Kelly | M/V Kestrel | Sunday, June 22nd 2025 | 2:00 PM
June-uary was in full force as we left Friday Harbor and took a right in San Juan Channel. The sky was an overcast grey but that certainly didn't stop the wildlife from making an appearance! Our first stop was a small rocky area just off San Juan's eastern shoreline. These rocks were crawling with harbor seals. We have around 300 of these known harbor seal haul out areas in the San Juan's. Having a fused pelvis does come with limitations...and these hotspots offer the perfect conditions for these pinnipeds to wiggle their bodies up onto the shore. Next, we made a stop at Whale Rocks( a known hotspot for our Steller sea lions). The Steller's were extremely vocal today, showing off that distinctive belch like roar.
After the Steller's, we quickly zipped back up San Juan Channel and into Upright Channel. We made a stop along the Shaw shoreline for an incredible look at an active bald eagle nest. Not only was this an incredibly large nest, it also had a eaglet sitting in it! It's fluffy dark head popping out from the right side. Next, we slowly made our way on scene with 4 Biggs Killer Whales identified as the T065B's:
- T065B/Chunk — female, born in 1993
- T065B1/Birdsall — male, born in 2011
- T065B2/Nettle/Corvis — born in 2019
- T065B3/Rook — male, born in 2023
This family was traveling mostly as a tight unit, occasionally splitting off into two groups as they made their way down Upright Channel and into San Juan Channel. They continuously fluctuated from hugging the shoreline, to pushing off and pointing towards the open channel- surprising us with each surface! Teenager, T065B1's dorsal fin already towering over his mothers, and clearly the most notable in the quartet. Overall, a lovey day on the water with a wide variety of wildlife!