T101s at Tumbo Island

August 17, 2018 – We headed North on news of the T101s, Transient Orcas, heading North in Rosario Strait. We crossed San Juan Channel, inside of Yellow Island to Spring Pass and crossing Presidents Channel to Waldron Island. We sailed close to the shoreline of Waldron Island and then headed towards Patos island. We changed course with news that the T101s were moving quickly and headed for Eastpoint and Boiling Reef. We met brothers T101A and T101B as they approached Tumbo Island. Great views as they swam close to the forested shoreline and checked out the Harbor Seals on the rocky Islets. Some Harbor Seals scurried to higher places on the rocks while others were grouped in the shallows . We left them heading for the Belle Chain Islands and we circumnavigated Tumbo with its beautiful honeycombed sandstone southern shoreline. Great Blue Heron and lots of Belted Kingfishers were here today. We came out of Tumbo Channel to Boiling Reef with its large number of resting Harbor Seals and then had a great sail across Boundary Pass to Skipjack National Wildlife Refuge. Harbor Seals lay on the rocky ledges below the cliffs of Skipjack and Bald Eagles watched the tide go by. We circled the Island and passed by the Kelp forests to Bare Rock and then crossed Presidents Channel to the steep forested shoreline of Orcas Island. The old growth forest was lit by the late afternoon sun opening into wide sunset views to the West as we rode the current South. A good close hauled sail down San Juan Channel as the sun set behind us.