Nothing like waking up with a fresh sticky bun delivered to your boat by the lovely Cassie who has lived in Meyers Chuck for almost 30 years now. She has the most lovely personality, as well as serving homemade sticky buns upon request, still warm inside her cute picnic basket for all who tie up to the guest dock. It’s the simple pleasures in life, I tell you.

Another great day for wildlife. Let’s see, where to begin? About a mile out from Easterly Island, a pod of Dall’s porpoise greeted us with some fast bow riding just before we got to the sea lion haul-out. On the rocky outcrops of Easterly Island, these powerful and massive mammals greeted us with their loud roars and growling as the boats glided by. Part of the experience of a sea lion haul-out is the smell associated with these big animals. It’s something resembling stale fish and a lot of bad breath, not for the faint of heart.

A half hour later, we were amazed once again by the abundant life in these waters. A few Humpback whales were lunge feeding near the shoreline. It was hard to tell from such a distance, but it looked like a decent sized group with maybe five adults and some calves. Also, several pods of Harbor and Dall’s porpoises swam with the flotilla until we reached the entrance to Santa Ana Inlet where they lost interest in our slow anchoring maneuvers.

Santa Anna Inlet has been one of my favorite anchorages for this cruise so far.  Tucked away in a secluded cove with all six boats rafted up tightly together is quite picturesque. Three anchors deployed stern-ties set to the trees ashore assured a peaceful night’s slip. The added advantage of roaming freely between our neighbors’ boats getting to know one another is also a bonus, too.

This evening was also one of the best dinghy tours we have done which ended in viewing a Humpback calf with her mother feeding close to our anchorage. We shut off the engines and drifted on a glass ocean just outside Santa Anna Inlet watching these magnificent animals spout and lunge with a lush, green backdrop of cedars and spruce forests growing extensively along the shore.

Life is full of wonderful surprises and we are the lucky ones to be out here together as one big family enjoying the idyllic Pacific Northwest cruising grounds.