June 6th – Full Day Sail around San Juan Island. We caught the ebb out to Whale Rocks and saw no steller sea lions. Have they all gone to Oregon? Ebb switched to flood and both us and the orcas turned up island, except a humpback which continued south who didn’t seem to mind deep dives against the current. J’s and K’s gathered at Lime Kiln before continuing. Lots of socializing, very little foraging. Fun and games playing in the rip tides of Kellett Bluff. Continuing north in the flat waters of sunset, social games included being lifted and sliding off the backs of others. Our hydrophone relayed the calls from their world in the deep blue below the surface. Everywhere we looked there were whales.
Harbor seals, Cattle Pass
Humpback Whale off South Beach, San Juan Island
Humpback Whale off South Beach, San Juan Island
J27 Blackberry
female orca lunging during play with others
Southern Resident Orcas horsing around
Chasing after each other during socializing
K16 and K36 about to surface
Playful socializing
Orca sliding off another’s back – three times in a row!
Calf breach – We think this was J51
Commercial shipping very loud on the hydrophone
Spy hop
J28 Polaris with J54
J17 Princess Angeline with J53
Mom and calf simultaneous tail lobs
This ain’t Sea World – it’s as real as it gets
Pair Bald Eagles
Elephant Rock
Elephant Rock
Deer swims to Orcas island
Sunset Sail, San Juan Channel
Sunset sailing San Juan Channel passed yellow island
S