Bill Garden Design Pilot House Sloop built Prothero Brothers

Souther Resident Killer whales, the L4’s, show on San Juan Island west side

By davidhowitt@mac.com September 10, 2017 sailing with southern resident orca whales, Sailing with whales

September 10th 2017 – Sailed South as fog cleared to reveal a summer day complete with Southern Resident Orcas. As predicted the first sprinkle of rain brought the salmon who needed a scent of their natal streams and the Orcas came too. Lets hope theres enough salmon to go around. We watched as they foraged from Salmon Bank and North to False Bay. We continued to circle the island with some idyllic quiet time enjoying BBQ supper while drifting on fast current through reflected tranquility of New Channel. Another hard day in the office – All Aboard Sailing.

Day Sailing Charters in the San Juan Islands with All Aboard Sailing

Fog in San Juan Channel

Steller Sea Lion acrobatics

Fried Egg Jelly

Moon Jelly

L86 and L106 mum and son swimming together

Drone photogrammetry with L4s

L86 approaching salmon bank

L116 ‘Finn’

L82 ‘Kasatka’ South Beach San Juan Island

L116 ‘Finn’ with his mum L82 ‘Kasatka’ in distance

L123 ‘Lazuli’ , our youngest Southern Resident Orca, playful behavior spouting water

L103 ‘Lapis’ with Mount Baker

Playful L123 ‘Lazuli’ breaching

L106 ‘Pooka’ with Turtle Back Mountain beyond False Bay

Lime Kilns of Lime Kiln Point

Spieden Island

Bald Eagle

North side of Spieden Island with reflections

Supper in New Channel

Smith Island Humpback, horned and tufted puffins

By davidhowitt@mac.com September 8, 2017 Sailing with Humpback Whales, Sailing with whales

Sept 8, 2017 – Sailed South through islands cloaked in fog where visibility was minimal and our sense of sound heightened to the chatter of Black Oyster Catchers and the roar of Sea Lions. The sun started to break through as we explored the remote islands south of Lopez. South of Smith Island we met a Humpback whale we’ve met 2 weeks before. Our return via the kelp beds of Smith Island was special for the first time we’ve seen a horned puffin. Spectacular September sunset to round out the day.

WA state ferry in fog

Island cloaked in fog

San Juan Islands draped in fog

Harbor Porpoise

Black Oyster Catcher

Harbor seals shrouded with fog

Steller Sea Lions joust in fog

Whale Rocks Steller Sea Lions joist in fog

Bald Eagle as fog blows through tree tops

Harbor seal – Keep Out

Bald Eagle South Lopez Island

Castle Island

Harbor Seal Coalville Island

Common Murres

Humpback whale fluke

Humpback surfaces amongst Common Murres

Humpback whale near Whidbey Island

Horned Puffin, Smith Island

Tufted Puffin, Smith Island

Immature Tufted Puffin, Smith Island

Smith Island

Calle Point Lighthouse sunset

Calle Point Lighthouse and cormorants sunset

Calle Point Lighthouse, Steller Sea Lions and cormorants at sunset

Cattle Point Lighthouse Sunset

Cormorant colony of Goose Island

Return to Friday Harbor at Sunset

Spike Africa at Sunset in San Juan Channel

WA state ferry Friday Harbor at Sunset

Strange light from forest fires

By davidhowitt@mac.com September 7, 2017 Seasons

September 7th – Strange hazy light from forest fires surrounds our area and the sun barely penetrates. Pinnipeds are hauled out to warm their body temperature. Wildlife search south to Hein Bank found large groups of Murres and active bait balls.

Harbor seal, haze from forest fires

Brandts, Double Crested and Pelagic Cormorants

Resting Harbor Seals

Harbor Seals

Harbor Porpoise at Cattle Point Lighthouse

Steller Sea Lions, Male and female – Whale Rocks San Juan island

Harbor Seal Pup peers out from Kelp

Steller Sea Lion, Harbor Seals, Cattle Point Lighthouse

Harbor Seals grouped at offshore bait ball

Great Blue Heron standing on kelp

Whale Watching Sailing T65As at Boiling Reef

By davidhowitt@mac.com September 3, 2017 Sailing with Transient Orcas, Sailing with whales

September 3, 2017 – A sail with friends up north into Canada on a beautiful day. We shared a picnic fit for a queen en route to Monarch Head to see the transient orca family known as T65A’s. They had been coming down all morning from Georgia Strait until we got there when they turned back from whence they came. They passed very close to Boiling Reef scaring two sea lions (the first to return after their departure end of May). Delicious BBQ, champagne and peaches on the grill to finish off the day.

WA state ferry with Mount Baker

Harbor Seals Hauled out San Juan Islands

White Rock and Point Disney , Cormorants and Harbor seals

Mount Baker sailing down Boundary Pass

Skipjack Island National Wildlife Refuge in the San Juans and Mount Baker

Sailing Passed Monarch Head, Saturna Island

T65A Transient Orcas hunting at Boiling Reef

Transient Orcas T65As

Steller Sea Lions lucky escape after close pass form T65A Transient (Biggs) Orcas

Harbor Seals lucky escape after close pass form T65A Transient (Biggs) Orcas

Transient Orca T65A2 backward swimming while eating

Transient Orcas T65A with T65A2

Transient Orca T65A2 – 13 year old male

Harbor Seal Haul Out San Juan Islands Skipjack National Wildlife Refuge

Harbor Seal resting in Kelp forest

Bare Rock National Wildlife Refuge

Cormorant colony of Bare Rock National Wildlife Refuge

Forest reflections of Presidents Channel, Orcas Island

WA state ferry under full moon in San Juan Channel

8/22/17 Northern Islands of the San Juans

By davidhowitt@mac.com August 22, 2017 Seasons

August 22, 2017 – Fun evening sail where conditions were constantly changing. We sailed to the north on a close-haul to White Rock where the seals sunbathe and gulls and cormorants settle in for the night. Gorgeous evening light illuminated Flattop Island and the array of colors in the brush. Sailed across to the Cactus Islands where we shut down for supper in the most beautiful setting. Glassy seas surrounded us temporarily until we left the stillness of New Channel to cross back towards Jones Island. White caps splashed over the bow as we healed to port in the increasing winds. A brief bit of excitement gliding through the seas tasting the salty spray. We were spoiled with a beautiful sunset as we ventured the narrow channel surrounding Nob Island.

Sailing North from Friday Harbor

North of San Juan Island

White Rock

Harbor Seals Hauled out

White Rock and Waldron Island

Waldron Island

Sailing to Flattop Island In the San Juans

Flattop Island

Bald Eagle

Reefed Main in San Juan Channel

Looking North of the San Juan Islands

Nob Island

Sunset In San Juan Channel

Nob Island

Sunset sail in the San Juan islands

Short sail to Yellow Island

By davidhowitt@mac.com August 22, 2017 Seasons

August 22, 2017 – Beautiful morning sail with a visit to Yellow Island. Drop the anchor and hop aboard the skiff to go ashore. Despite the drought, there were flowers blooming. Harbor seals with their pups resting on the resting to the west while a bald eagle was perched to the east. Light winds guided us back to port.

All Aboard Sailing in the San Juan islands

Ashore on Yellow island

Madrone on Yellow Island

Yellow Island in August

Eagle and seals, Yellow Island

Anchored and ashore with tender at Yellow Island

Looking for wildlife

Harbor seals

Bald Eagle

Nob Island

Circumnavigating Spieden and Stuart Islands

By davidhowitt@mac.com August 21, 2017 Sunset Sailing

August 21, 2017 – Half day evening cruise with overflowing beauty surrounding us. The tiniest little breeze nudged us along as we drifting along the shorelines of our favorite places. We’re finally noticing steller sea lions showing up to the north – once south of Jones Island eating what looked like a dogfish and another splashing in New Channel along the Cactus Islands. The big guys are coming back from their time up north with the ladies. Today began with an incredible solar eclipse and ended with beautiful evening light as we returned to port sipping hot apple cider.

Harbor seals near Nob Island

Harbor seals near Yellow Island

Northern Steller Sea Lion with a dogfish (?)

Northern Steller Sea Lion chomping on his catch

Bald eagle perched on Spieden Island

Bald eagle nest

Bald eagle taking flight

Spieden Island

Stuart Island sanctuary

Lovers Leap, Stuart Island

Turn Point Lighthouse

Hidden beach on Stuart Island

Great blue heron

Sailing towards Lovers Leap

Mt Baker

Bald eagle nest on Stuart Island

Bald eagle

Cormorants on Gull Rock

Bull Kelp

Female harlequin duck

Cactus Island

Harbor seal swimming near the kelp

Harbor seal in sunset reflections

Looking back towards New Channel

Nob Island

Sunset sail via our favorite places

Bald eagle in the sunset

Sunset over our favorite tree

Mt Baker mountain range

Smooth waters as we rounded Friday Harbor

Mt Baker

Solar Eclipse Sail

By davidhowitt@mac.com August 21, 2017 Seasons

August 21, 2017 – Cut the lines and ventured into the beginning of a giant flood tide as the moon began to align with the sun. The light of the sun began to dim with a tint similar to wearing polarized sun glasses. Temperature dropped chilling the air, bird song from the forest and a Canada Goose flew South! We drifted through San Juan Channel and weaved through rocky shorelines of extreme low tide in the wasp islands as their inhabitants of sea birds and seals welcomed back the sun.

Solar Eclipse viewed from Friday Harbor

Barbara watching solar eclipse

Solar Eclipse viewed from Friday Harbor

Bald eagle watching solar eclipse – skies getting darker

Great blue heron walking the shoreline during the solar eclipse

Canada Goose flying south during the solar eclipse

Forested shoreline of San Juan Island

WA State Ferry with Mt Baker

Solar Eclipse

Ancient Murrelets

Harbor seals hauled out high above the water during this extremely low tide

Solar Eclipse

Harbor seal mom and pup

Nob Island

Solar Eclipse

Bald eagle

Harbor porpoise

View towards New Channel

Flattop Island

Harbor seals

Flattop Island

S/V Taurua

Whale watching sailing with T65As in Rosario Strait

By davidhowitt@mac.com August 20, 2017 Sailing with Transient Orcas, Sailing with whales

August 20, 2017 – Leaving the harbor we heard reports of transient orcas, T65A’s, coming down from the north. Plotting a course to intercept the orcas, we took a short cut through the inter-islands, exited Obstruction Pass, and headed north checking out Peapod Rocks. Harbor porpoises played in the tide chop while harbor seals snoozed on the rocks. We hugged the Orcas Island shoreline from Lawrence Pt spotting several bald eagles before crossing over to Barnes and Clark Islands where we met the orcas. They didn’t appear interested in eating as they passed by a steller sea lion, harbor seal haul out sites, and porpoises right within their path without stopping. We travelled down Rosario Strait admiring the islands before the incoming fog socked us in. Using our senses we followed the orcas’ blows in the fog for a bit before crossing back through Peavine Pass where the fog disappeared and the sunset began. Madrone trees at Upright Head, Lopez Island, reflected beautifully in the water.