Island hopping in the San Juans is always a great experience, but during a full moon the tides expose even more shoreline than normal. Our group rode the flooding tide up to Stewart Island, the most Nortwesterly major island in the San Juans, enjoying clear views of Mount Baker and the North Cascades slipping through John's Pass. Camping at Stewart Island State Park, we got in our boats the next day to see what the extra low tides would expose. What we found were a bevy of intertidal invertebrates, from enormous gumboot chitons to copious ochre sea stars. During lunch we were treated to a small group of orcas ranging close to shore on the West side of Stewart. Lover's leap, cliff promontory on Stewart, treated us to a sunset through the Gulf Islands in Canada. We rounded off the trip with a paddle home to Roche during another low tide, with hauled out harbor seals and lots of bald eagles! The weekend couldn't have been better and guides and guests alike vowed to be back soon.
Kayak Guide Brendan, 3 Day Tour, San Juan Island Outfitters Whale Watch and Kayak Tours