Orcas Island Eclipse Charters

I decide rather quickly to run back down the mountain and pick up a few items at the Orcas Ferry Landing Store. I see my old friend, the Orca Express ready to take off for a whale watching cruise. Suddenly, Denise, the owner asks if I want to go and I say, yes without one second of hesitation. She tells me to get my car and park in on the docking area and I can pay later. She lets her husband, Captain Dan know and he holds the departure for me.

I have gone on their whale watching boat numerous times, maybe about 8 times now They always remember me and Dan asks, "where have you been"? I was wondering if you were going to show this year. He is an Albin fan, to boot, so that makes him special in my eyes.

This is one very well equipped boat. It doesn't matter that I don't have gloves, hat, coat, or binoculars. They have them for all their guests. I don gloves and hat, while my pullover will be fine. The wind is crisp and the sun is out in all her glory. He heads out east around Shaw Island and then points the bow towards Cattle Point Light House and into the Straits of Juan de Fuca we go. I'm back in the straits again, thinking of the Lady Washington, as it was just 3 weeks ago that we set sail from Port Townsend. This time we are on the north side of the straits heading northwest and hopeful the whales will still be in the area.

It is slow sighting in the beginning, but the show begins to pick up with J-pod, the local pod, displaying they are still around and having fun. Deb is the naturalist on board and can recognize even the littlest--J45 being born this past February. She is with her mother, her 2 brothers and they all descend from Granny who is 98 years old this year.There is tail slapping, spy hopping, breaching and a new sight for me. A young, male surfaces very close swimming on his back revealing his generative organ to us all. A flashing orca whale.The whales swim towards us surfacing numerous times and then swim barely underwater so we can see where they are located and rise to the surface right in front of us. This happens numerous times. What a privilege to get to see these magnificent creatures. After a great afternoon we begin our journey back to Orcas Island.

We stop at Whale Rocks, inside of Cattle Point, to see all the Stellar Sea Lions stacked on top of each other. I make the run home in the pilot house talking with Captain Dan until we arrive back at Orcas at 1600hrs. What a great opportunity, as I thought yesterday they were probably shut down for the season.

If you ever visit Orcas Island you must take a trip on the Orca Express. See link below. http://www.orcasislandwhales.com/

Total run 35nm