Olivia Ellman | M/V Kestrel | Monday, June 16th, 2025 | 2:00 PM
Our afternoon trip was full of wildlife as we traveled among many of the San Juan Islands. After stopping to view some harbor seals on one of the Wasp Islands, we continued traveling along the western side of Orcas Island through President’s Channel. We suddenly saw a bald eagle dive into the water, and begin swimming to shore! Once the eagle emerged from the water, it revealed its catch of a large salmon. The eagle hauled the salmon onto the rocks and began eating it right in front of us, before taking off and carrying it around the trees. We spotted another eagle in a nest nearby, so we wondered if the salmon might be brought to some chicks. We soon lost track of the eagle, so continued traveling north, excited for what other amazing sights were ahead of us!
We cruised around Sucia Island and took in stunning views of Mt. Baker in the distance. Eventually, we found a group of boats to the east that were with a group of Bigg’s Killer Whales! This turned out to be the T65Bs, a family of four that consists of Mom T65B Chunk and her three calves Birdsall, Nettle, and Rook. Birdsall is a 14 year old male that has already sprouted a tall dorsal fin, and he was surfacing in the front of the group. Chunk and her younger two (6 year old Nettle and 2 year old Rook) were traveling closely behind. The family was moving pretty slowly and taking five minute dives, so we got to enjoy some beautiful looks at them each time they surfaced. At one point, they turned right towards us and swam across our bow! These closer looks allowed us to see Chunk’s distinct notch in her dorsal fin, and really appreciate the size of these beautiful animals. We spent a bit more time watching the whales slowly travel towards Lummi Island, and after another closer surfacing we waved goodbye to our whale family and began our travels towards home. Our sunny ride back to Friday Harbor was the perfect end to our amazing afternoon adventure.