June 24, 2024 – We sailed south and tacked our way down the channel on the ebb tide. We met Biggs/Transient orca T49C at the bottom of San Juan Channel heading north. He stopped to play in the kelp bed off Turn Rock and breached shortly after swimming away. He took Upright Channel and swam deep into Indian Cove taking the small pass north of Canoe Island. It’s the first time we’ve seen a whale swim through there. As he turned into Cayou Channel we broke away and headed for Thatcher Pass hearing of orcas northbound in Rosario Strait. However, they took Bellingham Channel so we circumnavigated Blakely Island admiring the forested coastline.
Coming back towards Upright Head we passed T49C again. Later we heard he was pulling up every crab pot in Cayou Channel for a few hours. We continued south and met T36A1’s with T46B1’s southbound in San Juan Channel near Turn Island and they, too, played in the kelp bed of Turn Rock. They took off porpoising towards Fisherman’s Harbor and perhaps were hunting. After milling they headed south and we headed towards Jackson Beach to meet the T49A’s (minus T49A2).
We sailed alongside watching them pass inside of Danger Rock. First time we’d seen this before. They had beautiful backlit blows at Turn Island. We left them at Reid Rock continuing north as we sailed back into Friday Harbor. Note: we heard later on that the T36A1’s and T46B1’s flipped near Cattle Pass and headed back north in San Juan Channel. Quite a day!
Biggs/Transient orca T49C northbound San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orca T49C northbound San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orca T49C northbound San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orca T49C northbound San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orca T49C northbound San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orca T49C northbound near Turn Island
Biggs/Transient orca T49C northbound near Turn Island
Biggs/Transient orca T49C checking out bull kelp forest at Turn Rock
Biggs/Transient orca T49C checking out bull kelp forest at Turn Rock
Biggs/Transient orca T49C
Biggs/Transient male orca T49C doing full breach
Biggs/Transient male orca T49C doing full breach
Big splash after Biggs/Transient male orca T49C breach
Biggs/Transient T49C taking Upright Channel
Biggs/Transient T49C taking Upright Channel
People watching the orca from the ferry
Sailing San Juan Islands passing Upright Head, Lopez Island
Orange ochre sea star, Salish Sea
Harbor seals
Blakely Island
Bald eagle, Blakely Island
WA State Ferry
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s southbound in San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s southbound in San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s southbound in San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s check out the kelp forest at Turn Rock
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s check out kelp forest at Turn Rock
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s check out kelp forest at Turn Rock
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s check out kelp forest at Turn Rock
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s southbound in San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s take off porpoising
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s take off porpoising
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s milling by Fishermans Harbor
Rhinoceros auklet with mouthful of fish
Orca spy hop
Orca tail in the air
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s milling by Fishermans Harbor
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s milling by Fishermans Harbor
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s milling by Fishermans Harbor, orca spy hop
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s southbound San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s southbound San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s southbound San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s southbound San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s southbound San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s southbound San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s southbound San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with T46B1’s southbound San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with calf
Biggs/Transient orcas T36A1’s with calf
Biggs/Transient orcas T46B1 with calf southbound San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orcas T46B1 with calf southbound San Juan Channel
Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s going into shallow water behind rocks
Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s northbound near Turn Island
Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s northbound near Turn Island
Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s northbound near Turn Island
Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s northbound near Turn Island
Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s with backlit blows
Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s northbound near Turn Island
Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s northbound near Turn Island
Harbor porpoise
Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s northbound near Friday Harbor
Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s northbound near Friday Harbor
Biggs/Transient orca 49A1 northbound near Friday Harbor
Biggs/Transient orcas T49A’s northbound near Friday Harbor
Biggs/Transient orca 49A1 northbound near Friday Harbor
Route map 6/24/24