All Aboard Sailing

Biggs/Transient Orcas T49A’s Henry Island to Green Pt

By allaboardsailing@yahoo.com October 4, 2023 Half Day Sail, Sailing with Transient Orcas, Sailing with whales
October 4, 2023 – Sailed out of Friday Harbor and headed north and through the pass by Coon Island and up through Spring Pass. The decision was to head toward a humpback in Haro Strait going up the west side of San Juan Island or to Biggs/Transient orcas T123’s by Patos Island. Then a new report came in of orcas northbound from County Park, so the decision was made to head west. We passed the shoreline of Spieden Island where the oak trees are taking on fall colors. And upon hearing that the orcas (the T49A’s minus T49A1 and T49A2) were hunting by Mitchell Bay we cut through Mosquito Pass. We met them just as they finished their hunt and started to move north silhouetted against the fog banks over Canada. They moved quickly along the shoreline of Henry Island and into Spieden Channel. At Green Pt, Spieden Island, they turned and headed west back through Spieden Channel towards Sentinel Island. We then visited the Steller sea lions at Green Pt and headed back down San Juan Channel. The sun dipped below the clouds for a gorgeous sunset.
Side note: The son of T49A2 along with another male orca T51 had recently been trapped in a tidal lake with a narrow entrance in Alaska for 44 days. The community and DFO helped guide them back out to the ocean using orca acoustics.

Route map 10/4/23

Belted kingfisher in Madrone tree

Washington State Ferry emerging from the fog

Harbor seals by Low Island, San Juan Islands

Harbor seals by Low Island, San Juan Islands

Harbor seals by Low Island, San Juan Islands

Tip of Yellow and San Juan, Sentinel and Spieden Islands

Battleship Island

Fall colors on Spieden Island

Fall colors on Spieden Island on the Garry Oak trees

Fog hanging over the islands

Harbor seals hauled out with fog in the distance

Harbor seal hauled out

Harbor seal hauled out in Mosquito Pass

Layers of islands with a blanket of fog

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Haror Strait with a distant fog bank

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Haror Strait with a distant fog bank

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Haror Strait with a distant fog bank

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Haror Strait with a distant fog bank

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Haror Strait with a distant fog bank

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Haror Strait with a distant fog bank

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Haror Strait with a distant fog bank

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Haror Strait with a distant fog bank

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Haror Strait with a distant fog bank

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Haror Strait with a distant fog bank

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Haror Strait with a distant fog bank

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s traveling along Henry Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s traveling along Henry Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s traveling along Henry Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s traveling along Henry Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s traveling along Henry Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s traveling along Henry Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s traveling along Henry Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s traveling along Henry Island

Little T49A5 with her underbite

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s traveling along Henry Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s traveling along Henry Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s traveling along Henry Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s traveling along Henry Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s passing close to a bull kelp forest

Totem pole on Henry Island

Center for Whale Research catching their drone

Biggs/Transient orcas headed for the gulls

Bonapartes gulls go flying after orcas pass through

Bonapartes gulls go flying after orcas pass through

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Spieden Channel

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Spieden Channel

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Spieden Channel

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Spieden Channel

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Spieden Channel

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Spieden Channel

Sentinel Island

Biggs/Transient orcas spy hop

Steller sea lions at Green Pt, Spieden Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Spieden Channel

Spieden Island

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Spieden Channel with distant fog bank

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Spieden Channel with distant fog bank

Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s in Spieden Channel with distant fog bank

Distant fog and the beginning of the sunset

Steller sea lions at Green Pt, Spieden Island

Steller sea lions at Green Pt, Spieden Island

Steller sea lions at Green Pt, Spieden Island

Steller sea lions at Green Pt, Spieden Island

Steller sea lions at Green Pt, Spieden Island

Battleship Island in the distance

Sunset taking shape

Head of Turtleback Mountain and Jones Island in sunset light

Passengers enjoying the sail and sunset

Islands in sunset light

Islands in sunset light

Looking through the gap towards Orcas Island

Nob Island in sunset light

Nob Island and Yellow Island in the sunset

Layers of islands in the sunset viewed from Nob Island

Shaw Island Neck Pt illuminated with sunset light

Sunset light on Shaw Island

Sunset sail from San Juan Island

Sunset sail from San Juan Island

Sunset sail from San Juan Island

Sunset sail from San Juan Island

Sunset sail from San Juan Island

Incredible sunset sail from Friday Harbor, San Juan Island

Incredible sunset sail from Friday Harbor, San Juan Island

Incredible sunset sail from Friday Harbor, San Juan Island

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