Kelly | M/V Sea Lion | March 8th, 2026 | 12:30pm
Truly an unprecedented winter day here in the San Juan. Not only was the weather near perfect- sunny skies and calm water, we also had a report of killer whales right in our backyard! A person on shore at Cattle Pass (the narrow passage between San Juan and Lopez Island) had spotted killer whales heading north into San Juan Channel. We turned the corner out of Friday Harbor aboard the M/V Sea Lion and pointed south toward the report. After motoring for less than 20 minutes, a guest on board spotted a large dorsal fin in the distance along Lopez Island's shoreline (shoutout to our incredible spotter on board!). Sure enough we were soon watching two killer whales, one adult male and a smaller orca with a shorter fin. These two were soon identified as members of the T60's including:
- T060C/Yelnats — male, born in 2001
- T060F/Tigris — female, born in 2012
A brother and sister duo! This family typically travels as a unit of 4, prompting us to wonder where the other two missing family members might be...mom and the youngest. We didn't have to wonder too much longer, in the distance more dorsal arose from the water, revealing:
- T060/Panthera — female, estimated to be born in 1980
- T060G/Uncia — female, born in 2019
Slowly, T60C and F made their way across the channel, toward mom and their younger sibling. After a particularly long dive, we were surprised by the youngest whale Uncia (T60G) as she surfaced off our port side unexpectedly. We shut our engines off and watched as the 7 year old youngster contiguously surfaced in a circle, almost like she was investing something that had caught her interest. After 5 minutes of this circling behavior, suddenly mom surfaced! Mom followed suit and began to circle along with the baby of the family. We quickly realized what was happening when a harbor seal poked it's head out of the water directly between mom and daughter. Predation event? Playtime? Perhaps a bit of both. My best guess is that this was perhaps a teaching moment between mom and her youngest. Soon, the other two sibling appeared and joined the party. After all 4 went down on a long dive, they continued normal travel behavior and pointed north up San Juan channel. No sign of the harbor seal after...perhaps they finished the kill on the long dive? We do so much guessing out on the water as these apex hunters spend most of their life submerged. We only get a tiny glimpse into the mysterious lives they lead.
To finish off the tour we stopped at the notorious Spieden island, green and lush from the winter rain. Mouflon sheep grazed along the hillside next to numerous bald eagles. One eagle munching on a fish, held tight in it's talons as he ripped it apart with its razor sharp beak. A trip to Spieden this time of year would not be complete without Steller Sea lions that congregate on the island southern end, known as Green Point. We watched these pinnipeds nap along the shoreline, also enjoying the wonderfully unusual sunny winter day.
To view photos from this tour click here:
https://sanjuansafaris.smugmug.com/3726-kk