Wow, did we cover a lot of water today! We had sunshine above and beautiful weather as we pulled out of Roche Harbor on our whale watch, but had some decisions to make regarding which direction to head today. We decided to seek out some whale activity that had been reported to the south of Orcas Island, so off we cruised. The ever-majestic bald eagles soared overhead, allowing us to see their massive 6-foot wingspan in all of its glory. Maybe they're getting excited for the Fourth of July too? No better place to spend it than San Juan Island!
It's rare for us to be able to circumnavigate Orcas Island, which is exactly what we got to do today! We saw a plethora of islands that we don't always get to see, and we kept pinching ourselves to remind us that this place is real. What a treat to have it in the backyard of the Pacific Northwest. We zoomed on by Shaw Island, the smallest of the four islands that are serviced by the Washington State Ferry system. After squeezing by Obstruction Island, we were greeted by sweeping views of Cypress Island and...how amazing...a beautiful humpback whale! This massive mammal was happily cruising north, moving at its own pace, which generally varies between 3 and 8 miles per hour, depending on its activity. We were delighted by several beautiful displays of its tail flukes and a reminder of the massive lung caacity of these whales each time it took a breath. Those exhalations are a beautiful sight to behold!
We stayed and watched this humpback for a while before resuming our circumnavigation of Orcas Island. The island show kept on rolling, with magnificent views of Matia, Sucia, Waldron, Spieden...check, check, check. We were soaking it all in today. A few harbor seals poked their heads above the surface of the water as we cruised back towards the habor. It was another awe-inspiring day out on the Salish Sea - I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow!