Aly Liu | M/V Kestrel | Sunday, September 6, 2026 | 10:00 AM
Little did I know this morning when I crawled out of bed that I was about to spend the morning with 15 whales, let alone perhaps the most iconic Bigg’s killer whale of the Salish Sea.
We usually start the trip with an introduction to the marine mammals of the San Juans, but this morning, there was no time for this, as four toothed whales were visible from the naked eye before even exiting the harbor. I failed at keeping my cool upon realizing who it was, particularly Chainsaw, who I have a sticker of on my water bottle who I had only seen once before in my life. We were spoiled with looks of 3 tall dorsal fins with the morning light glimmering through their exhalations above the surface, all with Mount Baker and Whidbey Island in the back. What a truly unbelievable start to the day.
- T065/Whidbey II — female, born before 1968
- T063/Chainsaw — male, born in 1978
- T137A/Jack — male, born in 2002
- T065A3/Amir(a) — male, born in 2007
The day was far from over; next, we headed north through San Juan Channel to hang out with a group of 2 other families of 11 other killer whales, including two adorable calves, all the way in Canada.
The T049As and T035As were slowly traveling north along Moresby Island, even showing off their bellies and handstand abilities.
- 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*/Nimbus — born in 2026
- T035A/Lester — female, born in 1998
- T035A2/Topaz — born in 2013
- T035A3/Garnet — born in 2018
- T035A4/Agate — female, born in 2022
- T035A5 — born in 2026
Finally, we cut through Spieden Channel on the way back to Friday Harbor, where we enjoyed mouflon sheep, fallow deer, harbor seals, and even harlequin ducks on the south side of Spieden.
What a special trip with a lovely group of people; thank you thank you thank you!
More information on the Pacific Whale Watch Association: https://www.pacificwhalewatchassociation.com/