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Several pods of orcas spend most of the summer in the Salish Sea, making it highly possible to see an orca in the wild during a visit to the San Juan Islands.

(JIM MAYA/MAYA'S WESTSIDE WHALE CHARTERS )

I am one of those whale fanatics who plan their travel around whale migration patterns. Part of my regular route includes an annual pilgrimage to Washington's San Juan Island where I pay homage to my favorite marine mammal of all -- the orca.

When a wild orca emerges from its watery home to inspect you, its pectoral fin quavering up to 6 feet out of the water, or when it bursts into the air in a slow spin then crashes back down and slips away, the experience will burn itself into the part of your memory where best days ever get filed.

San Juan Island is the easiest place on Earth to spot an orca. A community of 84 fish-eating southern resident orcas from three separate pods frequent the west side of the island almost daily throughout the summer and a number of marine-mammal-eating transient orcas make cameos year-round.

Ever since I saw an amazing spectacle there in 2008, I have timed my visits to coincide with an event held every June, usually on the Saturday closest to the summer solstice: the

in front of the lighthouse at Lime Kiln Point State Park.

Fred West, a peace activist, musician and whale lover, and his Seattle-based group, the City Cantabile Choir, give something beautiful to the orcas each year: They sing to them.

"The orcas have gotten served some of the worst of humanity," West says. "So I thought let's go out there with one of the best gifts that we can offer -- music. It's not destructive, it's not invasive, it's not toxic to them, we're not trying to exploit them. We're just saying, here, this is something that human beings do pretty well, harmoniously."

At sunset, the choir faces the water and sings. Usually the group is joined by guest musicians, including Tlingit tribal member Odin Lonning and his partner, "Orca Annie" Stateler, who perform ancient greeting songs on traditional instruments.

Some years, the orcas show up for the concert, others, they do not. In 2008, all three pods of southern resident orcas converged to form a superpod of 55 animals. The orcas moved in a procession along the rocks by the lighthouse, fin-slapping, rolling, blowing bubbles and spy-hopping at a curious sight: a superpod of musicians, whale scientists, local environmental organizations and whale lovers like me perched on the rocks, singing "Amazing Grace."

Orcas have long visited the San Juans. Coast Salish tribes folded them into their mythology; some believed orcas to be reincarnated tribal chiefs. Orcas were said to have kept tribal members company as they canoed between islands singing paddling songs.

Early European-American settlers, on the other hand, shot at orcas from land and sea, perceiving them as a competitive threat to their fish and marine mammal harvests and also out of an unfounded fear that orcas were dangerous to humans.

Between 1962 and 1975, 45 orcas from the Salish Sea were captured to be displayed in aquariums and marine parks. Early efforts to keep the animals alive in captivity failed dismally, and premature mortality in captive orcas continues to be high today.

The upside of keeping orcas in captivity, however, has been a dramatic rise in awareness of their intelligence, personality and charisma. In 1993, a certain movie about a certain captive orca brought the captive versus wild dilemma to a head, and now there is a whole generation of newly minted grown-ups running around, hoping for their "Free Willy" moment.

Today, the water around the San Juan Islands is full of boats toting camera-clutching, orange-lifejacket clad passengers praying for a glimpse of the whales. A 200-yard distance rule between boats and orcas is in effect in Washington -- an effort to give the animals some space from their admirers so that they can hear one another above the boat noise.

Even more than space, the whales need food. The chinook salmon population, the preferred food of the southern resident orcas, is shockingly low because of overfishing, dams, fish farms, habitat loss and pollution, which means the orcas are stressed and hungry.

Orcas have never been so beloved, and never have we caused them so much harm.

Which is part of what makes the Orca Sing is so compelling -- it's a way to honor and appreciate the orcas without causing them distress.

The sun tints the distant mountains gold, the sea takes on hints of pink. The music is wonderful. In 2012, there wasn't a fin or flipper in sight during the concert but they had gifted many of us with their presence at the lighthouse and on the water earlier that day.

We hoped they could hear our song, wherever they were.

If you go

The 14th Annual Orca Sing

will begin at 6 p.m. June 22 at Lime Kiln Point State Park; suggested donation is $5.

The trip from Portland includes a five-hour drive to Anacortes, Wash., and then a one-hour

ferry ride

to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. I prefer to break up the trip with an overnight stay in Anacortes the night before boarding the ferry. Anacortes is a cute town in its own right with lovely sleeping and eating options. We feel very at home at the classic

during our layovers.

The ferry ride to San Juan Island is a pleasure. Just the right proportion of green land splits sea from sky. My husband and I have our annual, "Why don't we have a hobby farm on San Juan Island" conversation, our eyes at rest on the cerulean sea.

The first thing I do upon arriving in Friday Harbor is visit

(62 First St. N.; 360-378-4710). It's a little museum, jampacked with orca facts. Every orca sighting I have had around the island was richer and more informed for having spent time at the museum. Thanks to the exhibits, I can identify individual orcas, get a sense of their behavior and perhaps most importantly, find out where the orcas were most recently sighted, thanks to the log the museum keeps.

While I have spotted orcas from the railing of the museum, more often, my next move has been to gather a picnic at the Saturday morning farmers market (sjifarmersmarket.com) in town, grab a latte for the road at The Bean Cafe (thebeancafe.com), then head for the west side of the island.

If I am one of the smart ones who scored a coveted campsite at

months before, I head there and pitch my tent. If I have been extra smart, I will have hired

to pitch a canvas cabin tent for me in my reserved site. It will be waiting there, complete with pillow-top bed, microfiber sheets and a bottomless ice pit in my cooler for the weekend. That way, I can just toss my bag in the tent and hit the water.

If you are hoping to paddle among orcas, San Juan County Park and Snug Harbor are the best places to launch a kayak. Guide services (see below) offer three-hour, full day and multiday trips. Start with the half-day paddle that runs along a shoreline laced with kelp beds, frequented by harbor seals, salmon and seabirds, along with the big black and white pickles we're all dreaming of. In the summertime, orcas pass by San Juan County Park almost every day, making it possible to barbecue and whale-watch at the same time.

While there is nothing like being approached by an orca when on land or in a kayak, sometimes it is nice to be brought out to the whales. I go for small boats run by friendly seasoned local captains who have trained naturalists on board.

Lime Kiln Point State Park, just south of San Juan County Park, is the best place for viewing orcas from shore. Spend the day there between June and September, and you are very likely to spot an orca. The park also maintains a hydrophone with speakers, so you can listen to the orcas chatter, whistle and pop with what I would swear is delight as they frolic and feed in the kelp beds 20 feet from where you are standing. This hydrophone, along with ones set up just north of Lime Kiln Point State Park, Port Townsend, Seattle and Neah Bay are up and running year-round and broadcast live at orcasound.net.

Where to stay

, eat and hire a whale-watching boat





: The best place to camp on San Juan Island. Books early -- start calling in mid-March for summer reservations.

: If you want to travel light but sleep like a sultan in the woods, order a basecamp set up through Camp San Juan. They will set up canvas cabin tents complete with beds, glorious microfiber sheets, and everything you need to be comfortable for the weekend including the option of a bottomless ice pit for your cooler.



Island Inn at 123 West:

A stay at the Island Inn is my consolation prize if I did not score a coveted spot at San Juan County Park for the weekend. The inn was built to be a series of condominiums, then converted into hip, comfortable rooms, suites and penthouses. It is one of those places you will feel sad upon checking into because one day, you will have to leave. Harbor views, microfiber sheets, intuitive service and delicious granola hit all my happy places. It's dog friendly, too. http://123west.com,

877-512-9262



Backdoor Kitchen:

Inventive international cuisine that goes heavy on the organic and local. Finding the place, hidden in a corner of Friday Harbor is part of the fun. Enjoy a night on the patio surrounded by bamboo and firepits over tasty cocktails and even tastier food. 360-378-9540, 400b "A" St., Friday Harbor

The San Juan Island Farmers Market is located at Brickworks in Friday Harbor, and runs 10 a.m.-1 p.m. every Saturday from mid-April through the third week of October.

150 Nicholas St., http://www.sjifarmersmarket.com/

Kayak companies

(360-378-3533)and

(360-378-5767) launch from San Juan County Park, and

(877-732-7877)

runs out of Snug Harbor. Both areas are on the western side of San Juan Island, where the southern resident orca pods spend the most time each summer.

Whale-watching boats

: Captain Jim Maya, a retired schoolteacher and longtime naturalist, has been watching and photographing orcas around the San Juan Island since 1988 and running a guide service since 1996. His boat seats six people and always has a certified naturalist aboard. Maya has a reputation for being especially good with children and photographers. 360-378-7996

Anacortes

: Generously appointed rooms in a spacious and charming colonial mansion. Easy walk downtown for an evening meal and five minutes from the ferry.

Adrift Restaurant:

Snappy service, a proper burger, memorable seafood dishes and a clean, open setting. Locals love this place the most for a reason. 510 Commercial Ave., Anacortes, (360-588-0653)

62 First St N., Friday Harbor

360-378-4710

My starting point for every museum to San Juan Island. The Whale Museum is packed with information about orcas and other local wildlife and history and bears repeat visits for its up-to-date whale sighting log alone.

Orcasound Project:

offers an opportunity to listen to orcas vocalizing year round and participate in orca research by notifying researchers when you detect orca sounds as they pass by underwater hydrophones which are set up at Lime Kiln Point State Park, north of Lime Kiln, Port Townsend, Seattle and Neah Bay. orcasound.net/

--

is a travel writer and sculptor in Portland.