July 12, 2024 – After leaving Friday Harbor we headed south quickly with news of orcas, the T65B’s, coming down Rosario Strait and wrapping around the southern end of Lopez Island. We cut through the pass sailing around Turn Island spotting harbor seals and a bald eagle. As we passed the nesting cormorants on Goose Island we spotted a few tiny newborn gull chicks hiding by their parents. Sailed by the Steller sea lions on Whale Rocks and met the orcas as they reached Hall Island National Wildlife Refuge. The orcas circled the island again and again and repeatedly swam through the kelp forests. We did observe T65B1 pushing a harbor seal and later noticed him eating it with his younger brother T65B2. As the orcas moved on they checked out more rocks along the Lopez coastline before pushing offshore and heading south. We broke away to check out the Southern Lopez coastline down to Castle Island and back. On our return we passed by the Steller sea lions once more.
Bald eagle
Harbor seals by Turn Island
Harbor seals by Turn Island with decrepit dock
The eagle has landed
Cormorants, Goose Island
First gull chicks we’ve seen this year on Goose Island
Steller sea lions, Whale Rocks
Steller sea lion, Whale Rocks
Bald eagle nest, Long Island, WA
Pair of bald eagles, Long Island, WA
Harbor seals on Hall Island
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B1 pushing harbor seal
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B1 with sibling T65B2
Biggs/Transient orca T65B1
Orca spy hop (T65B’s)
Orca spy hop (T65B’s) with Olympic Mountains
Orca tail in the air
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s prey sharing
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s prey sharing
Orca spy hop (T65B’s)
Orca spy hop (T65B’s)
Orca spy hop (T65B’s) with Olympic Mountains
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s prey sharing
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s prey sharing
Orca tail in the air
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s eating a harbor seal
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s near Hall Island
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s circling Hall Island
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s circling Hall Island
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s circling Hall Island
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s in the bull kelp beds
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s in the bull kelp beds
Biggs/Transient orca T65B1 with kelp on dorsal fin
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s circling Hall Island – harbor seals watching
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s in kelp forest
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s in kelp forest
Biggs/Transient orca T65B1 with kelp on dorsal fin
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s in kelp forest
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s circling Hall Island (again)
Biggs/Transient orca T65B1 with kelp on dorsal fin
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s checking out more rocks
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s with harbor seals watching
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s with harbor seals watching
Orca swimming underwater
Biggs/Transient orcas T65B’s
Sailing down wind
Harbor seals on the rocks, one with new pup
Black oystercatcher
Castle Rock
Castle Rock
Lopez Island
Bald eagle
Great blue heron
Black oystercatchers
Route map 7/12/24