Aly Liu | M/V Osprey | Sunday, August 30, 2026 | 12:30 pm
Today was quite the cozy day aboard Osprey; town has begun to slow down after peak summer season, and the gray skies and winds allude to fall just around the corner.
With reports of whales over in Rosario Strait, we made our way northeast from Friday Harbor, weaving between Shaw and Lopez Island. After weaving through Obstruction Island and Blakely Island, we found a haulout of harbor seals at Peapod Rocks! These 250-300 pound rock sausages are the favorite meal of the creatures just ahead: six Bigg’s Killer Whales! We parallel-viewed a matriline known as the T099s, accompanied by a female from another family, as they traveled north along Lummi Island, with stunning views of Koma Kulshan and Bellingham Bay in the backdrop. Here are the IDs, names, genders, and birth years of all six whales present:
- T037A4/Crinkle — female, born in 2015
- T099/Bella — female, born around 1984
- T099B/Holly — female, born in 2007
- T099C/Barakat — male, born in 2009
- T099D/Puck — male, born in 2015
- T099E/Qwiin qwiin oo quii la — female, born in 2021
We congratulated Bella on her beautiful family (and plus one) before beginning our long, cozy, sleepy transit home through the Salish Sea.
Check out the photos from today at: https://sanjuansafaris.smugmug.com/
More information on the Pacific Whale Watch Association: https://www.pacificwhalewatchassociation.com/