Olivia Esqueda | May 29th, 2025 | M/V Osprey | 12:30pm
What a fun day out exploring in the Salish Sea! We spent the afternoon up north in the Strait of Georgia hanging out with Big Mama [Humpback Whale, BCY0324] and her new calf! While this is her 8th known calf, she is also a grandma AND great-grandma!
Big Mama is one of our favorites out here and who we tip our hat to for the comeback of the Humpback Whales in the Salish Sea. After being heavily whaled out of this area, there were no more Humpback Whales feeding in these waters. For a species that passes down information generationally, there were essentially no Humpbacks to tell the new generations of whales. After roughly 100 years, in 1997, Big Mama was reported as the first Humpback Whale to be spotted in the Salish Sea, right in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Since then, she has continued to come back to these waters, bringing all of her calves and other Humpback Whales with her. Eventually word spread and we are seeing more and more Humpback Whales feeding here during the summer, returning whales year after year, and the most significant increase in sightings and numbers just in this most recent decade. Therefore, we suspect she is the mama who brought them all home.
Don’t worry! We also saw lots of Bald Eagles, Harbor Seals, Harbor Porpoise, and a variety of other birds as well! Spending time with Big Mama always fills our hearts.
Wanting to see more photos from our trips? Visit our SmugMug page at: https://sanjuansafaris.smugmug.com/