Lauren Tschirhart | October 6th, 2026 | M/V Osprey | 1:30 pm
Our whale friends really showed up for us on this foggy afternoon. Most of the Salish Sea was covered in a thick white hazy blanket this morning, which makes spotting whales and wildlife a bit difficult. Lucky for us, the T046B’s were seen traveling along the ferry route this morning. Not only were these whales seen traveling in an area where boats could easily acquire them… but by the time we left the dock they were right outside of Friday Harbor!
The M/V Osprey departed Friday Harbor and headed north in San Juan Channel. After only about ten minutes of traveling, we started to see boats appear in the fog. We slowed the vessel down and made our way on scene with the T046B’s. The T046B’s are a family of Bigg’s Killer Whales, also known as Transient Orcas. This family is made up of:
- T046B/Raksha — female, born in 1988
- T046B2/Akela — female, born in 2008
- T046B2B/Takaya — female, born in 2023
- T046B3/Sedna — female, born in 2011
- T046B3A/Munro — born in 2025
- T046B4/Quiver — male, born in 2014
- T046B6/Sol — female, born in 2019
- T046B7/Tala — born in 2023
- T046B8/Pi — born in 2026
- T046B2/Akela — female, born in 2008
There are four whales under the age of three in this matriline… How cute! We thoroughly enjoyed our time watching three generations of apex predators swim together in a tight group. We observed these whales as they headed south in San Juan Channel, eventually passing Friday Harbor. We departed these whales in search of other wildlife, and made our way over to Cattle Pass. We slowly cruised past Goose Island, viewing several species of birds foraging in the kelp. We passed Cattle Point Lighthouse, watching as it slowly disappeared into the fog. Lastly we stopped at Whale Rocks to observe a large group of Steller Sea Lions. As we made our way back north towards Friday Harbor, we got some bonus whale time as the T046B’s were still traveling south in the channel. Score!
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/