Gray Whale CRC1364 in Griffin Bay

May 29, 2021 – Tides are at their biggest a couple days after the full moon plus the moon is currently closer to the earth in her orbit. The exchange is phenomenal and we rode the tail of the ebb passed the low tide exposed beaches of Turn Island, along the Lopez shoreline and out the current bottleneck of Cattle Pass. The tide was turning to flood as we passed the harbor seals and a great blue heron on Deadman Island. Out to Whale Rocks and the Stellers sea lions were boisterous and once again we notice the large number of pups. A bald eagle had taken a position on a low lying rock between the rocks.

We headed out to Salmon Bank and met Grey Whale CRC1364 who was Northbound toward us. With the flood gaining steam the whale came through Cattle Pass at 10 knots. Then branching West along the shoreline to Harbor Rock the whale continued to follow the shallow waters of Griffin Bay. A little before Dinner Island the whale flipped and retraced steps to Cattle Pass. We were watching black oystercatchers dive bombing a bald eagle when the whale caught the flood current stream North half way up the Lopez shoreline at 11 knots. We continued in that fast moving current around Turn Island Rock riding over the upwellings under close hauled sail for a fun exhilarating sail back to Friday Harbor.