Lauren Tschirhart | June 25th, 2026 | M/V Kestrel | 2:00 pm
Our Adventure Whale Watch & Wildlife Tour was filled with overcast skies and orca whales! Our cruise began by departing Friday Harbor and making a stop near Point Caution to view a bald eagle. We continued northeast, eventually making our way into Presidents Channel. We made another stop at Skipjack Island to observe some rock sausages, aka harbor seals. Next we cruised by Eastpoint Lighthouse on Saturna Island, eventually making our way on scene with 7 Bigg’s Killer Whales. This group of whales was made up of the T065B’s and members of the T124A’s. We watched as these whales surfaced in a tight resting line. Often when orcas sleep, they group up in a horizontal line, all surfacing in unison. It is really impressive to see 7 whales, with their 3 to 6 foot dorsal fins all surfacing together. Their breath cycles were synced up and we watched as they slowly made their way northwest. Cetaceans have an adaptation called unihemispheric slow wave sleep, where they essentially rest one hemisphere of their brains at a time. They do not sleep like humans. Humans are unconscious breathers, we breathe without even having to think about it. Whales on the other hand are conscious breathers, they have to make the decision to come to the surface to breathe. Many dolphin species continue to swim as they snooze. No matter what behavior we are witnessing, it’s always a pleasure to be in their presence. We are guests in their homes, so we get to see most everything they do. From sleeping, to socializing and sometimes even hunting and mating! We left these sleepy whales and made a final stop at Patos Island Lighthouse. We got breathtaking looks at this lighthouse with Mount Baker in the background and then made our way back to the dock.