All Aboard Sailing

Gray Whale CRC-2555 on the east side of Orcas Island

By allaboardsailing@yahoo.com June 19, 2024 Full Day Sail, Sailing with Gray Whales, Sailing with whales
June 19, 2024 – With morning reports of orca southbound from Barnes and Clark we sailed inter-island hoping to meet them in Rosario Strait. However, we instead met a gray whale who was northbound to Lawrence Point, Orcas Island.  The orcas had been found at Parker Reef northbound so we continued north through the Sister Islands, to Puffin Island, Matia Island and Sucia Island. The orcas however had continued north beyond East Point to Tumbo Island moving quickly on the flood tide. We enjoyed sailing through the fingers of Sucia Island admiring the interesting geology and spotting wildlife at the outer islands. A bald eaglet was in a nest on Matia Island with one to the parents standing guard. Another eagle swooped to pick up something from the water in Rolfe Cove. We headed to Pt Doughty and hugged the Orcas Island coastline down President Channel. Passed by the Wasp Islands before returning to Friday Habor. Note: We reached out to Cascadia Research Collective and was told this about the gray whale: “This is a whale CRC-2555 has been sighted in the general region since March of this year but which we did not have prior history on before that.”

Mt Baker

Picnic Pt, Shaw Island

Mt Baker and Upright Head

Mt Baker

Gray whale CRC-2555 northbound in Rosario Strait

Gray whale CRC-2555

Gray whale CRC-2555

Gray whale CRC-2555

Gray whale CRC-2555

Bald eagle, Orcas Island

Gray whale CRC-2555

Bald eagle nest, Orcas Island

Canada geese with growing goslings

Gray whale CRC-2555

Gray whale CRC-2555

Gray whale CRC-2555

Gray whale CRC-2555

Gray whale CRC-2555

Gray whale CRC-2555

Gray whale CRC-2555 approaching Lawrence Pt, Orcas Island

Lawrence Pt, Orcas Island

Little Sister Island

Harbor seal hauled out

Black oystercatcher

Bald eagle on the Sister Islands

Bald eagle, San Juan islands

Wildflowers on Puffin Island

Puffin Island

Harbor seal on Puffin Island

Puffin Island

Bald eagle with chick in nest on Matia Island

Bald eaglet in nest on Matia Island

Bald eagle with nest on Matia Island

Sailing through the gap by Matia Island

Bald eagle flying away with something it grabbed from the beach

Scenes from Matia Island

Scenes from Matia Island

Scenes from Matia Island

Beautiful beach on Matia island

Cool geology on Matia island

Cool geology on Matia island

Pigeon guillemots on Sucia Island

Interesting geology on Sucia Island

Interesting geology on Sucia Island

Interesting geology on Sucia Island

whale formation in the rocks

Interesting geology on Sucia Island

Narrow pass between the fingers of Sucia Island

Bald eagle on Sucia Island

face formation in the rocks

Interesting geology on Sucia Island

Parker Reef

Our passenger taking the helm

Pt Doughty, Orcas Island

Great blue heron near Pt Doughty, Orcas Island

Mt Baker, Orcas Island and kayakers

Pt Doughty, Orcas Island

Orcas Island forested coastline

Orcas Island forested coastline and head of Turtleback Mountain

Historic Lime Kiln, Orcas Island

Route map 6/19/24

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