All Aboard Sailing

Humpback whale BCY0785 “Mathematician” Boundary Pass and Biggs/Transient Orcas T109A2’s in Griffin Bay

By allaboardsailing@yahoo.com September 28, 2023 Full Day Sail, Full moon sailing, Sailing with Humpback Whales, Sailing with Transient Orcas, Sailing with whales, Sunset Sailing
September 28, 2023 – North on the flood current today. Some goods winds and fun sailing through the passes of Nob Island and McConnell Island and a fast sail to Flattop Island. We drift sailed the south side seeing the harbor seals hauled out on the honey combed sandstone. North of Flattop and winds decreased to calm. We drifted passed the harbor seals of White Rock and headed North towards Sandy Point.
Barbara was looking toward a gathering of birds at a bait ball some miles North when she spotted what appeared to be a humpback whale surface amongst the birds. Sure enough as we approached the birds we met humpback whale BCY0785 ‘Mathematician’.   We sailed alongside towards Turn Point before leaving to head South. Coming through Ripple Island and through the Cactus Islands seeing bald eagles and drifting on the glassy waters of fast current down to Green Pt where a few Steller sea lions were playing in the water. We sailed South through the Wasp Islands to Friday Harbor.
Just as we were nearing our dock we received a report of orcas at Jackson Beach, around the corner from Friday Harbor. The decision was unanimous to go back out so off we went. Arriving at Pear Point and we met the T109A2’s family of Biggs/Transient orcas engaged in hunting a Steller sea lion. T109A2 is an 18 year old mother of 4 with the youngest calf born this year. They moved onto Dinner Island and engaged in hunting harbor seals. Sunset was happening as they breached and tail slapped through the hunt. We arrived back to Friday Harbor at dusk just in time for a late ferry.

Sailing wing on wing

Harbor seals by Shirt Tail Reef

Passenger taking the helm

Harbor seals on Flattop Island

Bald eagle nest on Flattop Island

Harbor seals on Flattop Island

Harbor seals on White Rock

Harbor seals on White Rock

Humpback whale BCY0785 ‘Mathematician’

Humpback whale BCY0785 ‘Mathematician’- left dorsal fin

Humpback whale BCY0785 ‘Mathematician’

Humpback whale BCY0785 ‘Mathematician’

Humpback whale BCY0785 ‘Mathematician’

Humpback whale BCY0785 ‘Mathematician’ arching back before deep dive

Humpback whale BCY0785 ‘Mathematician’ tail flukes

Humpback whale BCY0785 ‘Mathematician’ tail flukes

Sailing through the Cactus Islands

Pair of bald eagles on Little Cactus Island

Bald eagle on Spieden Island

Steller sea lions at Green Pt, Spieden Island

Sunshine on Little McConnell Island

Harbor seals on Low Island

Looking through the gap

Harbor porpoise

Totem Pole by Brown Island

Looking for orcas

Biggs/Transient orcas T109A2’s hunting a sea lion

Biggs/Transient orcas T109A2’s hunting a sea lion

Biggs/Transient orcas T109A2’s hunting a sea lion

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s draped in kelp

Lucky sea lion hiding from the orcas

Offspring of Biggs/Transient orca T109A2

Calf of Biggs/Transient orca T109A2

Calf of Biggs/Transient orca T109A2 breaching

Orca in sunset light

Orca tail in sunset light

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s circling kelp bedBiggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s circling kelp bed

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s circling kelp bed

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s circling kelp bed

Biggs/Transient orcas T109A2’s hunting near a kelp forest

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s draped in kelp

Biggs/Transient orcas T109A2’s hunting near a kelp forest

Biggs/Transient orcas T109A2’s hunting near a kelp forest

Biggs/Transient orca T109A2

Biggs/Transient orcas in the T109A2’s in sunset light

Biggs/Transient orcas in the T109A2’s in sunset light

Biggs/Transient orcas T109A2’s

Harbor seals watching orcas nearby

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s hunting close to Dinner Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T109A2’s hunting close to Dinner Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T109A2’s hunting close to Dinner Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T109A2’s hunting close to Dinner Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T109A2’s hunting close to Dinner Island

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s tail slapping

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s breaching

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s breaching

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s tail slapping

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s breaching

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s breaching

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s breaching

Biggs/Transient orca calf in the T109A2’s

Sunset sail from Friday Harbor

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s breaching

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s breaching

Biggs/Transient orca T109A2

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s tail slapping

Biggs/Transient orca in the T109A2’s breaching

Biggs/Transient orca calf in the T109A2’s

Sailing whale watching at sunset

Biggs/Transient orca calf in the T109A2’s

Biggs/Transient orca calf in the T109A2’s

Biggs/Transient orcas T109A2 with oldest offspring T109A2A

Calf in between Biggs/Transient orcas T109A2 and T109A2A

Biggs/Transient orca calf in the T109A2’s

Off into the sunset they go

Off into the sunset they go

One last orca breach

One last orca breach and tail slap

Sunset sail from Friday Harbor

Full moon rising over Lopez Island

Full moon

Full moon

Tagged on: , , , , , , , , , ,