A sail with Orcas T77C with T77D and then T37A1 with T65A5

June 19, 2021 – Wing on wing and fast beam reach sails with following seas was a beautiful way to travel North in San Juan Channel. We’d cut through the Wasp Islands and rounded Green Point for a super fast downwind sail down New Channel. Reducing sail we rode the ebb into Johns Pass where we held position in the calm lee and met T77C and T77D. They’d circled Stuart Island after entering New Channel earlier in the morning. By the end of the day these whales had circled Stuart Island 3 times and were on their 4th run, For us it was a surprise and the first time we’d seen orcas using Johns Pass. They picked up a harbor seal as they came our way and continued. We paralleled with them under sail when we could as they travelled close to shore towards Turn Point Lighthouse. Breaking off in lumpy seas we headed back to calmer waters close to the Spieden shoreline seeing many bald eagles and fallow deer. Heading into wind down San Juan Channel and we heard T37A1 with T65A5 had come through Turn Island Pass and then inside Brown Island to the ferry dock of Friday Harbor. We met them briefly North of Point Caution. We heard reports of a humpback whale a couple miles behind us coming South and s/he had a close pass with the orcas. A fast close hauled sail for us into Point Caution back into the sunshine with a good sailing breeze.