October 31, 2020 – Halloween sail with beautiful sunshine and light variable winds. Hugging the coastline as we left Friday Harbor we saw our local bald eagle watching us drift by. Flying to land high in a Douglas fir was a great blue heron – or was it a pterodactyl? Light winds as we crossed towards Shaw Island and we shut down to sail slowly passed another eagle roosting on a sign post on Low Island. Close to shore as we came around the point of McConnell Island and another eagle retrieved something from the seas and landed on the shoreline close by.
Onwards to Spring Pass, West of Orcas, and across to Jones Island State Park where we nosed into the cove where now all is quiet after the season. Flattop Island and the currents were circling the island as did we. Groups of harbor seals were hauled out warming on the honeycombed sandstone Southern shoreline. A bald eagle on the beach as we rounded the corner to the North. A light wind and current took us along the southern edge of Boundary Pass scanning for whales as we went until we reached Ripple Island. Passing over the kelp forests into New Channel and between the Cactus Islands where a dive boat worked probably collecting sea urchins.
The forested North side of Spieden Island shows fall colours in deciduous tress along the shorline. A couple of Steller’s sea lions in the water off Green Point where we sailed out meeting small groups of harbor porpoise. Winds increased a little giving us sailing opportunities as we came South in San Juan channel and back into the port of Friday Harbor with views of Mount Baker this autumn afternoon.
Bald eagle outside Friday Harbor
Great blue heron
Bald eagle on Low Island
Bald eagle on McConnell Island
Harbor seals on Flattop Island
Bald eagle on Flattop Island
Harbor seals and layers of islands viewed in New Channel
Harbor seals hauled out in New Channel
Sailing wing on wing
Mt Baker seen through Wasp Passage
Route Map 10-31-20