On Day Two of our Salish Seas Kayak trip, we began with a nice morning on the Griffin Bay campsite, on San Juan Island. Later, we saw some local wildlife on both terrestrial land and aquatic seas. Finally, we arrived at our permanent campsite.

The morning began with a nice granola and toast breakfast at the scenic Griffin Bay campsite. The tides were down and a few people walked along the stony shore, looking at crabs, kelp, and anemones. Just before we left, we saw a gray fox, who was surprisingly at ease with us. Eventually it left and we packed up and began paddling to Turn Island, off the eastern coast of San Juan Island. On the way, we paused to admire some harbor porpoises who surfaced just a few yards ahead of us, as well as harbor seals and a California Sea Lion, which we saw swimming through the water. The water also gave excellent views of Mount Baker. 

When we finally arrived on Turn Island, we almost immediately began being pestered by the local raccoon population. After unpacking and setting up tents, we ate a delicious meal of chili. However, as dinner cooked, the raccoons continued their growing assault on our food stores.

As the sun went down, the cozy kayak camp literally turned into an armed camp. Everyone was armed with heavy sticks, and patrols swept the beach. Their glowing eyes could be seen prowling through the tall grass, and at one point a large one attacked one of our guides. They were intent on getting into our food and our tents, and it was a hard fought battle to keep them out. Eventually, the kitchen area was taken and we were forced to concede for the night. As we retreated, the raccoons swarmed over our kitchen, but the battle would be won at dawn.