Leaping minke whale and a sail around Lopez to Orcas

June 25, 2021 – As we left Friday Harbor we decided to head south and cut inside of Turn Island State Park passing many snoozing harbor seals. Mt Baker, Mt Rainier and the Olympic Mountains were all visible today. After passing Goose Island and Cattle Pt Lighthouse we ventured out to Salmon Bank where we had a nice minke whale encounter. The minke whale made several lunges looking like half breaches as it came leaping out of the water – an impressive sight. It was our familiar minke whale with the nick on the leading edge of the dorsal fin who we refer to as “Minke Mouse”. We continued on our journey stopping by Whale Rocks to see the steller sea lions and the bald eagle nest on Long Island which happened to have the owner nearby. Hugging the Lopez Island coastline we admired the stunning beauty especially as we drifted in the pass near Castle Rock, our favorite. The flood current gave us a nice boost as we motor sailed north in Rosario up to Bird Rocks and in through Thatcher Pass. Winds were pretty strong and gusty between the islands so we reefed the sails as we stuck close to the Blakely shoreline before having an incredible beam reach across towards Harney Channel. Pit stop at Orcas Island to drop off some guests and then a beautiful cruise through the Wasp Islands and fast sailing down San Juan Channel on the ebb.