All Aboard Sailing

A perfect full day sail including two minkes and Dalls porpoise

October 10, 2019 – Ten plus Bald Eagles, four River Otters – one eating a flounder, two Minke whales, a juvenile Northern Harrier, a fallow buck groaning and quite a number of Dall’s Porpoise including some hybrids (Harbor Porpoise father with Dall’s Porpoise mother), and steller sea lions are among the animals we saw today.
Seas were mirror calm as we left the harbor but increased to light Northerlies as we cleared Spring Pass towards Flattop Island. We were able to drift and sail in silence as the Minke whales travelled West from Point Disney and foraged at bait balls they encountered. We drifted through the kelp forests from the Aspen covered Ripple Island and between the Cactus islands. We were able to enjoy warming in the sunshine ourselves as we drifted the Southern shoreline of Spieden Island listening to groaning mating calls of Fallow bucks while watching river otters. A delightful Fall sail in the San Juan Islands.

Route Map 10-10-19

Bald eagle

Harbor seals near Jones Island

Another bald eagle

Black tailed deer, Jones Island

Bald eagle with nest on Flattop Island

Harbor seals, Flattop Island

Dalls Porpoise with hybrid calf (Dalls porpoise mother and harbor porpoise father)

Another Dalls Porpoise with hybrid calf in the distance

Dalls Porpoise

Dalls porpoise with juvenile

Pacific loons

Minke whale near Waldron Island (minke #1)

Minke whale and tanker in the background

Minke whale #2

Minke whale #2

Minke whale #2 – Dorsal fin

Minke whale #1

Minke whale #1

Minke whale #1 – Dorsal fin

Sailing with minke whales

Minke whale lunge feeding

Minke whale #1 coming our way

Minke whale, Pt Disney and Mt Baker

Trees on Ripple Island changing for fall

Large group of harbor seals hanging out near Ripple Island

Sailing close to Bull Kelp forests

Great Blue Heron

Pair of bald eagles watching us

Pair of bald eagles, Spieden Island

Harbor seals in the shade on Spieden Island

Bald eagle on dead tree top

We believe this to be a Juvenile Northern Harrier

Bald eagle on Spieden Island

Sika Deer, Spieden Island

Nursing fallow deer on Spieden Island

Fallow deer on Spieden Island

Mouflon Ram with sheep on Spieden Island

Mouflon Ram leading his sheep Spieden Island

Mouflon Ram looking regal on Spieden Island

Fallow buck

Fallow buck groaning

River otter with flounder

River otter eating something – maybe an eel?

Four river otters on Spieden Island – two eating a snack

Another Fallow buck groaning

River otters running in the grass

Steller sea lions on Green Pt, Spieden Island

Harlequin ducks

Sailing through Nob Island Pass

Friday Harbor and the WA State Ferry and Olympic Mountains

Mt Baker