Kayak Camping: Stewart, Orcas, Jones: Doughty

By the time I was on my way, the currents were going my direction. It would be a long day.

I went around the other side of Spieden Island (south) this time. This island is so interesting with forest on the north, grassy hills on the south and wild imported deer herds. I counted well over 100 animals spread out. It felt like a perfect day, riding the current, looking at the island slopes.

At the east end I saw bodies moving on the water surface, smelled bad breath and then heard the sea lions. They made a huge belching chorus of sound. I stayed a good distance away and angled off from them towards Orcas Island.

The crossing was bumpy water, long and with about 12 mph headwinds. I headed toward a spot up the island that was brightly lit and took a break for lunch when I got there. Climbing up, I was surprised to see an old lime kiln right there.

Nearing my destination of Doughty Point, I heard people talking on the radio about avoiding animals in the water and realized it was from boats beside me in the channel. Then I heard a whoush! sound and saw a couple orcas ahead of me, coming up for air.

The other boats rounded north of the point and paused. Whatever there was to see, since I go so much slower it might be gone when I got there. However, on arrival there were more orcas. I didn't specifically see them eating, but something was keeping them interested in the location.

It looked like there were at least six of them. There was a group of four: an adult (mother) with a baby beside it, and a couple of juveniles. (The calf would come up the same time as the mother and often seemed to ride on her shoulder.)

Two others were together. One of them had a very tall dorsal fin with a distinctive jagged edge.

After a while the juveniles headed back to the south side of the point. They came my direction and one of them passed just under the surface about 5 feet from my bow!

(I had been in the moment and suddenly realized I should get out my camera. The picture above is not great because it was taken through a bag, but it shows a back and dorsal fin in front of Mt Baker. And it shows that I was there. :)

They hung around for a while on the south side. They were less close, however, and then they were gone. All together this was 20 minutes or more, my first time to see them from a kayak.

Doughty Point camp was very quiet and remote.

There were lots of little spring flowers.

The sunset was amazing.