August 6th 2019 – North today and surprised to see many harbor seals on the beach of the West spit of Yellow Island. Wing on wing into New Channel and a Barbara spotted a Peregrine Falcon. T65A2 male Orca was traveling alone, coming through Pole Pass this morning and had circled Start Island when we met him coming in towards the Cactus islands. He surfaced in the middle of the kelp forest and appeared to be hunting though we didn’t see any evidence of success. We did see a harbor seal with a pup and the mum made loud splashes at the surface which we guesses where to deter his approach. He circled Ripple Island and once again moved West on the North side of Johns Island.
We left him to continue North as we had heard the T18s were coming down Georgia Strait fro Portlier Pass. So after watching the bald eagles at the Cactus Islands we sailed to Skipjack Island and on to Eastpoint. We met the T18s as they came through Boiling Reef and headed towards Narvez Bay, Monarch Head and Java Rocks. These are all special places to watch this magnificent family of Biggs Orcas. We crossed Boundary Pass together leaving them as they headed for Turn Point and we had our supper near Ripple Island.
Flattop in the evening light and a fast close-hauled sunset sail down San Juan Channel made this a perfect sailing with whales day.
Route Map 8-6-19
Harbor seals on the beach West spit of Yellow Island
Wing on wing sail to Green Point
2 Bald Eagles in the forest of Spieden Island
Peregrine Falcon Spieden Island
T65A2 passes Johns Island into New Channel alone
Harbor seal and pup watch T65A2
Harbor seal with pup reacts to passing Transient Orca T65A2
Harbor seal with pup reacts to passing Transient Orca T65A2
T65A2 surface in kelp forest of Cactus Islands
T65A2 New Channel
T65A2 with a small private boat
Immature Bald Eagle Cactus islands
T65A2 with Point Disney, Waldron island in distance
Bald eagles Cactus Islands
Skipjack Island with Mount Baker
Immature Bald Eagle on Old growth tree, Skipjack Island
Harbor seal haul out Skipjack Island
T19B Galliano, who we know as Mr.Floppy Fin, passes the Fog Horn Museum of Saturna Island
T19B Saturna Island
T19C, Saturna Island
T18s travel Saturna island shoreline towards Monarch Head
T19B with heart shaped blow, Narvez Bay
T19C Saturna Island
T18s hunting at Java Rocks
T19B trailing kelp on dorsal fin at Java Rocks
T19B hunting at Java Rocks and watched by eagles on rocks
T19B trailing kelp on dorsal fin at Java Rocks
T18 with Skipjack Island and Mount Baker
T19C and T18 head towards Turn Point
Bald eagle on Ripple Island National Wildlife Refuge sign
Flattop Island
Little McConnel
Close Hauled sunset sail
Close Hauled sunset sail
San Juan Island sunset sail