Lauren | M/V Kestrel | Saturday, May 3rd | 2:00 PM
Today was our season opener aboard the M/V Kestrel, also known as our adventure tour! This zodiac is the fastest vessel in our fleet, and a crew favorite. The M/V Kestrel is double the speed of our other boats, expanding our range 20+ miles, allowing for a wider range of trip itineraries. Today we went the furthest northwest I’ve ever been on one of our boats! Taking a trip through the iconic Sansum Narrows. This passageway between Vancouver Island and Saltspring Island is full of jagged rock and picturesque cliffsides. Sansum Narrows is an hour transit aboard the M/V Kestrel, so we wasted no time heading up there.
After leaving Friday Harbor, we made a quick stop at Sentinel Rock to view some hauled out rock sausages… I mean harbor seals. We continued northwest across the Haro Strait and into Prevost Passage. We had made our way to Canada! We passed the Swartz Bay ferry dock and cruised through Satellite Channel, our destination finally in sight; The Sansum Narrows. We caught up with mama T019/Nootka and her two adult sons T019B/Galiano and T019C/Spouter. T019B/Galiano has always held such a special place in my heart as a fellow 1995 baby. It was my first time getting to wish my birth-year buddy a Happy Dirty 30! This is my 5th season working at San Juan Safaris, and one of the best parts of my job has been growing up alongside these whales. Seeing young males come into their own and sprout up from awkward teenagers to full grown adults has been the pleasure of a lifetime. One whale in particular that comes to mind is T019C/Spouter. His growth spurt the past five years has been impressive. T019B/Galiano has been deemed one of the largest males in the Coastal Bigg’s Population, but I think baby brother T019C/Spouter is giving him a run for his money! We observed as these three whales headed south down the narrows, zigging and zagging from one side to the other. We departed these whales and prepped for our hour transit home. We made one last stop at Green Point to view some Steller’s Sea Lions before making our way back to Friday Harbor. I am excited to see what other adventures await the M/V Kestrel this season!