Our trip this morning took us up to Canadian waters again.  It’s a big weekend in this corner of the Pacific Northwest, with Canada Day celebrated on July 1st and the 4th of July celebrated on…yes, July 4th!  The Southern Resident Killer Whales were joining in the celebrations on both sides of the border!?

We joined J Pod members up by Saturna Island and cruised the north side of the border in Boundary Pass.  J-33, Keet and his recent “buddy whale”, J-8, Spieden, were together again.  Then up the center of Boundary Pass came the J-19 group, racing toward Turn Point on the U.S. side.  The water was flat, and the sun made an appearance.  What a beautiful time out in the water that touches the shores of Canada and the U.S. and allows wildlife duel citizenship.

On our way back to Friday Harbor we got some great looks at Harbor seals and Eagles in and around the Cactus Islands.

Our afternoon trip took us north again, but not across the border.  By this time the members of J Pod and a few K Pod whales had continued their journey to the west side of San Juan Island.  The water was a little more challenging with waves and spray, but we found some females and two fairly small calves heading south along the shore.  The calves gave us a few good tail slaps, visible in the cresting waves.  The further south we got, the more the water calmed down, and we got excellent looks at a dramatic male fin cutting through the water and an accompanying female.  Could it be K-21 and K-40 traveling along together?  It was one of those times when no opportunities occured to see the saddle patch…..a lot of cruising with his majestic fin above the water, but the saddle area, right below!  Gotta love the mystery!

We had a nice cruise by Long Island, saw Harbor seals on the shore of Whale Rocks and Cormorants perched up at the top.

Some musician said it….”It was a lovely cruise!”

~Nan