone tree and harbor seals

Harbor seals on Flattop Island

Harbor seals on Flattop Island

Harbor seals with glacial erratic

Flattop Island in glassy seas

Flattop Island in glassy seas

Harbor seal stretching after waking up

Harbor seals on White Rock with fall colors on Waldron

Large line up of harbor seals on White Rock

Large line up of harbor seals on White Rock

Pacific loon

Common murres

Gulls feeding on a bait ball

Minke whale surfacing along north side of Waldron

Minke whale surfacing along north side of Waldron

Minke whale surfacing along north side of Waldron

Minke whale surfacing along north side of Waldron

Minke whale surfacing in the bait ball

Minke whale right side

Minke whale right side

Minke whale right side

Minke whale left side

Minke whale surfacing

Minke whale surfacing

Harbor porpoise

Johns Pass

Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon

Forest reflections of Spieden Island

Bald eagle on Spieden Island

The Cactus Islands and Flattop Island

Bald eagle on Spieden Island

Great blue heron

Steller sea lion in New Channel

Steller sea lion swimming underwater

Steller sea lion swimming on his back

Steller sea lion with large fish

Steller sea lion with large fish

Steller sea lion flinging large fish

Bald eagle on Spieden Island

Great blue heron with fish in bill

Cutting through the Cactus Islands

Harbor seals resting in the bull kelp

Harbor seals resting in the bull kelp

Harbor seals resting in the bull kelp

Cutting through the Cactus Islands

Great blue heron with harbor seals along the Cactus Island

Cormorants in New Channel

Cutting through Ripple Pass in glassy seas

Harbor seal resting on a rock

Harbor seal resting on a rock with glacial erratic

Mouflon Ram on Spieden Island

Steller sea lions at Green Pt

Sun setting behind the trees

Sunset over Friday Harbor

Route Map 9-30-20

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