Maxx K. | M/V Osprey | 07/02/2021 | 5:30pm
Osprey slowly turned southbound out of Friday Harbor as the sun set behind San Juan Island off our stern. We motored down the San Juan Channel and eventually stopped at the Whale Rocks off cattle point. Harbor seals seemed to cuddle with one another just above the water’s edge, maintaining that quintessential banana shaped posture as they balanced against the incoming swell. Steller sea lions rested just behind them, their robust beige bodies remonescent of sleeping bears. Considering a fully grown Steller male could weigh upwards of 2,400 lbs, I truly think of them almost like aquatic grizzlys.
We continued down and around Lopez Island having heard rumors of Bigg’s Killer Whales ahead of us, swiftly moving towards Deception Pass. When we arrived on scene they were zig zagging eastward towards deception, first appearing off our port and next off our stern.
These were the same whales we had witnessed this morning, T077C (“Neftali”) and T077D (“Alcyon”), two teenage siblings that had split away from their mother and had been traveling together for quite some time. I like to imagine they were rebels, taking some time away from the rest of the family to explore the Salish on their own. We watched them for almost a half hour and waved them goodbye once we reached Whidbey Island.
The journey back home was beautiful, the final golden hour of sunlight beaming down upon a boatful of happy and satisfied guests. We tied up to the dock at 9:30, completing another long but incredible day out at sea.