Olivia Esqueda | May 4th, 2026 | M/V Osprey | 9:00am
This morning, we were the first vessel off the dock. It was warm, there were calm seas, and mountain views. With hot coffee in hand, this felt like a wonderful way to start the day in the Salish Sea. We set off north up San Juan Channel, curved through Spring Passage, and headed into President’s Channel because there were some rumors from an early morning water taxi of sightings north of Orcas Island and heading towards East Point on Saturna Island.
With extremely calm waters, we had great visibility in every direction, meaning we slowed our vessel down and just sat scanning the area. During our search for whales, we looked at a haul out of Harbor Seals basking in the sun on Skipjack Island. Shortly after, we headed further west in Boundary Pass towards Sandy Point and found the T049A’s!
This matriline of Bigg’s Killer Whales [mammal eaters] has been around a lot this spring, and one of the most frequently seen families in the Salish Sea that last few years as well. With a young calf first spotted in February and a sprouting male, we had quite the size range with this family of six (excluding her two elder sons that have been traveling with other matrilines lately).
We watched as this family traveled together, inching their way towards Spieden Island. Eventually peeling off, we continued back towards home, with full hearts, coffee and morning whales!
Wanting to see more photos from our trips? Visit our SmugMug page at: https://sanjuansafaris.smugmug.com/
More information about the Pacific Whale Watch Association: https://www.pacificwhalewatchassociation.com/