Sailing South and finding Humpback Whale BCZ0345 "Victory"

September 9, 2023 – Flooding tidal current but decided to head South knowing a humpback whale has been in the area for quite a few days now. We cut inside Turn island and close to shore around Reef Point to Pear Point to keep out of the flood and see the number of harbor seals hauled out resting on the rocky shoreline. Likewise we kept close into Garrison Bay and to Goose Island to the point before hitting the flood full on at the lighthouse. Lots of harbor seals on the beach at Goose Island along with the cormorant rookery. Out to Salmon Bank with an early morning report of a Minke whale and we thought we saw it in the distance however what we found was a Steller sea lion attracting the attention of gulls with a skate. We moved on to McArthur Bank where there was a report of sea otter, a second as one had also been reported at Bird Rocks. Very exciting to now have 2 sea otters in the area. Just before reaching the sighting of the sea otter we met the humpback whale, We decided to stay with the humpback whale who was heading for a bait ball marked by birds which he/she lunged through before moving onto the next. The humpback was Victory, BCZ0345, the same we’ve been seeing, so we’re pretty happy he’s finding enough food here to stay a while. We stayed alongside the humpback a while before heading on to the stellar sea lions of Whale Rocks and Daedman Island. We found 2 bald eagles North of Kings Point. Riding the flood current now and wind picked up at Turn island for an exciting close hauled sail back to Friday Harbor.