Lauren | M/V Osprey | Wednesday, May 21, 2025 | 12:30 PM
Today is what whale watch dreams are made of. This was my first tour of the 2025 season that I’ve seen two different species of whale in the same excursion. We left Friday Harbor and headed north in San Juan Channel. Our first stop was to Green Point on Spieden Island to view some Steller Sea Lions. Four Steller’s were hauled out on the coastline, while several more swam around in the bull kelp. We left the point and headed up the Stuart Island coastline. As we made our way towards the Canadian border, we soon found ourselves among three Bigg’s Killer Whales! These whales were easy to identify as the T18s, with Galiano and Spouter stealing the spotlight with their large dorsal fins. Mom Nootka and Spouter were travelling together further away, while Galiano graced us with a few closer passes. We got beautiful looks at Galiano’s dorsal fin and eye patch before he continued towards Saturna Island. We got a few more looks at Nootka and Spouter, and then moved on towards Stuart Island. As we rounded Stuart, we saw more boats in the distance and soon enough were in the presence of local humpback celebrity Big Mama and her new 2025 calf! These whales were traveling slowly at the surface, giving us beautiful looks at both mom and baby. This was the first time we had seen Big Mama with her new calf, so we were all very excited to spend some time with them. Eventually it was about time to head back towards Friday Harbor, so we turned south and said goodbye to Big Mama and her calf, making it a great end to our picture perfect day on the water.