June 24, 2021 – Great winds for sailing south after leaving Friday Harbor. Tacked back and forth down the channel and rounded Cape San Juan passing Goose Island and Cattle Point Lighthouse. We had intentions of looking for minke whales on Salmon Bank, but when a report came in of orcas moving northeast from Eastern Bank we decided to make tracks that direction. The orcas stalled out on Hein Bank and we got there in time to see them socializing in what we usually refer to as a “cuddle puddle”. Tight cluster of whales with their rostrums poking up above the water with very tactile behavior. We quickly identified the orcas as the T36’s, T77C and T77D, T125A and T128. T36B’s youngest offspring, T36B3, was ridiculously cute with multiple tail slaps flicking water high into the air. After their fun and games the orcas grouped up and began traveling Northeast in the direction of home allowing us to continue viewing the orcas for a bit longer before breaking off to check out the Steller sea lions on Whale Rocks.
Turn Island State Park
Mt Baker
Olympic Mountains
Big Rock, Lopez Island
Olympic Mountains and fog bank
Olympic Mountains and fog bank
Harbor seals and Cattle Pt Lighthouse
Harbor seals hauled out by Goose Island
Nesting cormorants on Goose Island
Nesting cormorants on Goose Island
Cattle Pt Lighthouse, San Juan Island
T36B3
Orcas with Mt Rainier
Male orca T125A
Male orca T125A with Center for Whale Research
Male orca T125A with Center for Whale Research
T36B3 belly
T36B3 tail slapping
T36B3, born 2018
T36B3 tail slapping
T36B3 tail slapping
Orcas surfacing in unison
T77C with injury forward of dorsal fin
Either T125A or T128 with Olympic Mountains
Male orca T128
Male orca T125A
T36B2
T128 with Hein Bank marker
Orca cuddle puddle
Orca cuddle puddle
Orca cuddle puddle
Orca spy peep
Orca spy peep
Orca cuddles
Orca spy peep
Bite in the tail flukes
Orcas with Mt Baker
T36 tail slap
T36’s, T77C & T77D traveling towards San Juan
T36’s, T77C & T77D traveling towards San Juan
T36’s, T77C & T77D traveling towards San Juan
Steller sea lions on Whale Rocks
Steller sea lions on Whale Rocks
Canadian naval ship near Friday Harbor in US waters
Route Map 6-24-21-am