We hit the Wildlife Jackpot in September on a four night sailing trip on the Diminuendo, a 43 foot Jeanau sailboat on the Salish Sea.  The Salish Sea is north of Seattle but still in the United States.    I had no idea what to expect so seeing two different kinds of whales, some sea lions, otters and cute little birds made me smile.  The whale sightings were especially fun in the archipelago of more than 200 islands.    

The area is known for Orcas so seeing a  group of three swimming near Friday Harbor was great.  Even the ferry boat slowed down so that the folks could see the fluking and coming up for air.  

We also got very close to some humpback whales another day.   Everything slows down when the whales are around.  It was interesting to note that the marine radio had a special channel  just for the whale watchers.  Kinda like a special Facebook page.  

The big sea lions, otters and the little birds captured my attention too.    I’m not really a wild life photographer, but these scenes made me happy to pull my camera up to my eye.  

Actually the whole trip made me happy.  The San Juan Islands are wonderful.  We couldn’t begin to do all the activities—kayaking, fishing, hiking, biking, golfing, relaxing, shopping, boating, and on and on.  It’s really a great spot to enjoy the out-of-doors and the sea.  

We sailed with Skipper Scott and First Mate Todd, who totally managed the trip to meet our interests—sailing,  relaxing, photographing, napping and enjoying the views.  We learned about the 12 foot tides and how they impact sailing and the docks.  The currents in and around the islands during the different tide cycles were fascinating to us Lake Michigan sailers.  New experiences.

First Mate Todd, as an accomplished chef, was quick to work his miracles in the galley.  He  picked up on my statement, “I never met a potato I didn’t like ” with yummy spuds geared to keep me fat and happy.   He also seemed to be able to manage the fact I can’t eat hot and spicy foods while Jack relishes them—all in the same meal.

Really,  you could take this trip just for the meals.

While enjoying the wild life, the fabulous weather I also really enjoyed seeing the many homes—year round and vacation — located in isolation or in small settlements.  

We found the Madrone trees described in last week’s blog to be beautiful along with the Camperdown Elm, an old tree, a combination of two varieties.   

I liked the lighthouses, the beautiful spots for capturing reflections with my camera and the marvelous time to relax knowing we were perfectly taken care of…… 

We hope sailing in the Pacific Northwest will be part of our regular visits to our perfect little grandson who lives not that far away.    I hope he’ll want to go with us when he gets a little bigger.  I wonder how Skipper Scott will feel about a baby on board.  

NorthWest Sailing Adventures