Abby | M/V Sea Lion | March 29th, 2026 | 12:30pm
We had a wet trip this Sunday afternoon with rain drizzling down from the start. As we departed from Friday Harbor, we headed towards Lopez Island. We had a report of a group of Bigg’s Killer Whales traveling towards the Lopez Island Ferry Dock. It did not take us long to see some exhalations in the distance and those iconic black dorsal fins sticking out from the grey rainy background. We began viewing a group of 6 killer whales from the T049A matriline.
T049A/Nan — female, born in 1986
T049A3/Nat — male, born in 2011
T049A4/Neptune — male, born in 2014
T049A5/Nebula — female, born in 2017
T049A6/Charlie II — male, born in 2022
T049A7 — born in 2026
It felt like such a special trip as this family had a sprouting male, meaning his large dorsal fin was a bit wobbly as he was still growing into his full size. We also were able to view the new baby – T049A7! At first this group was transiting along the shoreline of Lopez Island, but we then noticed a change in their behavior. They must have been hunting! They began to stay in one place and swim in towards each other, as if they were prey sharing underwater. We got some great looks of them as they continued to share their kill, what we think might have been a harbor seal! It was an incredible trip seeing these Bigg’s Killer Whales (the marine mammal eaters) in their environment exhibiting their natural hunting behaviors. Not only did we see this family, but we also had some great looks of numerous Bald Eagles, Pelagic Cormorants, Rhinoceros Auklets, and a Steller's Sea Lion! The rain didn’t stop us from having an unforgettable trip!
Wanting 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/