Aly Liu | M/V Kestrel | June 18th, 2026 | 2:00 pm
After departing the dock at Friday Harbor, Kestrel cruised south down San Juan Channel past Cattle Point Lighthouse on San Juan Island to Whale Rocks, a common Steller sea lion haul-out site in our region. 2400-pound male sea lions started our trip off with a bang by plummeting head-first into the water beneath them, allowing gravity to do the rest and create massive splashes. How dramatic they were!
We continued our journey southeast towards Smith Island, where we were delighted to find not one, not two, but three tufted puffins loafing at the surface of the ocean!
Our time with these adorable alcid seabirds was brief, as the blows of three Bigg’s killer whales were within eye’s reach! Matriarch “Hutchins” was leading two of her offspring on a journey north along the east side of Lopez Island, providing our boat with breathtaking looks with Mount Baker in the backdrop. None of the mountain ranges were shy today; it was truly a 360 panorama between the North Cascades, Mount Tahoma, and the Olympic Mountain Range.
T100 “Hutchins” – female, born around 1979
- T100C “Laurel” – male, born in 2002
- T100F “Estrella” – (?), born in 2014
Then, in the distance, a much taller blow was spotted…it was a humpback whale! We were so excited to see both types of whales today, both a toothed whale and a baleen whale.
And just when we thought things could not possibly get better…we saw a third species of cetacean! It was none other than Paul, the gray whale!! Truly whale-soup out there. He said hello to us through his very pungent ghost-shrimp-smelling breath, which was our cue to head home.
Thanks to all who joined us on this truly fantastic adventure, and thanks to the two people celebrating their birthdays with us who brought us spectacular luck today!
Want more information about the Pacific Whale Watch Association? See https://www.pacificwhalewatchassociation.com/
Want to see more photos from our trips? Visit our SmugMug page at: https://sanjuansafaris.smugmug.com/