Kelly | M/V Osprey | July 31th, 2026 | 12:30pm
We wasted no time traveling south through Cattle Pass and into the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Following a whale report by Smith Island, we began to slow our speed to under 7 knots as we approached the island from a half mile. This island lies in the middle of the strait surrounded by nothing else but water for miles around its perimeter. It has lately been quite the hotspot for Biggs killer whales, and in particular the family we watched today identified as the T75B’s consisting of:
T075B / Pebbles — female, born in 1994
T075B2/Jasper/Fifi — female, born in 2015
T075B3/Rubble/Kasnikyu — male, born in 2017
T075B4/Petra — female, born in 2021
These whales were found in this exact same spot surrounding Smith Island just two days prior, almost around the exact same time. Certainly, a weird coincidence, but not surprising to see these orcas spend so much time here. This island is a hotspot for marine mammals and hosts and abundance of harbor seals. We watched this family swim tight to shoreline, in water so shallow that they were at times unable to fully submerge fins. As the group rounded the island eastern point they made their way into the center of a bull kelp forest just offshore. Then the splashing began! All four members of the family picked up the speed and began to mill in the kelp. We were most certainly witnessing a harbor seal hunt! The unlucky harbor sea occasionally popping up its head up in the middle of the commotion. We watched so many tales in the air, splashing and even one spyhop in the hunting process! As the orcas maneuvered within the kept forest there were often surfacing with dense bull kelp draped over their body! There was so much excitement in the air that we almost missed a close pass from a rarely sighted tufted puffin. Absolutely unforgettable day on the water!
Photos from this tour:
https://sanjuansafaris.smugmug.com/7-31-26-KK