August 2, 2024 – Leaving Friday Harbor we came through the pass of Turn Island State Park with a plan to head South on account of the possibility of seeing minke whales on Salmon Bank. Tacking to stay close to shore passed Pear Point in the flood current and we saw a good number of harbor seals resting and warming on the rocks. Picking up a back eddy and some stronger wind in Griffin Bay we had a fast close-hauled sail down to Cattle Pass. We saw Glaucous-winged gull chicks and cormorants nesting on Goose Island and then sailed across the pass to Deadman Island where seals and pups were resting in the evening light. Pushing through some swells out to Whale Rocks and the Steller sea lions were quite boisterous in their play fighting and displays of bravado which was fun to watch. A bald eagle was also watching from atop the rocks. Pushing out towards Salmon Bank marker against the swells was fun at first but with swells increasing we turned and ran downwind with the swells to shelter at Long Island before drifting back through the narrow pass. Two Bald eagles watched out from Kings Point and pigeon guillemots were grouped in the reflective calm waters. We kept to the Lopez shoreline in a back eddy from the now ebbing current and this gave us a fabulous view of the sunset on our return to Friday Harbor.
