Kelly | M/V Osprey | Monday, May 5th 2025 | 2pm
The harbor was heating up in the mid-day sun as we waited to depart on the M/V Osprey. I Certainty appreciated the the cool breeze as we picked up speed and headed north up San Juan Channel. Without wasting any time we b-lined it to a reported location of 11 Bigg's killer whales. We met up with these whales in Boundary Pass, just south of the Canadian border. This group was made up of multiple families including:
T65B's
- T65B Chunk 1993 F
- T65B1 Birdsall 2011 M
- T65B2 Nettle 2019 ?
- T65B3 Rook 2023 ?
T124A's
- T124A Kittiwake 1984 F
- T124A6 Kassun 2016 ?
- T124A7 ----- 2021 F
T100B's
- T100B Freya 1997 F
- T100B1 Seidr 2010 M
- T100B3 Selkie 2024 F
- T100E Tharaya 2009 F
We were almost instantly treated to incredible looks at this large group. The majority of them were clustered together, surfacing side by side. One whale however, was isolated away from the group. T100B1 Seidr was porpoising off our starboard side. Porposing, is when killer whales are swimming very fast and come up to the surface for a breath, because they have so much momentum going, their body is partially propelled out of the water. At one point, he surface right under Mt. Baker! T100B1 gender is still unknown, but after these looks, I feel fairly confident that he is a male. That dorsal fin looks like a sprouter to me! (Sprouting occurs during a males teenage years, when the 6ft dorsal fin begins to develop). For the majority of our time on scene, Seidr sustained separation from the group. Did he just need some alone time? Stinky teenager? Bad behavior? We'll never know, but it sure is fun to speculate. The main group began to (what looked like) socialize, milling in the same area. We were treated to endless tail slaps and a few rolls right at the surface! The whales eventually began to head steady east, side by side in a gorgeous row of dorsal fins all exhaling in unison.
Our last stop of the day was a harbor seal haul out area. We watched about 15 or so lounging on a reef just off McConnell Island, soaking up the hot sun this perfect spring day provided.
See photos from this tour here: https://sanjuansafaris.smugmug.com/5525-KK