August 25, 2023 – We had a brisk close hauled sail into wind with the flood current in our favor. Tacking in the group of islets we call the Wasp Islands where seals were hauled out on Shirt Tail Reef and then North passing Jones Island State Park. At Flattop National Wildlife Refuge we had lovely views of harbor seals resting on honeycombed sandstone on the South side with bald eagles roosting on the North. From here we headed West to Ripple Island, the Cactus Islands and the North shoreline of Spieden Island. Harbor seals rested in beds of kelp, many eagles in Madrone and Douglas Fir trees, and black oystercatchers and belted kingfishers were vocalizing. We rounded Spieden Island and headed home through light misty rain which cleared a little of todays haze from the Canada wildfires.
Bald eagle San Juan Islands
Looking east down Wasp Passage
Harbor seals by Shirt Tail Reef
Harbor seals by Shirt Tail Reef
Looking west towards Yellow Island through McConnell Islands
Harbor seals on Flattop Island
Bald eagle nest on Flattop Island
Harbor seal on Flattop Island with honeycombed sandstone backdrop
Harbor seals snoozing on Flattop Island
Harbor seal on Flattop Island with honeycombed sandstone backdrop
Harbor seal on Flattop Island with honeycombed sandstone geology
Harbor seal on Flattop Island with honeycombed sandstone geology
Harbor seals snoozing on Flattop Island
Harbor seals resting on Flattop Island
Bald eagle on Flattop Island
Bald eagle on Flattop Island
North coast of Flattop Island
Bald eagle on Flattop Island with fall colors already showing
Bald eagle on Flattop Island
Bull kelp forest in New Channel
Harbor seals resting in the bull kelp forest by the Cactus Islands
Black oystercatcher by the Cactus Islands
Glassy waters in New Channel north of Spieden Island
Bald eagle in cedar tree on Spieden Island
Mouflon sheep on Spieden Island
South side of Spieden Island
Route map 8/25/23