Olivia Ellman | M/V Osprey | August 18th, 2026 | 12:30 pm
Today’s classic tour was likely my favorite all month, and some of my favorite photos I’ve taken all season! The T49As have been seen all over the area these last weeks, so it was no surprise to hear that they were reported north of San Juan Island today. We set out of Friday Harbor in that general direction, stopping along Spieden to see some great looks at many moufflon sheep and a few harbor seals resting on the shoreline. We made it to Stuart Island and slowed our speed… the 49As were traveling near Turn Point! Once we began to see their dorsal fins, we took some time to figure out what their speed and dives times were. It seemed like they were in slow travel mode, and we enjoyed beautiful looks during each surface interval. As they neared Turn Point Lighthouse, we noticed they were traveling a bit faster and taking shorter dives. Then suddenly, we witnessed some changes in direction and speed! With some surface disturbances, it appeared that they were hunting! We saw powerful movements at the surface, a beautiful spy hop from mom 49A “Nan”, and adorable quick surfacings from all the younger siblings. We even got to see some looks at some of the baby whale tails in the air as they all got I’m on some prey sharing! From here they continued on around Stuart, and we watched them for some time in the most beautiful glassy waters. Small bits of surface action continued, before they seemed to get back into some slower travel. I truly love every encounter with the 49As, but this one will remain one of my favorites!
We enjoyed a beautiful ride back towards Friday Harbor, spotting harbor porpoise and a bald eagle on the way.
Want 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/