San Juan Island Outfitters

Autumn is upon us!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 02:30:00 +0000

Well, the leaves are changing, the air is growing cooler and the sun is setting earlier-- that must mean that fall is here! It's been a great summer of paddling here, and we're not done yet.

Although our regular season ends this weekend, San Juan Outfitters will continue to be available by reservation for both kayaking and whale watch trips through Thanksgiving and maybe later. We will be offering 3-hour, 5-hour and multi-day sea kayak trips along with wildlife/whale watch tours via motor vessel. In addition, we also are available for family tours, birding tours and special occasion charters.

The summer crowds have waned and it's a great time to get out on the water for inividual attention from your guide or naturalist and enjoy the quiet splendor of the San Juans. Come join us!

And the fishing is good...!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:04:00 +0000

Last week I set off on a multi-day trip with some expert fishermen in tow. Although I grew up in Portland, Maine I don't know much about seafood and was happy to soak in what they shared. As we paddled, Cindy and Carl let out some line and occasionally felt some tugs. The most successful spots were right off some beds of bull kelp, and they caught all kinds of rockfish there.
Early on the morning of day two (before the others were up), Carl and I paddled out to the northern tip of Jones and he tried his luck there. The fish that came up were really neat-- big googly eyes, sharp spines along their back and one with sharp teeth! I'm still waiting for the official reports and great pictures of what was caught, but it made for quite an interesting trip.

Although I can't say I'm a converted fisherman now, it was truly something to get a look at all these never-before-seen creatures silently inhabiting the water in which I paddle almost daily!

Steller Sea Lions spotted!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:21:00 +0000

A few times within the past weeks I've spotted a Steller sea lion out on the west side of Henry Island! (At least, I've only ever seen one at a time, so I'm assuming it's a lone creature, but there could be more...) They are easily identified because of their huge size, light flecked coloration and distinct movement. Compared to harbor seals they have a much more elongated face, long whiskers and those external ears are a dead giveaway. Adult male Steller sea lions can weigh about 2 tons-- that's almost four times as much as the females!

These opportunistic carnivores enter the Salish Sea to feed on small sharks, squid, rockfish, salmon, cod, and herring, although they have to be wary as their size makes them a tasty meal for the transient killer whale. Out on the water they are beautiful to watch, albeit from a distance. Their sheer strength and power is clearly visible when they surface and they can swim incredibly fast.

Steller sea lions can be found all over the west coast although most live in Alaska, where their numbers have declined about 80%! One important thing to remember about these sea lions is that they are listed as endangered under the Federal Endangered Species List, and there is intensive research underway to try to understand what is making the population plummet. I've been lucky to see them a few times, and it's always a treat.

A very successful Inn to Inn Trip!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:19:00 +0000

I recently set off on another multi-day trip, but this one wasn't like the last. It was our first Inn to Inn trip, which meant we kayaked by day, but slept in warm and luxurious beds at night!
Darren, Marrin and I set off and spent the day paddling, hiking and generally exploring the area (and also came up with lots of wild ideas as to what was behind a door carved into stone) and then headed over to Orcas Island for the night. From our boats it was a short walk up to the Deer Harbor Inn (their first guests to arrive by kayak!) where instead of camping and cooking dinner, we checked in and had wine, warm soup and bread, steak and lamb for dinner! A night's sleep on what has got to be the world's most comfortable beds followed.
The next day, after being fortified with a tasty breakfast, we set off and paddled leisurely across San Juan Channel towards Roche Harbor. That evening we sat outside, watched the Colors Ceremony as the sun set and enjoyed a few of the Madrona's signature drinks before calling it a night. The next day we paddled out on the west side, and although we were hoping to see whales, we did get a great look at a bald eagle, harbor seals and a Steller sea lion!
This Inn to Inn trip consisted of a few days of kayaking some beautiful stretches of water, picnic lunches on quiet beaches, eating and drinking at fancy restaurants and a wonderful night's sleep at the day's end. A fine idea and a great trip.

Hungry? Try some bull kelp!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:44:00 +0000

Paddling west off San Juan Island there are many places where the current picks up speed and covers the shallow rocky coast with fast moving water. Where those conditions occur is a prime place for bull kelp to take hold and develop. Bull kelp is an incredible organism known for its amazing growth-- 6 to 12 inches a day! Each stipe is attached to the ocean floor by a holdfast, and then grows up towards the surface. As they develop they twist and tangle together creating a complex underwater forest that becomes home and haven for many critters.

Sea urchins slowly move about the rocky bottom chewing away at the holdfasts while crabs can climb up towards the top looking for their meals. Schools of fish dart through, not seeing the great blue heron that perches silently above. Harbor seals find sections of fast moving water and ride the surface currents on their backs and can haul out on top of the floating tubes to rest in the sun. Even whales will check out the kelp beds! Gray whales can enter a forest to escape from predators (transient killer whales) or look for invertebrates, while some killer whales have been seen spinning through the kelp beds. Why? Researchers aren't sure exactly, but guess those whales must like the sensation-- kind of like a car wash for whales!

Bull kelp is an incredibly important organism for the ecosystem in the Puget Sound but did you know humans use this kelp too? All over the west coast of North America bull kelp is harvested for use-- pharmaceuticals use it for chemical extraction, commercial companies turn it into a food additive, the dried stipe can be woven into baskets, and some crazy people eat it raw! Yep, the fronds are pretty tasty and paddling out here in the San Juans there are ample places to grab a bite. Talk about local organic food!

Here's a photo I snapped of two wonderful paddlers trying their first taste of bull kelp---mmmm!

noreply@blogger.com (Margo) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:32:00 +0000

September is my favorite month in the San Juan Islands. The pace slow down a bit and the weather can be quite beautiful, which has been true for this past week.

We had several kayaking trips go out yesterday and today with near perfect conditions; sunny skies and calm seas. This week, guides have seen a ton of wildlife on the kayaks ranging from seals, to baby racoons to killer whales. On our 5-hour tour on Monday saw all 3 pods of orcas, which is called a superpod and is fairly rare to see. A few times a summer, all three pods join together to socialize and mate and this may last a few hours or a few days. But when this happens, there can be close to 90 whales in a relatively small area.

Our whale watching trips have been successful as well. We've been seeing whales consistently (about 90% of the time) although today was a trip in the 10% bracket which did not see whales. But I must say that they still had a wonderful wildlife trip. They saw harbor seals, bald eagles, 2,000 pound Stelllar Sea Lions, harbor porpoise and Dall's porpoise. A porpoise is quite similar to a dolphin, it is a cetacean which m akes it closely related to dolphins and whales but is smaller in size. Harbor porpoise tend to be shy while Dall's Porpoise are more friendly and may ride the bow waves on a boat, so if you are on the bow of the boat, you can look down and see them quite closely. This experience happened today and the guests had a great time.

WHALES!..... just around the corner

noreply@blogger.com (~Noelle~) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 21:38:00 +0000

It is yet another gorgious day here in Roche Harbor! Moderate temperatures, blue skies, and a super-pod just outside the harbor. Our whale watch boat, Sea Hawk, is currently with various members of J,K, and L Pod just north of Battleship island. As Margo mentioned in a previous post, seeing a Super Pod is an absolute treat! Because it is a time to socialize and mate, these orcas display a variety of behaviors that truly are captivating and awe-inspiring. Our 5 hr kayak tour (which circum-navigates Henry Island) is most likely having an incredible viewing experience as the whales are spread out from Lime Kiln State Park to Battleship Island, northbound. Our 3 hr kayak tour is heading north out of the harbor and will rendevous with the whales just on the west side of Henry.
Just another great day in the "office."

noreply@blogger.com (Margo) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:57:00 +0000

It was a good day out on the whale watching boat today. Our dock hand, Nick, got off early and went on our 11:00 AM departure out of Roche Harbor. He returned to the dock pumped about the trip, he said the trip was "fantastic!"

There were rumors that we had a "superpod" which is a treat to be able to see. A superpod occurs when J, K, and L-Pod join together to socialize and mate. In cases like this, there could be close to 90 whales in an fairly small area! What I can confirm is that our trip saw members of J-Pod and L-Pod. From J-Pod, they were able to identify Ruffles, Riptide, Blackberry and they also saw various members of L-Pod. The orcas were viewed right outside the harbor, on the west side of Henry island, so the travel time included was approximately 15 minutes. How convenient! Some interesting behaviors viewed were breaches, spyhopping and foraging. Nick also reported seeing several young calves.

It's started to rain this afternoon but the forecast for the rest of the week looks promising.

Sunset Kayak trips

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:35:00 +0000

Well, with the sun setting earlier and earlier every day, it's time for our evening kayak trips to draw to a close. It's been a great summer full of glorious sunsets, beautiful splashes of color, and of course, Kodak moments. All of our guides have different things they like about the sunset tours-- for example, I like that the water is usually still and relaxing while Blake likes to find harbor porpoise.

Here are some pictures I took of Noelle on her tour last week. Enjoy!

noreply@blogger.com (Margo) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 23:33:00 +0000

Margo writing from the reservation desk and being that it's August, these last few weeks have been quite busy. I just spoke with Tom about his 5-hour kayaking trip today and it sounds as though he had a great time with his 4 guests. He reported that while they were sitting on the beach during lunch, a Red Fox approached them trying to beg or steal food. The foxes around here are quite friendly around people and every once and a while, they may approach very closely. Another cool event that happened was while their group was rounding the northern tip of Henry Island, a bald eagle flew right over the kayaks and swooped down to catch a fish approximately 20 feet from their kayaks.

Another unique sighting happened yesterday on our whale watching vessel out of Roche Harbor. Naturalist Anna reported seeing an Elephant Seal north of Stuart Island. In my 5 years here, I have only seen one Elephant Seal, so that was quite a treat for those guests. Over and out!

Transient Orcas put on a show!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:54:00 +0000

Captain Brian and I set off for a whale watch tour on Monday, heading north to Saturna Island, Canada. Just as we crossed the border and drew near the shores we saw what we'd hoped to find-- the elusive transient orcas (also called killer whales). Here in the San Juan Islands we have two species of killer whales --transients and residents. Although superficially similar, they are two distinct types of animals and differ in diet, behavior, social patterns, size and markings, location and more. The two species never intermingle or interact.

Most often seen in the San Juans are the members of the Southern Resident population (yes, there's a Northern Resident population too!), so named because they have a smaller home range; sticking closely to the west coast during the winter and here in the Puget Sound in the summer. These fish-eating whales spend time in large family groups (called pods) that can number anywhere from 8 to 87 individuals!

The transient orca has a greater range of habitat and they are more unpredictable. They travel in much smaller groups-- 2 to 5 is average-- silently hunting prey like are porpoises, seals, sea lions and even other whales! These whales are found in every sea of the world, from the Caribbean to the Antarctic!

Once we got close to those transients there was so much to see! There was such an array of behaviors displayed that Brian and I were working hard to keep everyone informed as to what each display meant. We saw pectoral fin slaps, tail lobs, porpoising and most spectacular of all was a number of huge belly flop-style breaches! This was especially cool to see as it's a behavior unique to transient orcas (the Southern Residents land on their backs or sides). While at first Brian thought they were hunting (orcas can throw their bodies into the air and slap down like that when they are attacking harbor porpoises), ultimately we didn't define their purpose.

We got some astounding views of these huge mammals before they continued to swim off. We turned the corner with them and got a few more great looks before they headed away. Our last up close glimpse came as one passed right under the boat, turning sideways as it did, allowing me and a few passengers to see all the white markings on it's side and stomach before surfacing a few yards off.

Blue skies, flat seas and thrilling once-in-a-lifetime displays by some elusive whales. What an unbelievable day!

Rain, Wind, Sun and Repeat

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:52:00 +0000

The weather was pretty crazy yesterday, with us experiencing everything from a hard downpour to a sunny warm breeze and lots of changes in between. It made for a wet day for all and I started off on a special 5 hour tour yesterday afternoon with some adventurous folks from Wisconsin. They braved the damp cold to paddle out and I'm glad they did as blue skies and sunny days are wonderful, but there's nothing like paddling around the islands when they're shrouded in mist and everything is gray and quiet.

As we rounded Kellett Bluffs the water was like glass and we could just make out Vancouver Island. While were admiring the open expanse, one of my guests saw something moving and diving. Once we got some good views I could tell it was a pair (or more) of harbor porpoises. These shy creatures were surfacing back and forth in the waters around the steep cliffs and seemed to be feeding. Harbor porpoises eat lots of different types of fish including herring (which we have a lot of here in the Sound). Their dives would bring them up in a new place each time, so we scanned the calm water and listened for their loud breaths. It was a pretty special sight to see and hear them so close!

As we were sitting there with them we saw some beautiful color appear over San Juan Island. Not only were we looking at a double rainbow, but one was also was also a supernumerary rainbow (a rainbow with additional color bands on the inside).

We paddled towards the end of the rainbow and then into the harbor for some warm drinks. I consider hot chocolate worth its weight in gold anyways!

Transient Orcas and Dall's Porpoise

noreply@blogger.com (Margo) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:55:00 +0000

I worked as a naturalist on the whale watching boat yesterday for the first time in a while and it was great to get out on the water again and in addition, we had quite an exciting trip! At the point of departure at 11:00, we had reports of Resident Orcas up north near the city of Vancouver and Transient Orcas were spotted near Trial Island which is close to the city of Victoria, Canada. We decided to go for the Transient Orcas as they were headed towards us and we don't get as many opportunities to see the Transients as they are more erradic in their movements and behavior and typically come in and out of the area, hence the name "Transient". We made the right choice because by the time we got out into Haro Strait, they had moved quite a distance closer and we were able to spend a lot of time with them. There was a large male in the group identified as T-20 whose dorsal fin is roughly 6 feet tall with a notch towards the top which is how we were able to identify him. There were likely 9 total whales traveling in the group of Transients. While watching the whales, there is a high chance that we saw them make a kill, likely a Dall's porpoise which is one of the reasons they come into this area. The Transients are marine mammal eaters and in the islands, they typically feed on Harbor seals, Dall's Porpoise, and Harbor Porpoise. We saw quite a bit of splashing and erradic movements and then saw T-20 (large male) do two side ways rolls and we saw his white belly. Very cool! On the way back, we saw Harbor Seals and a bald Eagle as well as other marine birds.

A windy-- but sunny-- adventure!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:04:00 +0000

Noelle and I spent the last two days paddling with Frank, Gabbie and Debbie who had traveled up to the San Juan Islands for a wildlife filled adventure. Highlights were getting up close and personal with a few harbor seals and being rewarded with a few passes of a Bald Eagle directly above our kayaks.

We spent the evening hiking, exploring the rocky beaches, photographing some beautiful scenery and taking advantage of an open space and throwing a Frisbee around! Debbie got some great pictures of the sunset on the western side of the island while I woke up early to greet the dawn looking east. (see above picture)

After a warm breakfast we packed up camp and made our way to the beach to set off for our next leg of the journey. It took us a while to get the timer right, but I think this shot captures the smiles and energy of our trip. (From left: Frank, Debbie, Noelle, Gabbie and me) After a windy night we were all happy to be warmed by the sun again!

We paddled for a few hours and then stopped on Posey Island for a delicious lunch and last chance to throw the Frisbee before finishing our trip in Roche Harbor.

Overnight Expedition to Jones Island

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:44:00 +0000

Last week I accompanied Blake and a family from New York out on an overnight expedition to Jones Island. We were fortunate for great weather (even if it was pretty windy at times) and calm seas.

Heading out of Friday Harbor we moved north until we were in the Wasp Islands. First stopping on Yellow Island we chatted with the steward, stretched our legs, examined local fauna and studied some gorgeous seals from shore. Yellow Island is owned and protected by The Nature Conservancy, which is conducting extensive ecological research on the island. The island is prized (especially in springtime) for its incredible abundance and variety of wildflowers.

After a lunch break we got to our destination for the night-- Jones. We set up camp on the western shore, hiked around and explored for a bit, then settled in for a delicious dinner. The sunset that night was near perfect.

After pushing out the next morning we set off for the northeastern corner of San Juan Island, where we stopped for lunch before continuing out trek over to Roche Harbor where we ended our journey.

We feasted, we paddled, we hiked, we explored-- all in all, a gorgeous trip!

Sunshine & Seals

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 23:41:00 +0000

I paddled out on a 5 hour tour today with Martin, Tina, Jerome and Stan. We were on the hunt for whales and even though we didn't see any, we were rewarded with great Bald Eagle and harbor seal sightings. Paddling down the west side of Henry Island, we saw many mothers with pups and two males slapping the water and fighting. The other night when I saw that behavior I wasn't sure what I was looking at but after talking with other naturalists, I learned what that meant.
It turns out, male harbor seals are territorial and they exhibit a few different behaviors to challenge each other. First they'll go back and forth slapping the surface of the water, then they'll progress to grunting and roaring, and if that isn't enough for one to assert dominance, they'll begin to fight--biting, snarling and wrestling with each other. It was great to see that show for a second time-- especially now that I'm informed!

Having planned it right with the tides, we then rode the current all the way around and landed on a sunny pebble beach on the south side of Little Henry. Eating lunch on the beach with wide open views of the Olympic Mountain range was like having the best seat in the house!

J-Pod and members of L-Pod

noreply@blogger.com (Margo) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:09:00 +0000

I just got off the phone with Captain Brian who has just returned to Roche Harbor from his 11:00 whale watching trip. He said it was amazing! He reported that J-Pod and about 15-20 members of L-Pod were traveling south through Boundary Pass from Canada. By the time our trip went out, the whales were right outside of the harbor in Haro Strait. Captain Brian and Naturalist Kendall as well as their guests viewed the whales traveling south and had some up close and personal looks at the whales which is quite special and is something that cannot be planned for. It is a guideline for all boats to stay 100 yards away but in this situation, Captain Brian had situated himself at that distance but while the boat's engine was shut down, the whales had changed direction and headed right towards the boat. At that point, the whales became too close for Brian to turn back on his engine to move out of the way, so they had whales swimming underneath and around the boat. They were even able to see a female orca named Princess Angeline (J-17) and Brian and Kendall observed that she appeared pregnant so they contacted the Center for Whale Reserach and the Center had the same observation. We don't know for sure but we will find out in due time. For your information, the gestation period of an orca is 16-17 months.

Sunset from Posey

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:29:00 +0000

I think sunset trips are my favorite time of day to paddle! Tonight I ventured out with Crystal, Will and Jared from Santa Barbara, CA. It was a gorgeous day with blue skies and as the sun started to descend we headed over to Posey Island for a quick break and an opportunity to stretch our legs. With a brief nod to the other kayakers camped out there, we walked around and checked out the very small island. Jared was the first to discover the mother and two fawns (Columbia Black-tailed deer) present, while Will and Crystal took in the evening.

After the variable weather this week, it was a pleasure to see the sun set in all its glory!

Harbor Seals Abound!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:12:00 +0000

Last night I headed out of Friday Harbor with Madeline, Henry, Karina and Eric. We were fortunate to see some great views of Bald eagles and auklets among other sea birds, but the highlight of the trip came when we rounded Turn Island and started seeing a good number of harbor seals. We were excited to see all sorts of seals including mothers and pups that surfaced to check out our kayaks up close. As we paddled along we saw some splashing right next to Karina and Eric's boat and while at first I thought it was common male behavior, it soon proved otherwise. After a few minutes of observation we realized we were seeing two male seals physically fighting with each other-- growling, biting, grunting, splashing and wrestling! I've never seen such intense interaction between harbor seals, and certainly never that close!

It was an incredible view, and we all were pretty excited to have been able to witness it from our kayaks!

noreply@blogger.com (Margo) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 23:29:00 +0000

We've had great success this week on our whale watching trips. For the most part, the whales have been traveling in and through Haro Strait which is quite convenient as our whale watching boat departs out of Roche Harbor daily and is located on the West Side of San Juan Island. We are just minutes from Haro Strait which means that we haven't had to travel too far.

Our kayaking trips have also had some success seeing the whales. Just a few evenings ago our 6:00 sunset trip was able to see the whales and yesterday, our afternoon trips were also able to see the whales from the kayaks. They have also been seeing Harbor Seals, Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, and other marine life.

Weather has also pick-up over the past few days. We had a few days with foul weather but yesterday and today have had blue skies and warm temperatures. August typically has very nice weather so let's hope for the best this month.

noreply@blogger.com (Margo) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:37:00 +0000

I just spoke with Captain Brian and Naturalist Kendall after their 11:00 AM whale watching trip. They reported this trip as "amazing" and with "excellent views of the killer whales". When they departed at 11:00, the orca whales (J-pod and a sub-group of L-pod) were quite a distance away but as the trip progressed, the whales moved towards our location and it didn't take the boat long to reach them. They said the seas were a little rough today but it was such a great trip, it didn't matter. They saw the J-Pod and a sub-group of L-Pod in N.E. Baines Channel in resting mode which is quite the treat. Typically, when the whales are in resting mode, the entire pod groups up together, very closely, and begin to swim together very slowly and in a syncronized manner. In order for the whales to rest, half of their brain "sleeps" or goes into resting mode while the other half stays awake in order to continue surfacing to breath and to continue traveling slowly. It's a great opportunity to see a lot of whales in a small area. Very cool!

J-Pod at Hannah Heights

noreply@blogger.com (Margo) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:02:00 +0000

Captain Brian just called into the reservation desk to report on his whale watching trip today. It sounds as though Captain Brian and Naturalist Kendall had a really fantastic trip. Brian reported that the seas were flat and calm and I can add that the sun is shining! The day started off with serious fog though which could've hindered the trip. Luckily, it burned off with the afternoon heat and Brian was able to navigate down the west side of San Juan Island to an area called Hannah Heights which is just south of the Lime Kiln Lighthouse. It was just our boat, the Seahawk, with the J-16 sub group of J-Pod. This group includes the newest calf in J-pod, J-42. It sounds as though they saw breaching and other playful behavior. Another successful trip!

Our kayaking trips have also had some interesting and fun experiences today. According to one of our guides, Noelle, her guests saw an orange ochre sea star which is not seen very often. They also saw a raccoon on a local island and had some great looks at a few bald eagles.

Summer weather has arrived...

noreply@blogger.com (Margo) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:14:00 +0000

The weather this week has been beautiful as well as comfortable. That is one of the many aspects of San Juan Island that I love. We are in a rainshadow, so we don't get much rain; probably under 20 inches per year. Also, in the summer months of July and August the temperature is usually in the 70's or 80's. In addition to the great weather, we have had great success on our kayaking and whale watching trips. Our boat trips have been consistently seeing the whales as now is a great time to view them. A few of our kayaking trips have also had the oppurtunity to see the whales because the typical route of the orcas runs right outside of Roche Harbor. Other kayaking trips have been seeing seal pups, bald eagles, and even a fox on the beach. We are really in a prime spot to see a great variety of wildlife.

Bait Balls Galore!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:24:00 +0000

I paddled out on our six o'clock sunset tour the other day and was rewarded with excellent animal sightings!
As we paddled south by Henry Island we saw a few large tight groups of gulls screaming, whirling and diving into the water. It was a bait ball! As we drew close Rhinocerous Auklets and a few types of cormorants started to surface nearby, as well as some seals. They were working together underwater to surround and herd those schools of fish up towards the surface where the gulls were attacking. We sat and observed them for a few minutes, comparing the calm and still evening to the frenetic action of the birds. It was a gorgeous evening to be out on the water.

J-Pod Boogy at Kellet Bluff

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:22:00 +0000

Yesterday's 5 hour trip included myself, a school teacher from Spokane and our dockhand Nick(a.k.a Biscuit). We left the docks at Roche and headed up Mosquito Pass, quickly earning our lunch with a flood tide and a stiff Southwesterly leaning against us..

On our approach to Kellet bluff we were passed by a handful of Northbound Orcas from the J-Pod. We were treated to a few tail slaps , a breach, and several instances where we held our breath as Orcas swam toward us, only to submerge and turn before reaching us. As the last members passed we shot through the tidal race around Kellet, emerging on the other side with 3 grins that, if placed side by side, would have nearly reached Victoria.

While riding the flood tide down the West side of Henry Island, we encountered numerous adult seals and their pups. Some pups were riding piggy back atop their mothers, a few were sunning in pairs on the rocks, and one solitary seal snoozed belly-up in the kelp bed. We lunched and skipped rocks at Half-Moon Bay, then continued down the coast, spotting a perched Bald Eagle at McCracken Point. We concluded our trip paddling through the calm waters between Posey and Pearl islands.

The trip was, in the end, just another epic day in paradise.