Levi Vandebunte | M/V Osprey | August 11th, 2026 | 12:30pm
We started this tour with a visit to a nearby kelp bed near Turn Rock to search for a Sea Otter that tends to frequent that spot. Just as we began searching we noticed him swimming towards the kelp from deeper water! It appeared that he was eating something small, perhaps a clam from the sea floor below. We watched him enjoy his lunch for a few minutes before departing and moving North up San Juan Channel. We were lucky enough to have a report of whales very close by, so today's transit was a short one! We travelled a few minutes up the channel and turned around the top of Shaw Island to see the T19 family of Bigg's Killer Whales! This family is led by their mother/matriarch T19 "Nootka". Her exact birth year is unknown, but we know that it is before 1965! this makes her one of the oldest living whales in the entire Bigg's population. She travels with her two adult sons, "Galiano" and "Spouter". These two boys are absolutely MASSIVE. Several people in the region believe that "Galiano" is indeed the biggest whale in the entire population, but you can debate that amongst yourselves! We watched these whales circle the entirety of Jones Island, seemingly looking for prey while doing so. We didn't know for sure, but I was fairly confident that they did indeed grab a Harbor Seal early in the circumnavigation of Jones, and were then prey-sharing for a bit afterwards. "Nootka" was looking way younger than a 60+ year old whale today, as she performed multiple tail slaps on the surface of the water! She even spyhopped at one point, sticking her entire face/head out of the water. "Galiano" also showed some behaviors throughout the encounter. He at one point was floating motionless at the surface, letting the current push him backwards. Then he suddenly performed a huge tail slap (see above photo) and began swimming against the current! We ended the encounter with some awesome looks at all three whales coming up for breaths together. This is one of our absolute favorite Bigg's families, and we love every chance we get to say hello to them! After leaving the whales, we cruised North a bit to check out Spieden Island. We chatted about the interesting history of the island and even saw a very large male Mouflon Sheep grazing on the hillside. We then went back down San Juan Channel and spotted a Bald Eagle as it dove into the water and grabbed a fish! It landed on a nearby branch and began eating it's well-earned meal. After that we returned back to Friday Harbor and recapped an epic day on the Salish Sea!
The IDs and details of the three Killer Whales that we saw are as follows:
Bigg's Killer Whales (3):
T19 "Nootka" (F) b. <1965
T19B "Galiano" (M) b. 1995
T19C "Spouter" (M) b. 2001
This group of passengers was full of excitement and amazing questions. We thank them for choosing to spend their day with us here at San Juan Safaris!!!
Wanting to see more photos from our trips? Visit our SmugMug page at: https://sanjuansafaris.smugmug.com/
More information about the Pacific Whale Watch Association: https://www.pacificwhalewatchassociation.com/