Dave and I booked a whale watching trip aboard the Puget Sound Express.
Our boat
We left from Port Angeles and sailed through the Juan de Fuca Straight. The water was calm and created a perfect day to view whales. First sighting was a bald eagle. He’s in the tree to the right of the trunk and above the brown branches. Look for a white spot. That’s his head.
We also saw one in flight but I wasn’t quick enough with my camera. Our second sighting was of a “bird pile.” A highly technical term to describe a group of birds sitting together in the ocean.
We continued cruising around the straight and eventually got close to Canada. We had to switch our phones into airplane mode so we didn’t get charged for international usage! As we were going along, we had sightings of orca fins in the distance. The captain steered us towards the pod. There were three total.
Orcas will surface to breathe for about 3-5 minutes and then dive to eat for about 5-8 minutes. The three we were watching continued this pattern for about 30 minutes. They were absolutely beautiful to watch. As much as I wanted the boat to get closer, regulations require boats to stay 250 yards away from whales. The Naturalist on board who was informing us about the whales had a golf ball range finder he used to track the distance. We never got closer than the 250 yds. Also, this pod of Orcas are known as Biggs Orca. They are all “business” and don’t do a lot of breaching or jumping. They are all about feeding and patrolling.
It was such a beautiful day. We enjoyed our boat ride and wildlife sightings. And of course we enjoyed being chilly!
So chilly!
After our tour, we packed up from the Thompson’s house and headed to our next destination. We are staying on Lake Crescent for the next few nights at the Log Cabin Inn.
View from our cabin
We have several hikes in this part of the park planned for the next couple of days. More adventures await!
Sunday we explored Third Beach on the Washington coast. We set out relatively early to explore during low low tide.
The walk to the beach was just under a mile. The trail was so beautiful and unlike any walk to the beach in Florida. #westcoast
The morning was a little overcast and cool. The large sea stack created the perfect environment to see many sea stars and mussels.
Our time in Forks and exploring the area was a true delight.
One more usie from our Airbnb
We returned to Port Angeles and had Monday to explore downtown. We enjoyed an amazing breakfast at the Chestnut Cottage. My brother gave me the pro tip I’ll share with you – when you order, you have a choice of toast or cinnamon roll. Pick the cinnamon roll. We did. It was served as the appetizer. It was one of the best we have ever eaten. And honestly, mimosas on a Monday morning – is there a better way to Monday?
Cinnamon RollSalmon Scramble
After breakfast we went to the Fine Arts Museum and walked through the art garden. I’m not sure the weather could have been more perfect. The art was interesting and relaxing. Plus, mushrooms!
Our next stop on our Port Angeles tour was back at the ONP visitor center. We popped in because I wanted a picture of the Olympic mountains.
So many mountains!
We then walked a couple short trails near the center. One took us to Peabody Creek and the other was a handicap accessible trail. Short plug for our National Park Service. They truly go above and beyond to make the parks available and accessible to and for the people. We need to make sure funding remains available and protection continues. Just like the Lorax, I stand with the trees.
We also made a stop at Mighty Pine brewery. Have I mentioned how delightful the weather is here? Cheers!
Not to be forgotten, our puppy friends. Kitty & Penny.
We had another early morning start because we wanted to get to Hoh Rainforest before the crowds. It was about an hour drive to the rainforest. We left Forks at 5:30 and were ready for our first hike through the Hall of Mosses by 6:45. The early bird gets into the park without lines!
So, what is the Hoh Rainforest besides a nerdy tree loving science teacher’s dream come true? It is a temperate rainforest located in ONP. The rainforest receives over 12 feet of rain a year. The rainforest is full of old growth (over a 1,000 years old) Sitka spruce, western hemlock and maple trees. The trees are draped in moss because of the excessively moist environment. The Hall of Mosses trail is a short loop (.8 mile) through a dense section of moss draped trees and giant ferns. It’s one of the most enchanting places I’ve explored. Visiting during the summer means less rain and dryer conditions. I can only imagine how beautiful and perhaps chilly it would be in a steady drizzle.
I took so many pictures!! Before I show you more trees, how about a few mushrooms. The decomposing vibe in the Hoh is strong thanks to these guys.
We thoroughly enjoyed and savored our walk through the Hall of Mosses. A few more photos because it truly is one of my new favorite places.
Now time for a little more science. Part of what has made this area so interesting and unique are nurse logs. Nurse logs are fallen trees that provide nutrients and a protected area for young spruce and hemlock seedlings to sprout. The competition is still tough and only a few trees will last. Eventually, they form a line of trees along the decaying trunk. The new trees grow long legs as they stretch towards the ground. Science is cool.
A few more before telling you about the rest of the rainforest.
Our second hike of the day was the Spruce Trail. It was a 1.2 mile loop through more rainforest and more cool mossy trees.
Besides the trees & mushrooms, we saw three different banana slugs! Did you know, banana slugs can be a variety of colors? Not just yellow. They can be green, white and even black – aka rotten banana slugs! We also saw a funky caterpillar and a snake!
Our final hike for the day was along the Hoh River trail to Mineral Creek Falls about 6 miles round trip. The Hoh River trail is 17.5 miles total ending in Glacial Meadows. We saw lots of over night hikers heading out to the meadows. We were content with our short hike. That being said, by the end of the day, we hiked over 10 miles in the Hoh Rainforest.
Before I wrap this up, a few more mushrooms… I might have been a little obsessed with these cute “fun-guys”.
I know this was an extra long post. If you made it this far, thank you for reading. Hoh Rainforest is truly a special place. Plan a visit – you won’t be disappointed.
Thursday morning started with an early 4am reveille to of course – chase sunrise! Again, if you’ve been following the blog, you know chasing sunrise is truly one of my passions. And if you’ve vacationed with us, good chance the Dwyer’s are going to suggest a chase! I brought up the idea of going to Sunrise Point on Hurricane Ridge to Danny and Jenn and to my surprise, they were all in! We were out of the house by 4:30am and drove the 45 minutes up to Hurricane Ridge. Our timing was perfect and we had the ridge mostly to ourselves. We had time to walk around and scope out the best spot. Sunrise didn’t disappoint. And watching the sun light up the mountains (including Mount Olympus) was spectacular.
If you decide to make this chase, I will look forward to seeing your pictures. We ending up not staying in sunrise point because the mountain was blocking the view. We think perhaps other times of the year, as the sun shifts in the morning sky the mountain may not have been in the way.
After watching the sunrise, we decided to take the mile drive out Hurricane Hill Road and hike up Hurricane Hill. It was a delightful morning to take a hike.
Deer FriendAnother deer friendHike selfieSun on the mountain Mount Angeles
We made it to the summit and had another amazing view of the mountains peaks all around.
We worked our way back down the mountain enjoying the view.
Once we were back at the Thompson’s, we rested for a bit and then packed up for our weekend adventure. We drove to Forks, Washington where we will be for the weekend. Giving us plenty of time to explore the west side of the park. Along the way, we made a quick stop at Madison Falls.
Our Airbnb in Forks is lovely and will give us a nice chance to explore the area. Thanks for reading. More adventures to share tomorrow! Thanks for reading.
Sunday morning we had a chance to sleep in a little bit. This was much needed because jet lag hit me hard Saturday night. Quick side note about our first two nights on the islands. Granted, it was a Friday and Saturday night… that being said, the Azoreans LOVE to party – LATE and LOUD! Both nights the party wasn’t shut down until 2am. Last night even included at least 3 maybe 4 rounds of random fireworks at 11ish, 12:37, and 1:47. I think there was another one in there… They play the music extra loud and the drunk voices are sometimes even louder especially once the bars shutdown. Cheers, to island life! Live it out LOUD!
Now back to Sunday’s adventure. Our tour package included a whale watching tour with CWAzores. We were scheduled for the 8:20am tour. We received a very informative briefing about the types of whales we might see and a safety brief prior to boarding the Zodiac. It was so good even the former Oceanography Teacher learned something. Did you know – Sperm whales have suction cups on the roof of their mouth? Yes, they do! The main creature of the Sperm whale diet is giant squid. 🦑 Sperm whales are toothed whales and when they bite the giant squid it is all gushy. The suction cups help the whale “slurp” the squid into its mouth.
Pre launch selfieOur Zodiac
The tour was very well organized and the crew very knowledgeable and efficient. They helped us board the boat. We rode the zodiac as if we were sitting on a saddle. The ocean was a bit rough and we felt like cowgirls riding the waves! No doubt my sitz bones will be tender tomorrow.
To “find” the whales, the Captain uses the help of Spotters who are stationed on land. They use high powered binoculars to locate the blow (the whale exhaling). The Spotter then communicates via radio to the Captain with coordinates. Here are a few pictures as we left the harbor. This is the coast we hiked yesterday.
Yesterday’s hikeTop of Mt Pico
During our hike yesterday, Mt Pico was hidden in the clouds. We didn’t even know it was there! It showed out for us today!! Couldn’t help but think back to Mt Fuji – and how many times we heard “on a clear day.”
Boat selfieMy Pico SelfieMt PicoOn a clear day…
The Captain took us out beyond the islands and we sat idle waiting for directions from the spotters. Once coordinates were communicated, the Captain would race off in the direction of the whale’s blow. It was quite exciting!!! And then he would position the boat for us to watch the whale. These are pictures are of the first Sperm whale we spotted. It was a mature male.
The Sperm whale can dive 800m and hold its breath for 45 minutes. It has to dive this deep to find the giant squid. Before it dives, it fills its lungs and a portion of its head with air. When it is on the surface it takes big breaths for about 3-5 minutes before diving. Pictures of the whale taking its last breaths before diving.
The Captain and Guide were experts at alerting us when it was about to dive. They would say “get ready” and then “tail” – it was so exciting!!! Here’s my first ever whale tail! By the way – all images are captured with my iPhone.
Here’s a video of the dive.
The collective excitement happened each time
Once the whale dives, we move on because it won’t be back if a while and probably not in the same spot. We idled for a bit. Then the Spotters alerted us again and off we went. Turns out, we saw science in action. We spotted two juveniles and two mothers. The juveniles are too young to dive and are still nursing. The mothers take turns diving (to eat) or watching the juveniles. The juveniles are able to nurse from either mother!! The Captain didn’t get too close to the juveniles because he didn’t want to scare/ stress them.
Juvenile blowAnother juvenile Get ready! Mother about to dive Tail! My second whale tail!
Another video…
We idled again… and then we were off! This time to see a pod of dolphins! And there were so many!! They were so cute swimming and playing in our bow wake. The Captain said when they show their white belly they are mating. They were giving us quite the show!
Unfortunately, the idle time made one of our passengers quite sea sick. We felt terrible for them. In my dolphin video you can hear them retching in the background…
We stayed with the dolphins for a while. The guide then informed us that we were going to start our return to port and maybe see things along the way because one of the passengers was so sick. They were so compassionate. Several dolphins swam with us as we sped away. They were faster!!!
Along the way, our Captain spotted a Portuguese Man of War floating on the ocean. They are extremely dangerous jellies. Their tentacles can reach lengths of 20-30 meters! He told us “don’t try this at home” as he reached over and grabbed the top of the creature! The Portuguese Man of War is a staple in the sea turtle diet. It looks like a piece of plastic floating on the surface. It’s easy to understand why sea turtles mistake plastic for jellies and end up dying with their belly full of plastic.
Top of Portuguese Man of WarCaptain holding the Portuguese Man of War
As we continued to port, the spotters alerted us to another Sperm whale. Our Captain steered the boat in the direction of the whale and again we watched as he filled his lungs preparing for his dive.
One final video of another Sperm whale diving. They are so graceful and majestic.
We had one final sighting before we reached port. A young Loggerhead Sea Turtle. The captain again kept his distance because he did not want to scare the turtle.
The trip was another Science Teacher’s dreams come true. A picture as we return to port. Notice the church in the foreground bottom left. That is the church where we started yesterday’s hike. We couldn’t see Mt. Pico yesterday because of the clouds. Honestly, we didn’t even know it was there!!
Pico Island
We had the afternoon to enjoy. We went to get lunch at a delightful burger restaurant overlooking the harbor. My cheeseburger was amazing. The island of São Jorge (we travel there Monday) in the Azores is known for their “happy cows.” They produce delicious cheese and obviously burgers. All washed down with an Azores IPA.
After lunch, we did a little shopping and then wine tasting. Pico island, as I mentioned yesterday, is known for their grapes and wine. The grapes are mostly used to make white wine. I tasted 4 whites and 1 red. The final white was unexpectedly delicious. So good, I want to ship some home… but, tariffs. Instead, I bought a bottle to enjoy over the next couple days.
Julia in her natural environment The tall bottle in center was my favorite
The Azoreans have been nothing but kind, gracious, and happy to assist us. They speak English very well and much better than I speak Portuguese. Several times they have used extra words to say or ask a question because they don’t know the exact English word to use. For example, one cute story. I was purchasing bevvies at the hotel bar and the bartender asked me, “would you like the little paper that comes out of the machine?” I smiled and said, “yes, please.” I will do my best to always refer to a receipt as “the little paper that comes out of the machine…” so, cute.
The streets on Pico also have the cobblestone decoration. Pictured here are Sperm Whales.
If you made it to the end of this long post – as always, thank you for reading!
Thursday we had an easy coastal hike to see the coast, obviously, and also two lighthouses. A volcanic eruption lasting from September 1957 until October 1958 caused the land to 2.4 square km. The reason there are two lighthouses is because the original one has been shut down since the eruption and the new lighthouse was constructed. We have noticed the lighthouses on the islands seem to be very utilitarian vice scenic. Perhaps, the Portuguese don’t want to take away from the beauty of the land and the ocean…
The hike along the coast was beautiful. All the volcanic rocks! They were so jagged and rough. It’s amazing to think these were projected during the explosion.
Walking out to the edgeMoonscape off in the distance Lava bombFlowers
Peering over the edge, the jagged lava rocks have been completely smoothed by the waves. The power of water is intense!
There was cute little beach area that had umbrellas and swimming access.
Shower On the edgeCabana timeBeach dazeAtlantic blueBeach time Waves
We finished the last part of the hike up to the old lighthouse. This one we were able to climb to the top. Also, they have a museum built underground. The circle is the roof of the museum.
The area now is protected because there are several species of birds nesting in the rocks and cliffs. Here is a video from the top of the lighthouse. I zoomed in to see the birds.
Spiral stairs in lighthouse
After our hike, museum tour and lighthouse climb, we met our driver, Jeffery, who drove us back to town. We found a nice little cafe to enjoy lunch with a view of Mt Pico and the company of bird friends.
Melted cheese and olives. YumPork croquettes Lunch friendMt Pico
We had a few hours to burn this afternoon before our flight back to Ponta Delgado. We shopped the town and took more pictures of the fun street designs.
Monday morning we caught the ferry from Madalena on Pico Island to Velas on São Jorge Island. The process of checking in, checking our luggage, and then boarding the ferry was incredibly smooth and efficient.
Boarding selfie. You might notice a theme in our selfies today… crazy hair!
The ferry took about and 1.5 hours. Although the seas appeared calm, the ferry was a bit rocky!
Leaving PicoPassing our rock islandsMt pico hidingMt Pico in full viewPortugal FlagFirst view of São Jorge
We arrived in Velas around 11:15. Collected our luggage and meet our taxi driver without issue. We were not supposed to begin our hike until 1:30pm. We asked Antonio, our driver, if we could start as soon as possible. He had another group going as well and arranged with them to go early. He was so kind and accommodating. He dropped us at the hotel and went to get the group while we checked in. Our accommodation is a Bed and Breakfast, Casa de Antonio. Our host, Antonio, had our room ready and helped us check in and then showed us to our room. The hospitality was top notch. Our driver, Antonio, returned and off we went on our 5.6 mile hike!
Overlook view of the town of VelasMt Pico in the distance
The Pilgram’s Path hike is known to be one of the most beautiful on the island. It begins at Topo, one of the island’s crests, and descends down to the north coast. It was used by pilgrims to reach the wild north coast which is still very isolated.
“The Walker” statue tributes all who hike trails in the AzoresLooking SouthOff we go! Starting out… before we see the view
We had been given many warnings the trail is very steep especially in the beginning. The warnings were validated as we descended! But, first – the view!
If only we were a few weeks later, we would see all the hydrangeas in bloom.
Hydrangeas More hydrangeas One early bloomerTrail blaze
The views were incredible. I’m not sure I’ve seen anything like it before. It was so quiet and peaceful.
The Atlantic OceanAnother crazy hair selfie
As we descended, the trail would change and close in and yet remained very rocky.
Trail friends – goats
About 2/3 of the way down we stopped to enjoy our picnic lunch. Perhaps our peanut butter and crackers and an apple weren’t gourmet… but, the view certainly was!
View from our picnic lunch
As we continued down, we caught up with a river and a little waterfall.
Plus, at lower the lower elevation we started to see blooming hydrangeas.
We saw this roof from above and it looked tiny. Obviously, human size once we were next to it. And our first view of the island’s north coastline.
Fajā Santo Cristo and the Lagoon
Fajā Santo Cristo is a one of a kind sight. Only accessible by foot (or now also 4 wheelers) it has a beautiful church and lagoon. This was my first time actually walking through a hamlet!
ChurchLagoonHousing Starting to climb againCliffs above usMore cliffs
The north coast is protected and now considered a surfer’s paradise. As we climbed back up it was easy to understand why. The wave train had perfectly timed crests.
We continued our “relatively” flat climb for the second half of our hike. The dirt/ rock trail had lots of ups and downs with more amazing views.
The water is so clear Flat ground felt good
One of my favorite pictures of the day. My mom celebrated her 77th birthday today and here she is at trail marker 77!
Happy 77th birthday!
We made it to the finish line a bit later than we hoped. We truly “savored” the experience. I called Antonio earlier and let him know we were running late. He was so kind and understanding. We also met up with the other hikers he was transferring. They had used the extra time to swim in the lagoon. On our way home, we ran into a cow jam. The farmers walk their cows to the milking building and then walk them back to their farm. Truly happy cows make the best cheese! São Jorge is known for their delicious cheese!
We returned to the hotel, showered, and went out to dinner!
MusselsPesto pasta with cheeseGarlic cheese bread (best I’ve ever had)Dessert – a creamy angel food cake
It was an amazing day. The hike was one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve ever done. I would also rate it as a moderate challenge with the amount of descent we did. As always, thanks for reading!
