June 13, 2017 – Today we witnessed the dramatic chaos created as a transient orca family known as the T65A’s displayed their incredible power during a predation event – leaping, lunging, tail slapping, creating waves, huge splashes. And then with a flash it was all over. We had a perfect sail from Patos Island all the way back to Friday Harbor in the most spectacular lighting and a rainbow dead ahead.
Harbor seals in a variety of colors
Bald eagle’s nest
Bald eagle Orcas Island
Transient Orca T65A2 lunging
T65A2 lunging
T65A2 leaping
T65A2 lunging
T65A whipping her tail flukes around in a circle (twerking?)
T65A5 lunging
T65A5 lunging (If only we could see the underbelly to tell if this is a male or female)
T65A4 leaping next to a harbor seal
T65A5 spinning her tail around in a circle to smack the harbor seal beside her (head visible under her tail)
T65A spinning her tail around for a 3rd time to smack the harbor seal
T65A2 (13 yrs), T65A3 (10 yrs), T65A5 (3 yrs)
Orca spy hopped where the gull had been sitting
Calf about to surface next to mom, T65A
Tail in the air
T65A4
Honeycomb sandstone of Patos Island
Honeycomb sandstone of Patos Island
Alden Point Lighthouse, Patos Island
North side of Skipjack Island
South side of Skipjack Island
Bare Island and Mount Baker
Pt Disney and Waldron Island in spectacular light
White Rock lit up by the sun
Shadow of the sail drifts the coastline of Flattop Island
The beginning of a beautiful sunset
Incredible light as we sailed by Yellow Island
Double Rainbow outside of Friday Harbor
Sunset sail home
Sunset sail home with Iridescent pink and electric blue clouds