Continuing with the fantastic weather theme of this southbound cruise from Sitka to Seattle, we enjoyed another idyllic, sunny day in the charming coastal town of Friday Harbor. Many pleasure boats docked at the marina and a seafood market was busy selling Dungeness crabs and fish. Known as the gateway to the San Juan Islands, we walked around Friday Harbor’s streets, visiting small colorful shops, and the historic whale museum. We learned about the stresses on orca populations and several guests commented on how fortunate we have been in seeing these remarkable animals among the many other incredible opportunities we have had the last 2 weeks. We returned to cruising the calm, glassy waters of Puget Sound searching for wildlife. We spotted harbor seals resting on the alga covered rocks and rhinoceros auklets (also called unicorn puffins) were seen diving into the water as the vessel approached. The expedition leader Rab Cummings and Captain Thomas Morin shared their final thoughts summarizing what a remarkable journey we have experienced together.
9/16/2022
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National Geographic Quest
San Juan Islands - Washington
We spent our final day in the San Juan Islands, a beautiful archipelago wedged between Washington State and the south end of Vancouver Island. We began the day by docking in Friday Harbor to clear U.S. Customs before exploring the small town that has become famous across the world for its iconic whale watching. Over the last couple of decades, the resident southern orca whales that have come to define this place have shrunk in numbers due to a variety of factors, including overfishing, climate change, and depleted salmon habitats. Hard-working people at the Whale Research Center and the nearby whale museum are working hard to educate the public and enact laws to protect salmon habitats and provide more space for the orcas among the boat traffic and people that love them so much. Many of us took the opportunity to visit the whale museum near the dock, where the life histories and family trees of these amazing animals have been meticulously documented for decades. In the afternoon, we cruised a short distance north to Jones Island, a marine state park with a maze of trails and campsites framed by a gorgeous forest of cedar, fir, and madrone trees. To cap off our two-week excursion through the Inside Passage, we sailed through the last of the San Juan Islands while an epic sunset bid us farewell.
