August 15, 2023 – Today we went south after leaving Friday Harbor and took our favorite little narrow pass around Turn Island. There were many harbor seals hauled out here and near Goose Island in Cattle Pass, and also a bald eagle chick perched near its nest. On Salmon Bank we spotted a familiar minke whale (nicknamed “Stubbs”). The whale was milling back and forth giving us some amazing views, and did some lunge feeding causing bait fish to leap above the water avoiding becoming lunch. With a report of some Biggs/Transient orcas known as the T75B’s with T77D moving east from Beaumont Shoal we broke away from our minke whale fun to see them, too. The T75B’s family of orcas were traveling with a very small calf which was less than two weeks old. Apparently the family had been seen on Aug 3rd without a calf and then again on Aug 11th with the newborn. On our encounter we noticed the calf was traveling beside eight year old T75B2. We’ve never known of any wild orca to give birth at such a young age. Eleven years old may be the youngest we’ve ever seen. But, it had been seen traveling with T75B and T75B2 on previous encounters from others. T75B also has a 2 year old calf, T75B4 (born 2021), so with an approximate gestation period of 17 months that would make a very fast turnaround with getting pregnant shortly after birthing her last calf. Anything is possible it seems and time will tell who the calf’s mother is. The orcas turned north close to shore along San Juan Island once they reached False Bay and we scooted south to make our way back to port. But first we stopped to see the Steller sea lions at Whale Rocks and checked out the wildlife at Deadman Island.
Route map 8/15/23
Sailing around Turn Island
Kayakers on Turn Island
Harbor seals on the rocks by Pear Pt, San Juan Island
Harbor seals on the rocks by Pear Pt, San Juan Island
Harbor seals on the rocks by Pear Pt, San Juan Island
Bull kelp
Bald eagle chick by Cape San Juan
Line of gulls by Goose Island with Cattle Point Lighthouse
Harbor seals on Goose Island
Harbor seals on Goose Island with Cattle Pt Lighthouse
Harbor seals on rocks by Goose Island
Cormorants nesting on Goose Island
Phalaropes flying
Phalaropes flying over rhinoceros auklets
Minke whale on Salmon Bank
Minke whale on Salmon Bank
Minke whale on Salmon Bank
Minke whale on Salmon Bank
Minke whale on Salmon Bank (nicknamed “Stubbs”)
Minke whale on Salmon Bank
Minke whale on Salmon Bank
Minke whale on Salmon Bank
Minke whale on Salmon Bank
Minke whale on Salmon Bank
Minke whale foraging lunge feeding on Salmon Bank – look at the fish leaping!
Minke whale with Mt Baker
Minke whale with Olympic Mountains
Minke whale surfacing
Minke whale surfacing
Minke whale surfacing
Minke whale dorsal fin
Steller sea lion popping up
Common murres
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D traveling together
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D
Belly markings of one of the little ones – T75B4?
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B2 with less than 2 week old calf beside her
Biggs/Transient orca T77D
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D traveling together
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D traveling together
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D traveling together
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B2 with less than 2 week old calf beside her
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B2 with less than 2 week old calf beside her
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B2 with less than 2 week old calf beside her
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B2 with less than 2 week old calf beside her
Brand new calf less than 2 weeks old in the T75B family
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B2 with less than 2 week old calf beside her
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B2 with less than 2 week old calf beside her
Leaping salmon
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D near False Bay
Biggs/Transient orcas T75B’s and T77D northbound from False Bay
Brand new calf less than 2 weeks old in the T75B family
Cattle Point Lighthouse and Mt Baker
Steller sea lions at Whale Rocks
Steller sea lions at Whale Rocks
Steller sea lions at Whale Rocks
Steller sea lions at Whale Rocks
Harbor seals at Deadman Island
Harbor seals at Deadman Island with Cattle Pt Lighthouse in distance
Harbor seal at Deadman Island
Bald eagle on Deadman Island
Deadman Island
Mt Baker and Ferry