Aly Liu | M/V Kestrel | June 2nd, 2026 | 2:00 pm
The word around town is that the Salish Sea is one of the most productive and biologically abundant bodies of water on Earth, and today we got to experience this firsthand out on our speediest vessel, Kestrel. We cruised our way down south out of Friday Harbor through Cattle Pass and found ourselves just West of Whidbey Island. The glossy conditions made the dorsal fins, flukes, and massive exhalations in the distance of two whales stick out like sore thumbs.
As every humpback whale has a unique coloration pattern on the underside of their fluke, we were able to identify these two baleen whales as BCX0298, “Split Fin” (Male), and BCX1675, “Strike” (Female). Strike was first identified in 2015, and Split Fin was first identified in 2006. Split Fin is the son of one of the most iconic whales in the Salish Sea, “Big Mama,” who has been credited with the revival of the humpback population in our waters following the whaling era.
Just as we were getting our final looks at these whales, a massive splash erupted at the stern of the boat. The humpbacks said, “just you wait, the show is just beginning!”. We enjoyed a series of incredible breaches, tail slaps, and even simultaneous pectoral slaps between the two whales, all with Mount Baker/Koma Kulshan in the backdrop. We had to leave the party, as we had a plethora of other wildlife to see, including tufted puffins outside of Smith Island, and Steller sea lions, Harlequin ducks, and Black oystercatchers on Whale Rocks.
What an incredible day full of wildlife, sunshine, and smiles. Thanks to all who joined us!
Want more information about the Pacific Whale Watch Association? See https://www.pacificwhalewatchassociation.com/
Want to see more photos from our trips? Visit our SmugMug page at: https://sanjuansafaris.smugmug.com/