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Jennifer Donogh

Travel Log
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July 9, 2022

Transient Orcas Attack!

It’s been a whale kind of day. The last time we saw whales we were also at Sucia Island.

Shane was the first to see the Orcas, getting a sneak attack on his paddleboard this morning. He was rounding Matia Island, Puffin Island, Puffin Island Reef, and Wiggins Reef. He was about to pass Rolfe Cove when a pod of Orcas were exiting right in front of him! He stopped and was able to grab some epic videos of his encounter. He said it was the best paddle of his life, seeing so much wildlife at once.

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A post shared by Shane Donogh (@wilder85)

Shane texted me shortly after letting me know they were heading towards Sucia. Kelly and I had our binoculars on the lookout. We saw Shane crossing over from Matia, and after a while, saw water bursting from the blow holes of at least two whales off in the distance, to the right of Matia Island.

When Shane returned I was making pancakes and we were getting settled into our day. Then the orcas approached even closer! They were about 400 feet from our boat, which was anchored in Echo Bay. Wyatt shot a video, putting one of his favorite songs to it and uploading it to Youtube.

I burnt a couple of the pancakes while watching the whales in the distance. It wasn’t long before a pod of dinghies rushed over to see the orcas up close. It was an odd scene. Most of the people on the boats kept a respectful distance and stopped their motors. The whales were out there for at least 20 minutes, thrashing around in the water. Our assumption was that they were feasting on the seals we had seen the night before when coming into the bay. Seal pups too! They were so cute. After chatting with another boater in the area, our assumption was confirmed. It was seals and I guess there was plenty of blood in the water.

We learned from the Whale Museum at Friday Harbor that resident orcas don’t usually eat seals, preferring salmon. Their dorsal fins are also curved. These orcas had straight dorsal fins. Pretty fun to apply what we learned over the winter in our observations today.

Wyatt and Kelly went out to paddle and explore on the beach while I got lunch started. We had been to this beach with my mom a couple weeks ago. There is a larger mushroom rock you can see from our anchorage. The rocks are weathered and “honeycombed,” which makes for fun tidal pool opportunities for Kelly to explore.

Lunch featured recipes from the Vegan Keto cookbook I’ve used for a few years. The recipes are really simple and actually taste good. I made a cauliflower soup (thanks to rice cauliflower packets from Costco), tahini bagels, and these super ugly peanut butter bars.

The kids did not eat the peanut butter bars. They turned green thanks to the hemp protein powder I have. I love the protein powder, but it does not have the most appetizing look to it. I really liked the bars and was pleasantly surprised by the soup. I had never made it before.

After lunch we saw more whales off of Sucia. The orcas were near Ewing Island Reef. Again, dinghies showed up to see them closer, still at the legal distance, but again it’s just a weird sight. Shortly after the whales moved on, someone called for the Coast Guard on Channel 16. They were reporting a hostile group on a dinghy who were approaching the whales too closely. We thought the call was odd, the Coast Guard did not followup and the caller stopped her efforts.

When we went to shore to paddle, swim, and enjoy the sun and scenery I got a different story from one of the boaters of what really happened. People seem to be irritable today on the radio, calling out boats going too fast in the nearby bays too.

Kelly and Wyatt found some boys to explore tidal pools with and I listened to an audio book while trying to make my legs match the color of my feet. The northwest weather so far has tanned my face, feet, and hands.

Shane went to shore when his workday was over to play with the kids and I got to work dusting and shaking out the comforters outside. For dinner I made a taco seasoned jackfruit that was sweeter than spicy, hashbrowns, and a coleslaw mix. Shane also had the leftover rice mix from the night before too.

The kids played Sequence with Shane while listening to Lionel Richies’ All Night Long. I prepped my sprouts. I’m sprouting lentils in the trays and broccoli sprouts in my original jars. At the beginning of the year I started cleaning the broccoli seeds before soaking them using a drop of dish soap and some apple cider vinegar.

We were going to leave Sucia tonight to go back to Blaine, but it was too nice of a night to not be out here.

TAGS:orcasPaddle all the IslandsSucia Island
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Hi, I’m Jennifer Donogh,

Hi, I’m Jennifer Donogh,

the Cruise Director for our 41' ketch sailboat. We're traveling a lot, so creating healthy routines is a priority for me. Plus, planning fun excursions, meals, and onboard activities for our family of 4.

Current Location

Current Location
San Juan Islands

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Another adventure on the island! It's so beautiful here. 

Winter is the time to be here — ferries, hotels, and rental cars are more affordable. Plus, there’s a quarter of the people.

If you can be patient with ferry cancellations/changes, odd restaurant hours, some windy bits, a little rain here and there (this is the sunshine belt though), the odd snow storm — then winter is 👌 😋
Another adventure on the island! It's so beautiful here. 

Winter is the time to be here — ferries, hotels, and rental cars are more affordable. Plus, there’s a quarter of the people.

If you can be patient with ferry cancellations/changes, odd restaurant hours, some windy bits, a little rain here and there (this is the sunshine belt though), the odd snow storm — then winter is 👌 😋
Another adventure on the island! It's so beautiful here. 

Winter is the time to be here — ferries, hotels, and rental cars are more affordable. Plus, there’s a quarter of the people.

If you can be patient with ferry cancellations/changes, odd restaurant hours, some windy bits, a little rain here and there (this is the sunshine belt though), the odd snow storm — then winter is 👌 😋
Another adventure on the island! It's so beautiful here. 

Winter is the time to be here — ferries, hotels, and rental cars are more affordable. Plus, there’s a quarter of the people.

If you can be patient with ferry cancellations/changes, odd restaurant hours, some windy bits, a little rain here and there (this is the sunshine belt though), the odd snow storm — then winter is 👌 😋
Another adventure on the island! It's so beautiful here. 

Winter is the time to be here — ferries, hotels, and rental cars are more affordable. Plus, there’s a quarter of the people.

If you can be patient with ferry cancellations/changes, odd restaurant hours, some windy bits, a little rain here and there (this is the sunshine belt though), the odd snow storm — then winter is 👌 😋
Another adventure on the island! It's so beautiful here. 

Winter is the time to be here — ferries, hotels, and rental cars are more affordable. Plus, there’s a quarter of the people.

If you can be patient with ferry cancellations/changes, odd restaurant hours, some windy bits, a little rain here and there (this is the sunshine belt though), the odd snow storm — then winter is 👌 😋
Another adventure on the island! It's so beautiful here. 

Winter is the time to be here — ferries, hotels, and rental cars are more affordable. Plus, there’s a quarter of the people.

If you can be patient with ferry cancellations/changes, odd restaurant hours, some windy bits, a little rain here and there (this is the sunshine belt though), the odd snow storm — then winter is 👌 😋
jenniferdonogh
jenniferdonogh
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Follow
Another adventure on the island! It's so beautiful here. Winter is the time to be here — ferries, hotels, and rental cars are more affordable. Plus, there’s a quarter of the people. If you can be patient with ferry cancellations/changes, odd restaurant hours, some windy bits, a little rain here and there (this is the sunshine belt though), the odd snow storm — then winter is 👌 😋
5 days ago
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1/1
@jenniferdonogh

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  • Family Winter Update

    January 9, 2023
  • Reality Check: Fall Edition

    October 23, 2022
  • Hippity Hops Through the San Juans

    August 5, 2022

Follow Along @JenniferDonogh

Another adventure on the island! It's so beautiful here. 

Winter is the time to be here — ferries, hotels, and rental cars are more affordable. Plus, there’s a quarter of the people.

If you can be patient with ferry cancellations/changes, odd restaurant hours, some windy bits, a little rain here and there (this is the sunshine belt though), the odd snow storm — then winter is 👌 😋
Another adventure on the island! It's so beautiful here. 

Winter is the time to be here — ferries, hotels, and rental cars are more affordable. Plus, there’s a quarter of the people.

If you can be patient with ferry cancellations/changes, odd restaurant hours, some windy bits, a little rain here and there (this is the sunshine belt though), the odd snow storm — then winter is 👌 😋
Another adventure on the island! It's so beautiful here. 

Winter is the time to be here — ferries, hotels, and rental cars are more affordable. Plus, there’s a quarter of the people.

If you can be patient with ferry cancellations/changes, odd restaurant hours, some windy bits, a little rain here and there (this is the sunshine belt though), the odd snow storm — then winter is 👌 😋
Another adventure on the island! It's so beautiful here. 

Winter is the time to be here — ferries, hotels, and rental cars are more affordable. Plus, there’s a quarter of the people.

If you can be patient with ferry cancellations/changes, odd restaurant hours, some windy bits, a little rain here and there (this is the sunshine belt though), the odd snow storm — then winter is 👌 😋
Another adventure on the island! It's so beautiful here. 

Winter is the time to be here — ferries, hotels, and rental cars are more affordable. Plus, there’s a quarter of the people.

If you can be patient with ferry cancellations/changes, odd restaurant hours, some windy bits, a little rain here and there (this is the sunshine belt though), the odd snow storm — then winter is 👌 😋
Another adventure on the island! It's so beautiful here. 

Winter is the time to be here — ferries, hotels, and rental cars are more affordable. Plus, there’s a quarter of the people.

If you can be patient with ferry cancellations/changes, odd restaurant hours, some windy bits, a little rain here and there (this is the sunshine belt though), the odd snow storm — then winter is 👌 😋
Another adventure on the island! It's so beautiful here. 

Winter is the time to be here — ferries, hotels, and rental cars are more affordable. Plus, there’s a quarter of the people.

If you can be patient with ferry cancellations/changes, odd restaurant hours, some windy bits, a little rain here and there (this is the sunshine belt though), the odd snow storm — then winter is 👌 😋
jenniferdonogh
jenniferdonogh
•
Follow
Another adventure on the island! It's so beautiful here. Winter is the time to be here — ferries, hotels, and rental cars are more affordable. Plus, there’s a quarter of the people. If you can be patient with ferry cancellations/changes, odd restaurant hours, some windy bits, a little rain here and there (this is the sunshine belt though), the odd snow storm — then winter is 👌 😋
5 days ago
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1/6
V A L E N T I N E ‘ S  D A Y

Coco Mar is all setup for Valentine’s Day! Last year Wyatt and I did a doodle challenge for February that Kelly and Shane are joining us in this year. We’re also going to watch some rom coms! 

#valentinesday #boatlife #liveaboard
jenniferdonogh
jenniferdonogh
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V A L E N T I N E ‘ S D A Y Coco Mar is all setup for Valentine’s Day! Last year Wyatt and I did a doodle challenge for February that Kelly and Shane are joining us in this year. We’re also going to watch some rom coms! #valentinesday #boatlife #liveaboard
5 days ago
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2/6
You know it gets windy there with the gnarled trees and grass like that 😋

The boys and I tried to hike around here last June when we anchored in Griffin Bay. I had to call Shane to pick us up early in the dinghy because my eyes were too swollen and itchy to keep going. Oh well! We had a mostly dry hike this time and the views were beautiful. Especially on the west side overlooking Victoria.
jenniferdonogh
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You know it gets windy there with the gnarled trees and grass like that 😋 The boys and I tried to hike around here last June when we anchored in Griffin Bay. I had to call Shane to pick us up early in the dinghy because my eyes were too swollen and itchy to keep going. Oh well! We had a mostly dry hike this time and the views were beautiful. Especially on the west side overlooking Victoria.
3 weeks ago
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3/6
2023 New Year’s Resolution - to unlock nuisance level.

A quick walk while Shane and the boys watched the Seahawks game on the first day of the year at American Camp. A National Park on San Juan Island with a fun story. 

The song I wanted to use wasn’t working, so I did this one on a whim. Funny, it’s what I was thinking about while on my walk. In 2022 I stayed “in” to “get things done” a lot. That was something I had moved away from in the years prior. It’s a little harder when you’re in a small space! It’s a learning curve.

David Bowie 🤯
jenniferdonogh
jenniferdonogh
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2023 New Year’s Resolution - to unlock nuisance level. A quick walk while Shane and the boys watched the Seahawks game on the first day of the year at American Camp. A National Park on San Juan Island with a fun story. The song I wanted to use wasn’t working, so I did this one on a whim. Funny, it’s what I was thinking about while on my walk. In 2022 I stayed “in” to “get things done” a lot. That was something I had moved away from in the years prior. It’s a little harder when you’re in a small space! It’s a learning curve. David Bowie 🤯
4 weeks ago
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4/6
Cozy cozy onboard Coco Mar for Christmas 🎄⛵️
jenniferdonogh
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Cozy cozy onboard Coco Mar for Christmas 🎄⛵️
2 months ago
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5/6
Four course meal while on a mooring buoy after a day of sailing ✔️ back in February I had planned a fun night of Beauty and the Beast for Valentine’s Day. As it turns out the wind was good that day — so we sailed all day long. For fun, we stopped on the mooring buoy off Fort Worden on our way back. So, our fun night still went on thanks to our sailboat being our home 🤣

I put the video of our sail up on YouTube with the last amount of editing I’m comfortable doing. It was my favorite day of sailing. Port Townsend wind was unforgiving, but when it was good, it was the best!! 

#familyfun #movienight #beautyandthebeast
jenniferdonogh
jenniferdonogh
•
Follow
Four course meal while on a mooring buoy after a day of sailing ✔️ back in February I had planned a fun night of Beauty and the Beast for Valentine’s Day. As it turns out the wind was good that day — so we sailed all day long. For fun, we stopped on the mooring buoy off Fort Worden on our way back. So, our fun night still went on thanks to our sailboat being our home 🤣 I put the video of our sail up on YouTube with the last amount of editing I’m comfortable doing. It was my favorite day of sailing. Port Townsend wind was unforgiving, but when it was good, it was the best!! #familyfun #movienight #beautyandthebeast
2 months ago
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6/6

Jennifer Donogh 2022 Video Editing .