Kelly | M/V Osprey | April 15th, 2026 | 1:30pm
The weather was moody as we exited Friday Harbor and took a left into San Juan Channel. Depending on which direction you looked the sky varied from overcast, heavy rain and bright sunshine. We slipped over the top of San Juan Island and very quickly slowed our speed as we approached a pair of killer whales from a half mile. These whales were identified as:
T65 Whidbey II (before) 1968 F
T63 Chainsaw 1978 M
This mother and son duo had just departed Henry Islands shoreline and began swimming into a bigger body of water known as the Haro Strait. They continued to swim further and further apart from each other. Chainsaw, with his distinctive 6ft double notched fin (the most recognizable in the population!), surfaced closer at 200 yards off our port side, Whidbey surfacing double that distance parallel to her son. We watched the two suddenly b-line it for each other, meeting up and continuing their journey side by side. Typically, male orcas stay with their mom for life, this is a perfect example of this commonly seen strong mother son bond. Chainsaw, well into adult hood, is rarely seen without his mother near by.
After briefly slipping into Canadian water, we turned back to the US and cruised down Spieden Island's shoreline. The spring wildflower blooms now in full force, dusting the hillsides with purple pink hue. Numerous Mouflon Sheep grazed on the colorful cliffs. We of course, ended our visit with a look at the massive Steller sea lions, both in and out of the water. Perfect day on the water packed with a variety of spring wildlife.
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