Aly Liu | M/V Kestrel | Sunday, September 13, 2026 | 2:00 PM
Today we had the pleasure of taking the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) out on our adventure tour aboard M/V Kestrel! Let’s just say those exposure suits came in handy….
We departed from Roche Harbor and hung a left directly into Haro Strait, where we had a warm welcome from some snotty swells…however, it was nothing our beloved Kestrel could not handle. We trekked across Haro into Canadian waters towards Victoria B.C. after a report of a group of 6 Bigg’s killer whales. And boy was the wet journey worth it!!
We met up with a matriline known as the T109As in Oak Bay, where they were hugging the shoreline and weaving between smaller islands like a thread through a needle. This is one of my favorite families here in the Salish Sea, as you aren’t often treated to both the majestic large dorsal fin of a male, as well as an adorable baby calf! Here are the IDs, names, genders (if known), and ages of this curious group of six marine-mammal eating killer whales:
- T109A/Frio/Runaway — female, born in 1990
- T109A4/Garrett— male, born in 2012
- T109A5/Argyle — born in 2014
- T109A6/Riley — female, born in 2018
- T109A7/Wieland — male, born in 2021
- T109A8/Weiss — born in 2025
We waved goodbye to these truly magical animals and enjoyed a much calmer and warmer transit back home across the strait.
Thanks a ton to this adventurous group who insisted on getting a taste of a true adventure to see those whales!!
More information on the Pacific Whale Watch Association: https://www.pacificwhalewatchassociation.com/