Lauren Tschirhart | July 26th, 2026 | M/V Osprey | 12:30 pm
Whales are wild animals, so sightings of them are never guaranteed. With that being said, we see whales on approximately 90% of our tours during peak season. Peak season is considered the months of May through September. This is because during the summer months our sightings network is the strongest and we also have an increase in migratory baleen whale species like Humpback Whales, Gray Whales and Minke Whales. Orcas are a non migratory species, therefore they can be seen in the Salish Sea year round. Orcas can travel over 150 miles in a day, so just because they are here one day, does not mean they will be the next.
Leaving the dock, we were not sure what we were going to do. We knew of several whale sightings in the area, but depending on the direction of travel, they could easily end up being too far out of range. We decided to head north and crossed our fingers, hoping for a bit of luck. We cruised up San Juan Channel, and into Boundary Pass, intensely scanning the water's surface. While transiting north, we got great looks at a shoal of harbor porpoise as they swam along a current line. It became clear after crossing the Canadian border that the whales we knew about were officially out of range. Time for Plan B…
We made our way west in Boundary and crossed over the north side of Stuart Island, getting beautiful looks at Turn Point Lighthouse. We continued south east and decided to hug the Spieden Island coastline. While cruising by Spieden we got great looks at several mom and pup harbor seals, bald eagles, and all three species of ungulate that call the former “Safari Island” home. We then made our way back into San Juan Channel, manifesting for a miracle.
If we didn’t find something soon, we would end up having a whale-less whale watch. Although we were thrilled with the abundance of wildlife we observed, it’s always a little disappointing when no whales are found. Suddenly I heard some commotion coming from the helm. Captain Gabe had just spotted the exhale of a presumed humpback whale! We slowly cruised towards this exhalation, and sure enough, it was indeed a humpback! What a rush! The entire boat erupted with excitement. After getting some shots of the bottom of the whale's tail fluke, we were able to identify it as BCX2081/ Bandit. Bandit is the 2020 calf of BCX1233/ Raccoon, making this whale just five years old. We are unsure at this point if this juvenile humpback is male or female. Thank you BCX2081/ Bandit for bringing the joy and saving the day!
Wanting 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/