June 17, 2021 – We headed south on the ebb with a great sail to Big Rock glacial erratic when we picked up news of a large group of orcas near Beaumont Shoal. We motor sailed down the Lopez coastline to pick up speed but when we heard the orcas were entering Canada resumed to sailing through Cattle Pass. We sailed passed Goose Island seeing the cormorant rookery and tacked to come over to Whale Rocks where the steller sea lions were engaged in territorial tiffs. A bald eagle was watching everything atop the rock. Our plan was to look for minke whales foraging on Salmon Bank and later meet a humpback whale who followed us a few miles behind in San Juan Channel; however, the orcas came back into US waters socializing so we decided to go see them instead. We met 21 orcas, T34’s, T36, T36B’s, T37, T37B’s, T65A’s (minus T65A5), and T86A’s, offshore of County Park heading north but going nowhere against the strong ebb. We watched T65A2 tail slapping repeatedly while he socialized with a small group and the others traveled together in a tight group. Leaving the whales we sailed through Mosquito Pass seeing great blue herons and a raccoon on the Henry Island beaches before passing Roche Harbor. As we came through Spieden Channel we heard that the orcas had also taken Mosquito Pass and were hunting harbor seals amongst the boats in Roche Harbor. Close hauled sail down the channel back to Friday Harbor.
Route Map 6-17-21
Mt Baker
Harbor seals by Danger Rock
Big Rock, Lopez Island
Harbor seals on Shark Reef
Goose Island with Cattle Pt Lighthouse
Skye having fun on the bean bag chair
Bald eagle with Cattle Pt Lighthouse
Sea lion with Olympic Mountains
Steller sea lions at Whale Rocks
Cattle Pt Lighthouse with Mt Baker
Bald eagle at Eagle Pt
Lime Kiln Lighthouse
Mix of T34’s, T36, T36B’s, T37, T37B’s, T65A’s (minus T65A5), and T86A’s
T65A2 tail lob
Mix of T34’s, T36, T36B’s, T37, T37B’s, T65A’s (minus T65A5), and T86A’s
Mix of T34’s, T36, T36B’s, T37, T37B’s, T65A’s (minus T65A5), and T86A’s
Mix of T34’s, T36, T36B’s, T37, T37B’s, T65A’s (minus T65A5), and T86A’s
Mix of T34’s, T36, T36B’s, T37, T37B’s, T65A’s (minus T65A5), and T86A’s
Mix of T34’s, T36, T36B’s, T37, T37B’s, T65A’s (minus T65A5), and T86A’s
Mix of T34’s, T36, T36B’s, T37, T37B’s, T65A’s (minus T65A5), and T86A’s
Mix of T34’s, T36, T36B’s, T37, T37B’s, T65A’s (minus T65A5), and T86A’s
Mix of T34’s, T36, T36B’s, T37, T37B’s, T65A’s (minus T65A5), and T86A’s
T65A2 with Mt Rainier
Lime Kiln Lighthouse with Mt Rainier
Sailing wing on wing
Raccoon on Henry Island
Great blue heron on Henry Island
Roche Harbor, San Juan Island