Our morning started west of San Juan Island in Haro Strait. Dall's porpoises flashed black and white near our ship. These striking animals are thick and stocky and can weigh over 400 pounds. After cruising through turbulent, boiling tidal currents at Cattle Point, we made our way to Turn Island County Park for a hike. Tall Douglas-fir and reddish-barked madrone trees lined the trails. One hiking group even encountered a raccoon. During lunch we sailed into Friday Harbor.
Masts, stays, and halyards add a nautical flavor to anyone's ocean side view of Friday Harbor, a delightful town located on San Juan Island. These docks usually have over 350 boats awaiting their owners. Here is a place many people fall in love with and stay. It's difficult to not sound like a chamber of commerce advertisement when describing this place. Ferry service can transport you here in 2 hours from Anacortes on the mainland. The island is about 7 miles wide and 15 miles long (55 square miles), has 70 miles of waterfront, several small lakes, 122 acres of county parks, and a National Historic Park that preserves and protects land involved in the Pig War. The weather here seems ideal for the Pacific Northwest. The average temperature is 49 degrees with many years never dropping below freezing. If you are not a lover of constant rain and drizzle, the San Juans, as they are called, have only 15 to 35 inches of rain per year with fewer than 80 days of measurable precipitation.
In the photo above, the building in the center of the skyline is the whale museum and has a killer whale painting on it. San Juan Island frequently has killer whales in the surrounding waters often ambushing salmon that are headed for the Fraser River. Because of the thrill of seeing killer whales in the area, many townsfolk have supported this fine museum.
After our visit to Friday Harbor, we returned to Haro Strait to find our thrill. About 20 members of "L" pod foraged near us. We listened to their vocalizations on our hydrophone, and they probably heard our squeals of delight as they swam under our ship. Their breaching, slapping, and spy-hopping were the perfect end to a busy and glorious day.
Masts, stays, and halyards add a nautical flavor to anyone's ocean side view of Friday Harbor, a delightful town located on San Juan Island. These docks usually have over 350 boats awaiting their owners. Here is a place many people fall in love with and stay. It's difficult to not sound like a chamber of commerce advertisement when describing this place. Ferry service can transport you here in 2 hours from Anacortes on the mainland. The island is about 7 miles wide and 15 miles long (55 square miles), has 70 miles of waterfront, several small lakes, 122 acres of county parks, and a National Historic Park that preserves and protects land involved in the Pig War. The weather here seems ideal for the Pacific Northwest. The average temperature is 49 degrees with many years never dropping below freezing. If you are not a lover of constant rain and drizzle, the San Juans, as they are called, have only 15 to 35 inches of rain per year with fewer than 80 days of measurable precipitation.
In the photo above, the building in the center of the skyline is the whale museum and has a killer whale painting on it. San Juan Island frequently has killer whales in the surrounding waters often ambushing salmon that are headed for the Fraser River. Because of the thrill of seeing killer whales in the area, many townsfolk have supported this fine museum.
After our visit to Friday Harbor, we returned to Haro Strait to find our thrill. About 20 members of "L" pod foraged near us. We listened to their vocalizations on our hydrophone, and they probably heard our squeals of delight as they swam under our ship. Their breaching, slapping, and spy-hopping were the perfect end to a busy and glorious day.
