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
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