Whale Watching

Whale Watching

On August 26, 2026

In 2026, Olympic National Park, Orca, Wabi-Sabi

Dave and I booked a whale watching trip aboard the Puget Sound Express.

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!

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.

We have several hikes in this part of the park planned for the next couple of days. More adventures await!

Tide Pooling

By wabisabisole

On August 23, 2026

In 2026, Beach, Olympic National Park, Tide Pools, Wabi-Sabi

Saturday we drove over to the ONP coast. It was also our first rainy day. The rain made the PNW coastal experience even more authentic. Our first stop was Kalaloch to see the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is a large Sitka spruce that is thriving despite having its roots exposed. The combination of tidal flooding and a small stream have washed away the soil underneath the tree, making it appear to be suspended within the coastal cliff. The tree is a true sign of resilience as it defies biological odds by thriving without soil and nutrients.

Another tree that deserves an honorable mention is what we named as the Lovely Lady tree. Take a look. See if you see what we saw…

The next beach on our coastal drive was Beach Four. This beach was recommended by Alfred – our GuideAlong companion – because of its cool rock formations and tide pools. check out those layers.

The tide pools were a delight. We saw purple and orange sea stars and light green sea anemones.

Our third stop was Ruby Beach. The tide pools here were amazing. The large rocks created the perfect tide pool environment during low tide. So many sea stars, mussels, and sea anemones.

We finished our day with a homemade baked ziti dinner and watched the second movie in the Twilight series. Because we are staying in Forks, Washington… For the record, we haven’t seen any vampires or werewolves (that we are aware of that is…)

Coastal Lighthouse Hike

By wabisabisole

On June 19, 2026

In 2026, Azores, Faial, Ferry, Lighthouse, Wabi-Sabi

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.