Sunset sail to the South

June 7, 2021 – Our afternoon sail once more took us South. The tide was high and Turn Island’s neighbor was its own island. We sailed through the pass soaking up the tranquil beauty of the late day warm colors and catching the breeze to head towards Lopez. A Pacific loon was in the Bay North of Kings Point. Drifting through Deadman Island on the beginning of the ebb was truly a magical land. A group of eight black oystercatchers cheered loudly while flying as a posse over the islands. A pair of eagles on the rocks called with a pair in a tree above. Whale rocks and the Steller sea lions are busy jousting with quarrels and the many pups joined in rambunctious fun. Running out to Salmon Bank to an active group of Rhincerous auklets and other diving birds and a Minke surfaced. There seemed to be 2 and they made wide circles over the bank. Tricky viewing and I missed most photos but we did have a few good sightings as they meandered both sides of the bank. Chocolate Truffle cheesecake before we headed for port hugging the shoreline to escape the ebb and seeing the cormorant rookery of Goose Island which is now busy with nesting Brandts, Pelagic and Double-crested cormorants. The sunset as we neared Friday Harbor and the view of Mount Baker’s fresh sunlit snow was a scene from Tolkien.