Aly Liu | M/V Kestrel | Sunday, August 2, 2026 | 10:00 am
Today we got a closer look at what we mean when we say that the Salish Sea is one of the most biologically productive bodies of water in the world. At Goose Rock south of Friday Harbor, double-crested and pelagic cormorants welcomed us to Cattle Pass. Moments later, we said hello to the Steller sea lions at Whale Rocks. From there, we followed reports south into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where we joined a spread out family of four Bigg’s killer whales!
- T077/Asja — female, born around 1981
- T077C / Neftali — male, born in 2006
- T077D / Alcyon — female, born in 2009
- T077E/Misneach — born in 2016
Then, right off our bow, two 15-foot blows appeared in the distance…two humpbacks had joined the party! We got incredible looks at their flukes before we waved them goodbye. Between Castle Island and Lopez Island, we stopped the engines to listen to the plethora of bird calls echoing between the two rocks, such as belted kingfishers, pigeon guillemots, and black oystercatchers. A majestic bald eagle was perched atop Castle Rock, observing the whole scene. As we were circumnavigating Lopez up the east side towards home, we found the animal with the densest fur of any animal on Earth, the sea otter!
Thanks for being such an enthusiastic morning group everyone!
Check out the photos from today at: https://sanjuansafaris.smugmug.com/
More information on the Pacific Whale Watch Association: https://www.pacificwhalewatchassociation.com/