San Juan Islands Sea Kayaking from Anacortes

Julia and Monica just called in to tell us that they just had one of their favorite all-time whale watching experiences just a little while ago. While they were relaxing in the shade with their guests they witnessed both J-Pod and K-pod as they swam down Bellingham Channel, coming to within 50 feet of shore! Monica told me that there was an incredible amount of breaching, tail-slapping, and pectoral slapping going on. The view from shore was awesome, better even than from a kayak according to Julia. And she should know, after getting "mugged" by the whales just a few days ago while out on another trip. To make things even better, after the 20-30 minute whale show was over and everyone was headed back to their favorite shady spot, a lone female came racing back to the north, her full body coming out of the water and only 10 feet from the shore. She rounded the north end of Cypress Head and went into the small bay that our kayaks were beached near. The reason for this strange behavior became clear as a small baby whale surfaced ahead of her. Apparently the baby had strayed away and the mother had to come back to fetch the wayward calf. They grouped up and continued back south to rejoin the rest of the family.

In other news, this heat wave has been outrageous! We've been feeling 90+ degree weather for the last several days. I can say from direct experience that it would be a lot better to be out in a kayak right now. As the saying goes, "I'd rather be upside down in my kayak than right side up at my desk".