Sunday, July 31, 2011

Sucia Island - Day 1

Today we are back at Sucia Island and enjoying the beauty as much as last time. I love bringing people here and watching their reactions because the scenery is beyond description. We decided to stay at Shallow Bay again because of the shelter it provides as well as the view of Boundary Pass where we saw the Orcas last week. Unfortunately, we did not see them again this time but we did hear other boaters talking about seeing some near Deception Pass on our way home. Shallow Bay provides the best sunset views of any of the anchorages on Sucia. It is also one of the quietest since it well away from the busier Echo Bay and Fossil Bay.

An interesting fact that I learned about Sucia is that back in the early 1900s, a sandstone quarry hired thousands of workers to excavate sandstone for the streets of Seattle. When they discovered that the stone was too soft for that use, they closed the quarry and it sat, privately owned, for years. Then in the 1960s it was purchased by local yacht clubs and donated to the state.

Once we were settled, relaxed a little and had eaten lunch, we decided to explore the half of the island that Bob and I had not been to.  We took a 4 mile walk over to Ewing Cove and back.  Anchorages in Ewing Cove provide spectacular views of small sandstone sculptures that can be seen at low tide. The entrance to this cove can be tricky and is the most exposed of all the anchorages.

Our walk took us along the shoreline of Echo Bay where we enjoyed the scenery as well as the marine life. We talked with several other hikers who were very excited about the mama sea otter and her two pups that were playing in the water. We watched the otters for a long time and made sure we pointed them out to people we met along the way. We also saw quite a few seals throughout our trip and marveled at the way they seemed to bob along in the water and were always alone.



 

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