The much awaited ferry ride to Friday Harbor, San Juan Island

---

The ferry ride to San Juan Island was an interesting trip. Just seeing all the islands is amazing. Realizing too that some are not always above the water at high tide. If relaxing isn't your only plan, the San Juan islands offer many an opportunity to get some exercise by paddling, biking, or zooming around the island on scooters or "scoot cars". Bill, being a tall person, had to literally fold himself up to fit into the "scoot car" we rented. We will take the mopeds next time.


Kayaking is a wonder way to go whale watching. It is so exciting to see Orca whales that weigh as much as 5 or 6 tons swimming next to you in a kayak. The social black and white mammals are the largest of the dolphin family. There are 19 pods in the Washington and British Columbia area, each with five to 50 members made up of extended families with grandmothers or great-grandmothers at the center of their descendants.

The waters around the San Juan Islands are home to three specific pods of orcas with several members delighting tourists and locals alike. Three of the pods, J.K. and L., which spend some of their time around the Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands and southern Vancouver Island are known as the southern resident community of whales here.

Five species of whales can be seen here but the resident Orcas (killer whales) are the local favorites. There are 85 whales within the three local pods here and they have special markings that indicate which pod or "family" they belong to. The male Orcas are the largest at 22 to 30 feet long and wiegh an average of 9,000 to 12,000 pounds. The females on average, are 17 to 24 feet long and weigh around 7,000 lbs. Calves are about 7 feet long and weigh about 750 lbs. at birth. Females give birth to one calf about every five years, following a 17- month pregnancy. Each whale consumes about 50 - 300 lbs. of salmon per day. When full grown, these whales are 22-30 feet long and can readh speeds of up to 30 m.p.h. We found it interesting that the males do not "hang around" with their mates. Females live longer than males on average to their 60's while the males live on average to their 40's . Must be all that "wild living" that shortens their lives !!

---

Photos

The ferry
The ferry holds large vehicles up to 18 motorhomes or semi trucks and 82 small vehicles.

The Orcas
These mammals are so beautiful to watch.

Enjoying the ferry ride
Enjoying the ferry ride even though the sun hasn't been out here for days!

Lopez Island
We think this is Lopez Island. It is difficult to tell from the ferry which island is which. From the map we used we determined this was Lopez Island. Only 5 of the islands have ferry ports, the rest are transported to by private boats.

The fog bank rolling in on top of the water
This is NOT a sight a sailor likes to see!

The ferry from B.C.
The ferry from B.C. enroute to Anacortes.

lunchtime at Friday Harbor
It's 12 noon and time for lunch ! Fish and chips anyone?

The Scootcar
Yes there is so much to do here! Now we are off on a new adventure seeing the island. Bill had to literally fold himself up to fit in this one. Next time we will take a moped!

The Orcas
This giant Orca was so graceful as though he was playing with the people on the boat next to him.

Kayaking with the Orcas
How majestic they are....lucky to be so close in the kayaks! It was so unexpected...Orcas had not been seen at this location for many days!